AN INSIGHT INTO WORKING AT AXA

How satisfied are people working at AXA? To answer that question, staff representatives Ilse Somers and John Cramer collected 11 stories of colleagues who personally testified about pleasant and less pleasant experiences they had working for the insurance company. The authors show what’s really important to them through this collection. It isn’t just about giving their opinion once a month in a work’s council meeting or trade union delegation. It is about genuine concern about solidarity and support, and about being able to help their colleagues from a positive vibe.

What prompted you to start this project?

Ilse Somers: We were a bit stuck. We wondered how we could reach more colleagues and engage in a dialogue in a constructive manner with more people. In other words, we wondered how we could tackle social consultations at AXA. We are convinced this brochure is a way to make progress in this respect.

John Cramer: It’s a brochure with real and positive stories from colleagues at AXA. These stories are about personal experiences that didn’t have a positive start yet took a positive turn. We knew there was an abundance of such stories within AXA. But we also feared that people didn’t want to share these personal experiences with their name, surname and photo with all their colleagues in a publication by the trade union of the company they are working or worked for.

But they did.

John: Yes, indeed. It was even easier than expected. There were very few colleagues who didn’t feel comfortable sharing their story. This project has resulted in a nice brochure with 11 stories.

What type of stories and topics did you look for?

Ilse: We wanted to address a wide range of recognisable topics you might encounter during your career. The booklet features someone who started at AXA and someone who started an international career. But it also features people who, as so many in our sector, are facing an immense workload and someone who recently became a mother. Topics such as burnout, dismission and voluntary departure are also discussed. The booklet gives an insight into what working for our company means. Or: it’s our vision of what working for an employer such as AXA could be like. The booklet is also available in French, thanks to our French-speaking trade union colleagues of CNE. This allows us to address a broader audience.

Some of the topics addressed in the booklet aren’t exactly positive.

Ilse: That is the reason we tried to find positive stories. We wanted to show that things don’t always end in a negative way. Of course, we know all too well there are less positive stories to be told. We don’t want to ignore them. But we wanted to share positive examples and show that certain situations can end in a positive way. It is our aim to reinforce what works.

What have the reactions been like so far?

Ilse: In late April, we officially presented our booklet ‘The story of 11 heroes’ to the 11 people who trusted us with their personal story. They were all very satisfied with the contents, the tone and the lay-out. This approval was important to us. We respect these people a lot and are very grateful towards them. It took a lot of courage, openness and trust to be part of this project. And ‘our’ booklet wouldn’t have been possible without them.

John: We are now distributing the booklet among our AXA colleagues. We are personally giving everyone a copy. This allows us to explain the context. Our colleagues’ reactions have mostly been positive. And the less positive reactions provide the perfect opportunity to enter into a dialogue.

Ilse: We have also received reactions from our management. They are enthusiastic as well. They want to seize the opportunity provided by this booklet to discuss these sensitive topics further.

And what now?

John: In a few weeks, we will start round table discussions about the topics addressed in the booklet. But topics that weren’t addressed in the booklet, will be mentioned in these discussions. This will help us focus our ideas. This way, we continue improving working conditions and work experiences, as well as reaching better social agreements for all AXA employees. We will discuss our proposals with our management in close consultation with our colleagues. We are convinced this is the way to make a difference together.

Ilse: Trade union work requires creativity. This booklet is a new way to address and discuss certain topics. Especially because it starts from positive stories. Making this ‘Story of 11 heroes’ took a lot of time, but thanks to the help and support from various people within and outside our core team, it has also given us a lot of energy. We are really satisfied with the result. Hopefully, it will inspire others to start similar projects. You will be amazed by the positive energy and fun conversations!