Last year, Steve Sundekilde swapped the event industry for a job as team leader here at TASSO. And although trade fairs, concerts and conferences don't have much to do with red-hot liquid iron, the job change has been a great success, according to our latest employee satisfaction survey.

Last year, Odense Sport & Event's former technical manager, Steve Sundekilde, made a major career change. After almost 15 years in the events industry, he took a year off to spend time with his family and to consider the next step in his career. In his search for something new, he came across TASSO, where he was hired as a team leader for our night shift.

Despite the difference between working in the events industry and in an iron foundry, Steve and his team have found the right tune together. According to our latest employee satisfaction survey, which we conducted among our 65 employees at TASSO, employee satisfaction in the company as a whole and especially on the night shift have increased.

- I had absolutely no experience of iron casting when I started here, so it was quite a change for me. My colleagues were also a bit skeptical at first, but I'm very curious by nature, so I asked a lot of questions about the tasks and processes. They found it a bit annoying at first, but they got used to it and now they use it to make fun of me, Steve says, adding:

- When we talk about culture change and leadership, it doesn't really matter what product is on the line because it's really about people.

From the moment he walked through the door at TASSO, Steve and the rest of the team have worked to strengthen collaboration by emphasizing ownership and responsibility for tasks.

- It's important for people to feel a sense of ownership of their work. When they do, they take more responsibility, which improves both wellbeing and productivity. But it requires that we evaluate the tasks together and dare to make clear demands on each other – and trust each other to solve the tasks, says Steve, adding that openness has also been important for the team:

- We need to be able to talk about the things that are working, as well as the things that aren't, in a positive and constructive way. It's OK to make mistakes. It happens to all of us. It's just important that we as a team learn from the mistakes so they don't happen again.

Job satisfaction significantly increases productivity
TASSO's employee satisfaction survey was carried out by the Danish research agency Ennova. The survey measures two overall parameters, job satisfaction and loyalty. TASSO's scores for both parameters have improved compared to last year's survey.

- Based on last year's employee satisfaction survey, we have developed and implemented several action plans to improve the working environment and employee satisfaction. According to the positive results, this work has paid off and we are very pleased and proud of this, says our Managing Director, Kristian B. Pedersen.

Looking at the results for TASSO's night shift alone, employee satisfaction has also increased significantly compared to last year's survey, but there have also been improvements in other parameters:

- The night shift's productivity has increased significantly over the past year, largely due to the team's success in creating a culture of trust, openness, and empowerment. And that just goes to show why it's so important that we invest in our people. Because if they thrive in their work, it rubs off on the business results, concludes Kristian B. Pedersen.
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