Monitoring of projects helps companies find areas for improvement

Finnpartnership’s project monitoring also benefits companies that have received the financial grant. A Finnish software company in Vietnam gained valuable information for improving its operations from an anonymous staff survey.

Finnpartnership monitors 4-5 of the projects it supports each year. Some of these monitoring exercises have recently also included a tool to collect anonymous feedback from local employees. This survey, conducted by an external operator, also provides useful information for companies to improve their operations.

This is the view of Robert Ng, Head of Production Sourcing at Finnish software company CubiCasa, who is responsible for the procurement of the company’s production in Vietnam, including human resources.

For the monitoring of CubiCasa, Finnpartnership used a company specialising in research surveys. It conducted an online survey in which employees had the opportunity to answer a wide range of questions about their work and working conditions.

“The results of the survey showed us where we have been successful and where we need to improve. I believe that employees also felt more comfortable expressing their concerns when the survey was carried out by an independent and professional operator,” says Robert Ng.

45 percent of employees are women

CubiCasa, based in Oulu, has had a subsidiary in Vietnam for a few years, employing more than 600 people in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue which is in the centre of the country. The company received Business Partnership Support from Finnpartnership to prepare the launch of the business and to train Vietnamese staff.

The company, which provides software and digital services to the real estate sector, has grown rapidly in Vietnam. Recruitment priority is aimed for unemployed women and jobseekers from lower income groups. Around 45% of employees are women, a high proportion in the IT sector.

CubiCasa has tried to structure its recruitment processes and employment opportunities in a way that they are suitable for people in different life situations. In Vietnam, for example women often have to compromise their careers for family reasons. CubiCasa is able to offer a flexible work environment. “Employees can also work from home if they can manage their work remotely. A laptop and an internet connection are sufficient.”

The survey helps to guide actions for development

In addition to the online survey, Finnpartnership’s employee conducting the monitoring visited the CubiCasa office and conducted face-to-face interviews. The results of the survey were presented to the company and discussed in the management team. Robert Ng says that some of the employees’ wishes for improvement were already known, but the survey has helped to focus further development efforts.

The feedback highlighted the desire for careers with opportunities for developing into higher positions. Robert Ng says employers are doing their best to offer employees more challenging jobs that match their skills. “However, the opportunities for rapid career progression are limited because of the limited number of managerial and specialist level positions.”

Positive feedback warms the employer’s heart

CubiCasa strictly adheres to Vietnam’s working time laws, but feedback from workers on night shifts was that staying up late can be tiresome. Efforts have now been made to improve work-life balance by increasing shift rotation and allowing night workers to work day shifts. “We can’t give up night work altogether, because we need to be able to serve our American customers quickly. The time difference between Vietnam and North America is 10-12 hours,” explains Robert Ng.

The positive feedback CubiCasa received during the monitoring was the strong community spirit and the support of the management for the workers. This enables a smooth work-life balance. For example, employees can in a flexible manner agree on working arrangements with their managers if their children are sick. “The best feedback for the employer was that employees are willing to recommend CubiCasa as a workplace to their friends and relatives. It shows that the staff take pride in their work.”