Alsachimie: Putting “behaviors and attitudes” at the heart of the strategy
By becoming an autonomous company through a joint venture, Alsachimie has scaled up: the Alsace-based polyamide specialist has evolved into a business-oriented and investor-focused platform. To communicate this new positioning to its 700 employees, a framework listing 48 behaviors and attitudes was created and integrated into HR processes (recruitment, training), managerial practices (interviews, motivation), and the quality of work life development plan. This is how a strategy is transformed into a vision and then into action. Feedback from Frédéric Fournet, General Manager, and Grégory Buzolich, HR Director.
“The strength of a city lies neither in its walls nor in its ships, but in the character of its citizens.” Grégory Buzolich, HR Director at Alsachimie (with €500 million of turnover in 2022), has a particular fondness for Greek authors, especially Thucydides, who lived 2,500 years ago. He recently referenced this quote during a management meeting to emphasize that, while maintaining strict technical standards for quality, safety, and innovation, an industrial company must also cultivate the right behaviors among its employees to remain stable. This is the cornerstone of the transformation at the chemical company based in Haut-Rhin (France), which specializes in the production of polyamide and nylon intermediates and employs approximately 700 people on a 125-hectare site.
Transformation? “We indeed faced a significant challenge in transforming our identity,” explains Frédéric Fournet, General Manager. “In 2019, we left the Solvay group and were acquired in a joint venture by BASF and Domo Chemicals. We transitioned from being a secondary facility of a large group to an autonomous company aiming to become one of the leading European producers of adipic acid.”
The site’s operations have been completely transformed, since in addition to its production activities for the joint venture, Alsachimie has become a platform where economic partners (Butachimie, Linde, Air Products, b+T, BASF) can utilize the infrastructure and services. This platform must be managed and operated with a business-oriented approach to attract investors.
“Under Solvay, the executive team brought together department managers around a plant director,” contextualizes Grégory Buzolich. “Upon becoming autonomous, we transitioned to being company leaders around a president. With the teams remaining the same, we needed to quickly evolve our governance and communicate to employees the imperative for new attitudes and behaviors: entrepreneurial spirit, autonomy, innovation, and a business approach. That’s why we decided to create, with Quaternaire, a 'Behaviors and Attitudes' framework to successfully navigate this transformative shift.”
A framework developed with employees
The “Behaviors and Attitudes” framework (BAF) is actually part of an ambitious change and empowerment plan with strategic directions extending to 2030. Other components of this plan include:
- Detailed job descriptions (for Talents, Executives, Managers) to identify potential and better support career development
- Initiatives focused on well-being and performance
- Modernization of tools and processes
- Development of the employer brand and a review of salary and recruitment policies.
The BAF serves as a unifying element for all these initiatives and complements Alsachimie's code of conduct (legal, ethical, commercial compliance). Developed through three workshops organized by Quaternaire in 2022 with a representative group of employees, it is divided into eight values (safety, belonging, responsibility, respect, excellence, demand, kindness, innovation) and detailed through 48 behaviors (see box).
It is then communicated through articles and videos on the intranet to the 700 employees, with one value introduced each month until June 2024. This deployment will be systematically analyzed to make necessary adjustments month by month. The behaviors and attitudes have also been integrated into annual interviews to assess employees on each of the eight values. “The executive team chose to evaluate two key behaviors to start with: kindness and demand, with managers having the option to add a third value,” explains Frédéric Fournet. “They can use the framework to have frank discussions with their employees, who will be rated from 1 to 4 on each behavior.” Grégory Buzolich adds, “If an employee is rated poorly, the manager will encourage them to change their attitude and guide them towards positive behaviors. The manager is crucial for transforming the individual and for proposing a tailored development plan with individual support such as coaching—either internal or external—or training.”
Recruitment and quality of work life
The framework has been integrated with the GQL (Global Quality of Life) program. Launched in 2020, this program has facilitated the implementation of various internal initiatives, such as having an on-site psychologist funded by the company. Additionally, the framework has been incorporated into the selection and recruitment process to enhance Alsachimie’s employer brand. “Behavior is crucial,” explains the HR Director. “Let’s compare two control room operators: the first is the best technician in the world, while the second has a good level of skill. In a crisis, the first panics and forgets 95% of his knowledge, whereas the second remains calm. I prefer the second. In both our recruitment processes and training plans, the aim of the framework is to highlight the importance of behavior and attitudes, especially in highly technical industrial environments.”
Positive attitude
Here are some examples of behaviors and attitudes from Alsachimie's framework for the values of kindness, innovation, and belonging:
- Kindness: I do not interrupt others and always listen attentively. I acknowledge when someting is done well, and I express my appreciation.
- Innovation: I regularly propose new ideas, solutions... even if they may seem unconventional or divergent from current practices in company.
- Belonging: I actively participate in the company's projects, regardless of their nature (operational excellence, investments, continuous improvement, development).
Alsachimie
- Industry: Manufacture of nylon salt and its intermediates for polyamide production.
- Workforce: 60 professions / 700 full-time employees
- Turnover: €500 million in 2022
- 2 million tons of chemicals handled annually
- Classified as an upper tier Seveso site
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