Carl Ras strengthens young employees’ well-being and connection
A well-being survey at the wholesale company Carl Ras has shown that “the usual way” is no longer enough when it comes to the well-being and development of young employees. That is why Carl Ras has made a special effort to listen and rethink how they can strengthen young people’s development and sense of connection to the workplace.
“We had a bit of a wake-up call when we looked at the numbers for our employees aged 18-30,” says HR manager, Steen Demskov, about the insights from Carl Ras’ latest well-being survey.
The survey revealed large differences among the various generations in the factors Mastery and Results, where young employees lagged behind on several of the questions. These insights have led the wholesale company to make the younger generation the focal point of one of their well-being initiatives.
Among the approximately 450 employees at Carl Ras, overall employee well-being is generally high. Many years of prioritization and strategic focus have paid off, earning them awards for having a good working environment.
About 17 percent of employees are currently under 30. A percentage that Steen Demskov expects to rise:
“We need to prepare ourselves to be able to recruit and retain the young generation. That requires us to gain better insight into generation Z’s needs and expectations of the workplace.”
The well-being survey revealed generational differences
Selected questions from the GAIS well-being survey at Carl Ras:
Results:
Do you feel that you have accomplished something during your workday?
- Employees 60+ years: 90 points out of 100
- Employees 40-59 years: 88 points out of 100
- Employees 30-39 years: 82 points out of 100
- Employees under 30 years: 74 points out of 100
Do you feel that you are able to see concrete results of your work?
- Employees 60+ years: 90 points out of 100
- Employees 40-59 years: 88 points out of 100
- Employees 30-39 years: 85 points out of 100
- Employees under 30 years: 78 points out of 100
Mastery
Do you feel that you are developing your skills at work?
- Employees 60+ years: 81 points out of 100
- Employees 40-59 years: 79 points out of 100
- Employees 30-39 years: 77 points out of 100
- Employees under 30 years: 72 points out of 100
Do you feel that your tasks match your competencies?
- Employees 60+ years: 87 points out of 100
- Employees 40-59 years: 85 points out of 100
- Employees 30-39 years: 80 points out of 100
- Employees under 30 years: 73 points out of 100
Bonus info – on the question “Do you feel you are able to handle changes in your work?” the results were the opposite. Here, the young employees scored significantly higher.
Strengthening attachment to the workplace
At Carl Ras, they experience that the labor market has shifted, making it harder to retain young employees.
“We need to ensure a strong connection to the workplace for our young colleagues, since they are the ones who will carry Carl Ras forward in the future. They shouldn’t just stay here for a year or during their apprenticeship and then leave because we failed to create an attractive workplace for them,” says HR manager Steen Demskov.
He adds that several former apprentices have advanced to leadership positions at Carl Ras. This has been a huge advantage for the business, as the organization relies heavily on professional expertise and experience.
“But what we have done in the past – it is no longer enough when it comes to the young generation. GAIS has helped us understand that. It’s also about our culture. The culture we have had until now has been good at developing and retaining earlier generations. But generation Z has entirely different needs and expectations for the labor market. So we need to do something different – and figure out what that is,” he adds.
How Carl Ras measures employee well-being
To gain insights into employee well-being, Carl Ras has implemented GAIS surveys broadly across the workplace. The insights are used at all levels – from employee development conversations to management-level decision-making.
The survey results are translated into concrete initiatives, one of which this time is focusing on employees under 30. Employee participation is high – 96% of Carl Ras employees responded to the most recent well-being survey.
Focus groups: Giving the young a voice
As part of the well-being initiative for young employees, Carl Ras held three focus groups with a wide selection of employees aged 18-30 from different departments.
“We wanted to gain deeper insight into what expectations this generation has of working at Carl Ras and to understand how the labor market is evolving with them. The end goal is to create a set of recommendations for initiatives we should launch,” explains Steen Demskov.
The focus groups were put together so the young employees represented different functions and geographical locations.
“During the sessions, we discussed, for example, which values matter to them, and what they want more of. Many pointed to opportunities for development, clear goals and direction, feedback, recognition, communication, and community.”
The HR and communications department experienced that their young colleagues were very eager to contribute – and did so very openly.
“We want to listen and give them influence. It’s one thing what is said in a survey, but to experience that they actively contribute afterward has great importance. We see that they appreciate being part of the community, both socially and professionally.”
After the focus groups, a follow-up questionnaire was sent out to all employees aged 18-30 across departments to test and validate the insights from the focus groups.
“We wanted to use the follow-up questionnaire as a litmus test for the insights from the focus groups and survey. Did we correctly understand what this group of colleagues wants? And does it apply to the whole target group?”
Finally, all the insights are analyzed together with desktop research on generation Z, resulting in a recommendation report to management with concrete initiatives to strengthen well-being and workplace attachment for employees aged 18-30.
Generation Z in focus
- 86% of young employees find it important that the workplace provides opportunities for professional development. They want to be involved, have influence, and feel engaged from day one.
- 76% of 20-30-year-olds believe it is crucial for their work life to receive ongoing feedback on their work.
- 78% of 20-30-year-olds believe it is important to make a difference in the workplace.
- 73% of young employees say it is very important to have clearly defined goals to work toward.
- 48% of young employees state they are afraid of failing – which prevents them from contributing. In comparison, only about 20% of their older colleagues feel the same.
Source: “Spoiled youth? Prejudice and facts about the workforce of the future.” Job Satisfaction Knowledge Centre, Studenterhus Aarhus and Epinion, 2024.
When do I succeed?
The analysis at Carl Ras highlights the importance for young employees to develop and succeed.
“They may not yet know what they want for their career, but it is extremely important for them to be able to develop,” says Steen Demskov, adding that several young employees mentioned that they find it difficult to develop if they are only given the “easy” tasks, such as restocking items:
“It’s actually a very good way to learn the products and where they belong. That’s important knowledge when you later advise customers. But if you haven’t been told the purpose behind what you’re doing, it can be hard to see. That’s why we will look at how managers can communicate more about why we do things the way we do.”
He also points out that young employees tend to have high expectations of themselves and of making a difference at work. That’s why many of them also requested clear goals – both in the well-being survey and in the follow-up conversations.
“Many of them set extremely high standards for themselves – also at work. They are used to being tested throughout their school years, for better and worse. So for us, it’s a communications task to clarify the expectations of them and let them know when they are succeeding.”
About Carl Ras
Carl Ras is a Danish family-owned wholesale company and one of the largest suppliers of tools and fittings for craftsmen, institutions, and industry. They have around 450 employees across 22 wholesale centers nationwide.
Carl Ras has also acquired 3 Aktive in 2019, Jydsk Værktøj in 2022, and most recently Nordjydsk Værktøjssalg in 2024, as well as invested in the sustainable building markets Havnens Hænder and Genbyg.
In 2024, Carl Ras was named Denmark’s best medium-sized workplace in Great Place To Work’s competition for Denmark’s best workplaces.
