MYDEVELOPMENT gives power to employees

In September 2023, MYDEVELOPMENT replaced the old PDP setup with stronger focus on empowering employees and working with personal development on an ongoing basis.

What’s in a name? If you ask Kateryna Babenko, HR Director, a name is not just a name. Especially when she thinks about the name of JYSK’s annual process for employee evaluation and development.

In September 2023, when the new financial year began, what used to be called PDP (short for Personal Development Plan) changed name to MYDEVELOPMENT. An unimportant change, you might think. But think again, says Kateryna:

“Many colleagues had no idea what PDP was short for. And even if they did, they still just used the abbreviation. In contrast to PDP, which is simply three letters, MYDEVELOPMENT explains in two words put together that this concerns me and my development.”

Empowering employees

Putting JYSK employees in charge of their own development has been a key factor in the name change.

“The name change to MYDEVELOPMENT signals that we want to empower employees to take control of their personal development. Through research and workshops, we have finetuned our setup, so it is tailored to dig deeper into an employee’s behaviour and personality to help them evolve in a positive way,” says Kateryna.

If, for instance, a Sales Assistant has trouble selling, they are not just told to focus on trying to sell more. Instead, the manager and the employee will investigate what it might be in their behaviour that is causing the problem and find a solution together.

A universe of possibilities

One of the managers that have worked in this new way is Store Manager Bogdan Antonov from JYSK Ukraine. Working with MYDEVELOPMENT has put an ongoing focus on developing his team.

“In many processes, I work as a manager with a systematic approach with weekly and monthly tasks and the desire to accomplish them. It has been very gratifying for me to see colleagues gradually opening up, showing interest, and growing. For me, the key is to notice and help them move forward in a timely manner,” he says.

For Luben Mishev, Retail Manager for JYSK Bulgaria and Türkiye, being part of the MYDEVELOPMENT project has changed the way he and his team approach and focus on daily work.

“Knowing and understanding why people behave in the way they do, opens a whole ‘universe’ of possibilities to develop them as well as to secure that the right person is in the right place,” explains Luben.