How Inter IKEA transformed its global employee experience to build a future-proof workforce

The siloed struggle

Imagine managing a global workforce of over 100,000 employees scattered across 62 countries. That was the reality for Inter IKEA, the company behind the iconic IKEA brand. Their HR systems were fragmented, with different processes and tools in each region.

This created a disjointed employee experience, hindering their ability to find and retain top talent, offer clear career paths, and foster a culture of lifelong learning, which then ultimately hinders customer service and business growth.

“Creating a meaningful and engaging employee experience has been a critical goal for Inter IKEA,” Amelia Delic, Inter IKEAs Digital Transformation Manager, tells HRD Connect.

“As part of a global business, however, there are always challenges with regards to managing, hiring and retaining staff with the right skills, at scale. That is one of the reasons why we started using Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) five years ago – to help foster clear career paths, personal growth opportunities and lifelong learning that responds to our employees’ needs and aspirations.” 

A unified solution empowers a global workforce

Inter IKEA knew they needed a change. Partnering with Workday, they embarked on a five-year journey to transform their global employee experience in 2019.

Workday’s Human Capital Management (HCM) platform offered a centralized system with real-time workforce insights powered by machine learning. This provided a clearer picture of the global workforce, enabling Inter IKEA to better manage talent, and develop their teams.

Inter IKEA Employees can now manage HR tasks directly with mobile self-service tools. This puts them in control of requesting leave, accessing paystubs, and updating personal information.

“By making platforms like HCM available on employee smartphones or other devices, everyone gets real-time insights at their fingertips,” Delic says.

“This gives employees more transparency into progress as well as autonomy over their growth, while leadership has clearer insights into learning, trends or knowledge gaps.”  

The automated talent mapping provided by Workdays HCM also continuously identifies skills gaps, allowing Inter IKEA to implement target training and development programs quickly.

 “Using machine learning, talent can be rapidly aligned with opportunities, allowing our organisation to develop and embrace a smarter, competency-based workforce strategy – one which understands people’s ambitions as well as potential talent gaps.” says Delic.

A phased approach for global success

IKEA understood a one-size-fits-all approach would not work for their diverse workforce; a flexible and scalable solution was needed to fit different use cases without making compromises.

By introducing a phased implementation, Inter IKEA minimized disruption and ensured a smooth transition for its teams.

This adaptability was crucial for managing teams across various departments, from product development to manufacturing, as well as addressing the different prerequisites they faced.

Empowered employees deliver measurable results

By optimizing its employee experience through Workday’s platform, Inter IKEA has been able to build a smarter, more ‘future-proof’ workforce aligned with its growth strategy.

Concrete results include:

• 90% faster salary review processes (from three weeks to two days), showcasing the platform’s efficiency and streamlining financial processes.
• Accelerated workforce reporting times (reduced from 2 weeks to instant)
• End-to-end visibility of payroll and HR analytics
• Consolidated 10+ systems, reduced the number of interfaces employees have to navigate and boosted self-service for both manager and employee

Investing in people, building a future-proof workforce

“What’s good for our people is good for our business.” – a mantra Delic lives by.

By creating a work environment that values and empowers employees, Inter IKEA has successfully combined effective HR technology, processes, and a learning culture to transform how it manages its global workforce and drive better business outcomes.

IKEA’s use of Workday’s HCM offers many lessons for HR professionals, including:

• Culture of experimentation: Inter IKEA embraced a culture of experimentation, willing to take calculated risks and learn from mistakes. This allowed them to adapt the HCM platform and their approach throughout the implementation.
• Strong leadership: A strong and empowered steering committee drove the transformation forward. This leadership ensured clear communication, addressed challenges, and provided flexibility to adapt plans as needed.
• Strategic use of technology: Implementing modern HR tools like HCM platforms can empower employees, streamline processes, and provide valuable insights.

Delic also shared some advice for organizations seeking to transform their employee experience and improve business agility.

“Challenge yourselves and your partner to define a new way that works for your business,” she said.

“[And]ensure you provide enough flex in your timeline to make changes and improvements to plans along the way.”