Ikea IT AB, a subsidiary of Swedish furniture chain Ikea Corp., is taking a giant leap forward this year by dramatically increasing its training investments for every employee -- in some cases, doubling the amount.
People who join the IT arm of Ikea, based in Helsingborg, Sweden, know they won't get the highest pay or coolest benefits on the market. But what they will get is technical training, career development and access to new technology.
There are many career paths for IT workers at Ikea IT and its parent company, and workers are encouraged to try new tasks and even experiment with new job roles. One of Ikea IT's goals is to be one of the best employers in Sweden when it comes to skills development.
In the coming year, Ikea IT plans to implement a system for skills development and take an inventory of the current job roles and skills at the company. Ikea IT is also making an effort to improve the way people work: By the end of this year, approximately half the staff will have taken a three-day course in personal development and a two-part class in team development.
"It is vital that the entire organization talks about how we do things, not only about what [we do]. It's about how we communicate with one another and how we work," says Christina Nilensj, human resources manager at Ikea IT.
The company employs 490 people, and 280 work at the main office in Helsingborg. Last year, only two workers left Ikea IT, and 132 new people have been hired.
Myren is news and careers editor of Computer Sweden.