We know that the more motivated our employees are, the better our ability to serve our customers. We treat our employees not only as important stakeholders, but also as important assets for Aegon.
We recognize that we can only implement our strategy if we value and support our people as our most important asset by engaging and enabling them with the tools, training, and culture needed to exceed our customers’ expectations. Examples include the implementation of a new global HR information system, Workday, which is currently being rolled-out to give managers and employees direct access to relevant HR data.
In 2015, we adapted the Aegon Remuneration Framework to have a stronger focus on relevant targets for employees.
To support the execution of our strategy, we are embarking on a cultural transformation, focusing on four themes: customer-centricity, organizational agility, ownership and acting as ‘One Aegon’. We are developing our talent through initiatives such as the Analytical Academy and revisiting our leadership competencies to accelerate behavioral change.
What steps are we taking to empower our employees?
- Focus leadership on advocating innovation, accountability and customer centricity
- Attract, develop and retain the best people committed to our purpose
- Increase digital capabilities and expertise
- Be a truly international enterprise with a diverse workforce
What have we already achieved?
- We launched the first Global Aegon Awards – an initiative to celebrate achievements and sharing excellence – with participation from 20 country units and 90 applications. The awards categories highlighted our strategic focus as a company: Best community engagement, Best empower initiative, Best improvement, Most customer centric team, Best employee in support and staff, and Best employee in customer service.
- We stimulated a culture of diversity and inclusion. For example, we support initiatives such as Workplace Pride, a foundation for greater acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in work environments. In the Netherlands, we have our own Aegon Proud, an inclusive employee resource group for LGBT employees and supporters.
- Transamerica scored 90 out of 100 points in the 2016 Corporate Equality Index rating.
- Every year, our Global Employee Survey measures the level of engagement and enablement of our workforce, and units are required to follow up on the outcomes of the survey results. Organization-wide, key topics that were taken up as a consequence of the survey results were learning and development, performance management, and respect and recognition within the workforce. For example, at our headquarters in The Hague, one of the topics that was chosen to improve on was a 'Great Place to Work'. Unfortunately, our employee engagement score decreased 8 points to 63, and our employee enablement score dropped 11 points to 64. We believe these declines were largely the result of uncertainty due to necessary cost reductions and restructuring.
- In the list of best employers in the Netherlands, Aegon rose from 25th position in 2015 to 15th in 2016. The ranking is based on a survey of randomly selected employees.
- Aegon won the Workplace Pride 2016 National Coming Out Day awards. Workplace Pride strives for greater acceptance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people in the workplace and society.
- Aegon held its first ever Hackathon, a 24-hour event for selected, digitally-minded employees, aimed at developing implementable ideas for products and services.
What performance indicators do we use?
- Employee engagement.
- Employee enablement.
How did we perform in 2016? (2015 performance)
- Employee engagement: 63 (71)
- Employee enablement: 64 (75)