We sat down with Magnus Sundling, Unit Manager atBoden Business Park, to hear his thoughts on how to strengthen an employer brand and build a work environment equipped for the future. This is perhaps more important than ever in a region where the winds of green change are blowing in tandem with investments.
It’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly where a good work environment begins and ends. However, there is growing consensus that the work environment should be a central focus in the workplace, as it leads to a stronger employer brand where employees feel valued, are in good health, and are focused on shared goals.
Magnus Sundling, a well-known figure inBoden to many, works as Unit Manager at Boden Business Park. It is no exaggeration to say that, in his role, he plays a key part in the green revolution, as his areas of focus are the industrial and tourism sectors.
On a typical day, he works with his colleagues to support the local business community, coordinates efforts to attract new businesses, and collaborates with other staff members on workforce development initiatives aimed at increasing population growth and economic expansion. The municipality as a whole has clear ambitions for how to grow, particularly in terms of population, given the new businesses being established.H2 Green Steelis perhaps the most well-known of these.
Boden Business Park’s mission is to create the conditions necessary for the business community to thrive and grow, so that the municipality of Boden can achieve its growth goals. This is accomplished by attracting talent and companies looking to expand, supporting the business community through professional development and innovation-promoting activities, and attracting national and international investors.
Magnus Sundling also serves asTeam Leaderand is responsible for six employees. His role involves close collaboration with colleagues and playing an active part in continuously helping to create a better work environment.
What does a good work environment mean to you, and which aspects would you say are most important to focus on?
“A good work environment fosters a high-performing team that maintains a healthy and reasonable balance between workload and time for recovery,” says Magnus. “We are also each other’s work environment, so how we are and behave toward one another as colleagues is also an important part of a good work environment. It should be a supportive and open atmosphere where people feel safe to express their opinions and describe what they’re experiencing. People should feel good both at work and outside of work.”
For some time now, Boden Business Park has been using Hartic, our proprietary wellness tool, with the aim of improving the work environment and well-being.
How does Hartic help you in your work with your team?
– It serves as a useful barometer of the team’s well-being—both in terms of organizational, psychosocial, and physical health—allowing us to identify deviations in the short term and, over time, detect trends and changes that may prompt us to review the situation and take necessary action.
It sounds like this systematic approach helps you achieve your goals?
“Yes, absolutely. Hartic gives us a good idea of what works well—things we should preserve and develop further—as well as what doesn’t work as well, which needs to be reviewed and adjusted,” Magnus explains.
He goes on to explain that he regularly reviews the results, both with the head of the department and, of course, with his team on a weekly basis, where they take a broader look at the results and trends over time and jointly decide how to promote health.
What steps should companies take to be an attractive employer today?
– It is important to create an environment that fosters joy in the workplace and allows employees to grow and develop within the organization; otherwise, they will do so elsewhere. And let employees have a say in shaping their work and responsibilities, while ensuring that the terms and conditions are on par with those offered by other employers in the same industry.
What are you spending most of your time doing right now?
“I help equip and prepare the local business community for the changes currently taking place,” he says. “I work to encourage more companies to set up shop here and ensure they get off to a good start. I also help adapt and prepare our own organization for new ways of working and the evolving needs of those of us involved in business development.”
Magnus's three tips for building your personal brand
- What people experience must reflect and align with what you claim to be as an employer—much like having the same products in stock as you display in the storefront window.
- Have clear values and a set of core values that resonate with your employees, and live by them.
- Use surveys to gain insight into how employees perceive you as an employer.
Finally, what do you want most of all right now?
– That all my colleagues will soon be able to take a much-needed and well-deserved vacation to recharge and relax.
