Talent Exchange Programme

“Young people are our future, so we really need to respect their development needs and let them grow within Höganäs. The professional aspect is only part of it. The personal experience from living abroad and to work with new colleagues is just as important,” says Deborah Jiang, Vice President Human Resources for the APAC area.

The programme’s primary objective is to create more opportunities for young co-workers to develop specific knowledge, skills and experiences by working at other Höganäs sites in the world. There are, however, according to Deborah, equal opportunities for the host sites to learn from the exchange.

“It is a proper exchange, where both sides benefit. It is not only a way for the participants to learn new things but also for their new colleagues to practice the leadership principle of ‘we learn and develop’. It is also a very good way to promote diversity within the company.”

Deborah has followed the participants through the programme, and she says it has been quite an emotional journey. For some, it has been the first time they have travelled outside their home country. They may even be the first member of their families who travelled abroad. Some initially struggled a bit with being far away from their loved ones and with settling into an unfamiliar environment. After a while though, says Deborah, they have come to enjoy it and value the experience that the programme presents.

“I am impressed by their drive and it has really been a fantastic personal journey for them. I am also quite proud that four out of the six participants are women. When we say that we want to create a diverse work environment, I believe that the gender aspect is very important.”

Deborah explains that there are several spin-offs from the talent exchange programme: “I think it raises the bar for the management and makes us think about how we develop people and also how we develop ourselves as leaders. It is not only about exchanging talent, but also about knowledge and leadership practice. I would definitely want to see the programme become a natural part of what it is like to work at Höganäs.”