Digital & Human
SD Worx Annual Report 2017
To be the most desired brand in payroll and HR services in 2021. We want to be the company everyone wants to work with and for. It’s an ambitious goal, but also a crucial one if we want to secure a long-lasting future for SD Worx. We have no choice but to be highly competitive in a dynamic world of growing complexity. GDPR and other legal changes, globalisation and growing international employment, the rise of digitalisation and the individualisation of working relationships are prominent examples.
We will provide HR solutions that transcend the mere digitalisation of existing HR processes, while always preserving the balance between automated and human services
– Steven Van Hoorebeke, CEO of SD Worx Group
Our 3 pillars
To succeed in our ambition, we have turned these evolutions into three strategic pillars that interconnect and reinforce each other: international growth, digital leadership and customer centricity. These pillars also form the framework of this annual report.
International
growth
Setting the international scene and consolidating our activities
In the SD Worx history books, 2016 was a year of exceptional international growth. Responding to this growth, in 2017, we reshaped our organisation accordingly. We did not tap into new foreign markets but focussed strongly on international collaboration and continuation. However, we did not rest on our laurels. We made good progress in developing an extensive new international service platform. Previously, our customers relied on our services on a country by country basis, but today, they increasingly request pan-European contracts. This platform will enable us to meet these demands and flawlessly deliver harmonised services.
Digital
leadership
Full speed ahead
SD Worx is ready to deliver innovative solutions and an exceptional digital customer experience that ultimately makes our working lives simpler. Our solutions go beyond the simple digitalisation of existing HR processes. We are rethinking HR services altogether, focussing both on the individual and the workforce as a whole while always preserving the balance between automated and human service. Operational excellence remains a top priority, we are continuously looking for opportunities to improve the way we work.
In 2016, we laid a solid foundation for our digital transformation. Now and in the coming years, we will be intensely deepening our efforts. Artificial intelligence, robotics process automation (RPA) and intelligent technology enable us to digitalise data-heavy, repetitive processes, resulting in fewer errors and faster output. Predictive analytics helps with personnel planning. The SD Worx digital assistant we are piloting is aimed at giving employees more control over their daily (work) lives and uses conversational interfacing. These are examples of HR solutions that transcend the mere digitalisation of existing HR processes. Instead, we use customer and user insights to come up with new ways of achieving similar results while always preserving the balance between automated and human services. It will always be digital and human, not versus.
Customer
centricity
Putting the client first: customer centricity to the max
Our ambition to create innovative, digital solutions will allow us to focus even more on people. We are changing the way we work, continuously seeking ways to optimise processes and create extra value for our customers and their workforces. To enhance our client services, we ran a pilot project on customer centricity in Belgium and the Netherlands, with splendid results.
We also keep close track of all developments in our business. The labour market is getting more flexible as the number of people employed on a temporary basis rises: think flexi-jobs and temping contracts. To prepare for this evolution and to offer customers the best possible service in this flexible labour market, SD Worx Holding acquired temporary staffing firm VIO Interim. It will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary under SD Worx Holding. This choice was yet again confirmed when VIO Interim won the Challenge of the Year 2017 at the annual HR Excellence Awards.
Emphasising the 'H' in 'HR'
It is obvious that, as a company, our key figures count. We are pleased to announce that 2017 was – once again – a prosperous year, featuring growth in both revenue and EBITDA. This is a stellar performance, but at least as important is our global Net Promoter Score of 28, up from 24 last year. Customers give us a customer satisfaction score of 88%. Our employees are highly engaged in every country where SD Worx is active. For us, these are the statistics that matter, because for SD Worx, the H in HR will always be essential.
Gratitude, thanks and appreciation
In short, we are laying the groundwork for an international, digital and customer-centred era. Thanks to the significant headway we have made, we look forward to the future with confidence and excitement. We believe that our three pillars will guide us in accomplishing our ambitions. But the most decisive factor in achieving our goals has been and will continue to be our employees. Their passion defines the strength of SD Worx. This is our formula for success. We have said this many times before and we will continue to repeat it, because this is now more than ever the truth.
The same goes for our customers, without whom we would not exist. We actively seek their invaluable feedback. It serves as the common thread that connects our strategy and activities. Therefore, we would like to close this foreword with a heartfelt word of gratitude: thank you all. With you, our future looks bright!
Our ambition to create innovative, digital solutions will allow us to focus even more on people.
– Filip Dierckx – Chairman of SD Worx Group