Elma Instruments: The employee engagement surveys that united Scandinavia
With GAIS as a shared tool, Elma Instruments has taken its employee wellbeing initiatives to a new level across national borders. The surveys have created transparency and provided both employees and management with a common language to talk about wellbeing, enabling them to address concrete challenges.
At Elma Instruments, homegrown questionnaires have been replaced by professional wellbeing measurements, which over the past two years have provided valuable insights into employee satisfaction and engagement.
Louis Svane, Managing Director at Elma Instruments in Sweden, explains that the GAIS surveys have established a shared language around wellbeing, which is reflected both in leadership style and the concrete initiatives being implemented.
“It’s become more natural to talk about challenges and topics related to job satisfaction. I hear colleagues across countries express what affects their wellbeing, both positively and negatively. The biggest shift for me is that we’ve legitimized the idea that it’s okay to be happy at work and to talk about it.”
It’s also been important for Elma Instruments to give a voice to employees who may not feel comfortable speaking openly but are willing to share anonymously through employee engagement surveys.
“For me, it’s essential that we capture every nuance. Our employees’ wellbeing shouldn’t be based on gut feelings, it needs to be quantified,” says Anders Lisberg Petersen, CEO of Elma Instruments, based at the company’s Danish headquarters.
“We had one department where the group-wide wellbeing survey revealed a higher level of dissatisfaction. It became clear that we needed to increase employee involvement and bring them into decision-making processes earlier,” he adds.
About Elma Instruments
Elma Instruments is Scandinavia’s leading company within handheld test and measurement equipment for all industries. With more than 60 colleagues, the company is headquartered in Farum, Denmark, and has offices in Sweden and Norway.
Elma is the exclusive distributor for a number of the world’s leading test and measurement manufacturers, serving a wide range of professional technical sectors.
A valuable leadership tool
At Elma Instruments’ Swedish office, the GAIS surveys have become a valuable leadership tool for Louis Svane.
“It helps create transparency and gives employees a sense that we’re listening. After each survey, I gather my team, and we select a few points to have meaningful discussions about.”
The feedback from these surveys has also offered new insights as a leader:
“I thought I was good at delegating and explaining tasks. But the survey showed that some employees wanted even more clarity. It was a helpful reminder,” says Louis Svane.
“When we conduct wellbeing surveys, we make it clear why we’re measuring and how we’ll use the results. It creates a strong shared foundation.”
A structured approach to employee engagement surveys at Elma Instruments:
- Clear purpose
All employees are informed about why the survey is conducted and how the results will be used. - Transparency in the process
Results are openly shared at both the corporate and team level. - Open dialogue
Each team meets afterward to select specific areas of focus and take action. - Local initiatives
In departments where specific issues arise, employees are brought into the conversation earlier. Local follow-up surveys may also be conducted in addition to the annual group-wide measurement.
Well-being through change
In 2024, Elma Instruments underwent several organizational changes, involving new roles, team structures, and new colleagues and managers.
“We know that change can create uncertainty – especially among long-standing employees. That’s why we need concrete data to understand how things are going, not just gut feelings. The survey showed whether we succeeded in communicating the changes and how employees were experiencing them,” says Anders Lisberg Petersen.
In the follow-up survey, the company saw improvement across all wellbeing indicators compared to the previous measurement.
“Given the many changes, I’m impressed that wellbeing improved. But we remain humble about the results, because we know things can shift quickly if we don’t maintain open leadership and communication,” says Anders Lisberg Petersen.
In addition to the annual group-wide surveys, Elma Instruments is also considering follow-up or spot-check surveys in various departments and countries.
Previously, we used self-made questionnaires that didn’t delve deeply into employee well-being. I find that the GAIS survey has raised the standard and asks relevant questions that employees can relate to in their daily work.
Louis Svane
Managing Director at Elma Instruments in Sweden.
