Digital employee experience at Schneider Electric- Anna’s story

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I joined Schneider Electric on the 1^st of July 2019, following my maternity leave. I found the company appealing not only because of the exciting role that was offered to me, but also due to its employee value proposition. Sustainable development as well as social and ethical principles are in line with my personal beliefs. I was attracted to Schneider’s meaningful purpose of providing energy to everyone and perceiving it as a basic human right. On top of that, the global family leave policy and pay equity also spoke to me directly as a female and as a working mom.

Before joining Schneider Electric, I worked for major consulting companies helping their clients in various digital strategy and transformation endeavors. I noticed that while technology is a major driver of change for all key domains of an enterprise and its core business activities, support functions such as HR are usually neglected. I felt that it’s a great opportunity for me to leverage my experience and chip in to the practical side of the HR digital revolution that Schneider is undertaking. Latest trends so widely covered in subject matter reports and social media indicate that modern employees expect a consumer-like experience also in their workplace, and I am happy to have found a company that is ready to fulfill those expectations.

Well rounded digital employee experience

At Schneider Electric the whole employee life cycle is powered by market leading HR solutions as we follow the best of breed approach. From a candidate’s perspective, the digital employee experience starts with our applicant tracking system (ATS). This is where the job posting for my role was published and where I could submit my application. It is worth mentioning that it is the same system that is used in different countries where Schneider Electric operates, so I was able to browse the job descriptions from other geographies too.  Following the efficient recruitment process, an attractive offer was made to me and I was happy to accept it with a single click. At this moment my on-boarding started with a heartwarming welcome e-mail from our Schneider Electric leadership. Soon after, I could provide my key personal information online (no paper-based forms). This is quite important to ensure that all assets and access rights are ready on day 1.

My first weeks with the company were full of inspiration and learning with clear milestones tracked by our core HR tool. Schneider has recently moved to a single global Human Capital Management system with the aim of using one global software for key talent modules which is a single source for all employee data. I will soon receive feedback through performance review platform in the same solution. It also includes a global recognition module, in which everyone from around globe that I work with can provide their feedback on my accomplishments. We’re investing in new solutions with employee experience in mind.

One employee experience platform

We’re on the final stretch to deploy chat bots for employees and we are planning to tackle the topic of a single employee experience platform. One of the most innovative solutions that has been successfully deployed is one that we internally call “Open Talent Market” which is an AI based opportunity matching platform for internal talent. It allows me to apply for new internal positions, identify a project that will suit my aspirations, find a mentor that can help in career progression, or leverage our global talent pool for a project that I am leading and need help with. We have a strong focus on learning and currently improve our system to provide our employees with a Netflix-like platform for trainings.

Schneider Electric at Unleash World Conference

Schneider Electric will be happy to present more of our plans for a digital employee experience during the upcoming Unleash World conference in Paris, one of the greatest and largest shows dedicated to the Future of Work and HR Technology. Dan Hutchinson, Vice President of HR Services Europe, and Wojciech Iwanczak, Director of HR Global Digital Services and Innovation, will host a session, “Dare to disrupt – Digital Employee Experience at Schneider Electric” on October 23^rd. I’m looking forward to meeting you during that inspiring event and to share best practices from our digital employee- centric HR approach!

About the Author

Anna is a HR Global Digital and Innovation Project Manager. She drives global HR innovation projects, that leverage cutting-edge technology and address our key priorities such as easy employee experience and productivity. In her personal life, she is a happy mother of a young boy and is passionate about French culture and cuisine.  

Connect with Anna on LinkedIn