The company is also breaking new ground as an employer
Busch-Hungária has undergone a fundamental transformation in recent years. Hungary’s largest iron foundry employs more than 300 people and produces more than 40,000 tonnes of castings for the heavy vehicle industry every year. Last year and this year the company has repeatedly set production records and its achievements have been recognised throughout Europe. Meanwhile, Busch-Hungária has also renewed itself as an employer – Kisalföld Online asked HR manager Henriett Drahos about the steps it has taken to achieve this.
The team plays a key role in the success of the iron foundry. Where did the development of the human resources area start?
I joined Busch-Hungária in July 2020. That’s when we started to transform our organisational culture to be successful in the European iron foundry market and the Hungarian labour market in the long term. We defined our vision, then redefined the company’s strategy and started to develop our organisation, processes and a comprehensive employer branding programme.
Győr’s iron foundry has once again been placed at the forefront of European competitiveness. What were the first steps in terms of HR?
Following the redefinition of leadership roles, we launched skills development training for all management levels, in addition to the regular training we organise for all our employees. We have also redesigned the system for recruiting new employees, making the process shorter and more efficient. Another important step has been the analysis and evaluation of all job functions, which has made it possible to restructure the salary, compenzations and benefits’ system.
Salaries are always a sensitive area, how have colleagues responded to the change?
We received a lot of positive feedback. The company places great emphasis on improving salaries, and we are absolutely competitive in this area too. In 2022, we have increased salaries three times and made the payment of increased incentives monthly, while maintaining other benefits. We pride ourselves on providing a stable financial backing for our employees. We see the satisfaction of our colleagues that it pays to work at Busch-Hungária.
What is the most visible change from the employees’ point of view?
We have made a number of investments to make working easier and create a more comfortable environment. Improving our physical environment is just one part of this, but an important element. We have completely renewed the canteens and changing rooms in the factory, and the offices have also been improved. All this reflects the new, modern image of Busch-Hungária, as does, for example, our new website.
What does Busch offer its employees in terms of community?
We organise a variety of activities that focus on shared experiences and exercise. This year, for example, we went ice skating, hiking, canoeing, a sporty Family Day and an adventure park for kids. We encourage our staff to lead a healthy lifestyle by providing, among other things, check-ups and vitamins. We are pleased to see that more and more people are getting involved in these initiatives because it makes the team stronger.
