SATS’ onboarding delivers strong results

SATS is the leading fitness center in the Nordics, with more than 8,500 employees across 150 gyms. The mission To make people healthier and happier motivates the entire organization. SATS ambition is to build a culture based on leadership and self-leadership. The goal is to be an inspiration to others. Employees should feel included and engaged in a warm and welcoming environment.

Challenges

Getting everyone on the same page

SATS is on a steady growth journey. With 150 gyms across the Nordics, the plan is to continue the expansion. As a growing organization with employees in multiple locations, it is important to get everyone on the same page. 

New and established employees need a strong understanding of the business and a mutual goal. Clear information around intentions and methods is thus essential.  
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The employees are at the heart of the business

SATS’ employees are the no.1 priority. “We put our employees first, so that they can put our members first”, is one of their management principles. The organization is dependent on its passionate employees to meet its ambitious goals. Learning and development, therefore, play a central role in SATS’ business strategy.

Learning interventions need to generate value, without consuming too much time and energy. To support the growing number of employees, SATS needed to develop a centralized knowledge hub and a strong, unifying culture. 
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"The larger the organization, the more challenging it is to get everyone on the same page. We needed to build a strong culture and work together towards a common goal." 

- Johan Westberg, Nordic Culture & People Manager, SATS

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Solution

A successful onboarding makes everyone part of the SATS family

First impressions last. A positive introduction plays a key role in retaining, developing and motivating employees. SATS’ goal is to make everyone feel passionate and part of something bigger. 

Onboarding is an essential part of the employee life cycle. SATS uses Learnster’s e-learning platform to introduce new employees to organization, culture and job role. The onboarding process includes introductory courses, self-paced e-learning and best practices from colleagues. New employees also practice real-life scenarios alongside coaching from managers. The purpose is to make new hires become part of the SATS family, right from the start.

The onboarding is based on an automated workflow of information, e-learnings and activities. The reduced need for manual admin makes it easy for team managers to follow up. 

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Automated and customized learning journeys create “one company - one culture”

SATS uses Learnster's automation rules to provide consistent, high-quality training. Everyone gets a similar learning experience, regardless of location or business unit. 

Where local or role-specific training is required, customized learning journeys provide adaptation to better reflect the employee’s reality.

Providing similar learning experiences with some local adaptation, SATS is in a stronger position to create “one company - one culture”.   

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Learnster - a long-term partner for learning

SATS’ onboarding process was developed in a collaboration between SATS’ People & Culture team and Learnster Customer Success team. As well as practical onboarding tools, Learnster’s learning designers provide coaching, tips and ideas on a regular basis. 

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"With Learnster’s automation rules, we can ensure a similar learning experience for everyone. Learnster’s customer success team provides valuable tools, tips and ideas. They are true heroes!" 

- Johan Westberg, Nordic Culture & People Manager, SATS

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Results

Clear expectations improve employee retention

A clear, consistent and fun onboarding experience in Learnster contributes to improved results and boosted KPIs. 

93% of new employees have a clear understanding of what is expected of them by the end of the onboarding process. Clear expectations are a key factor for happy and productive employees who stay longer.

91% of employees say that they have developed professionally since the start date. The same amount of employees (>9 out of 10) feel prepared and comfortable in their new role at the start. 

New employees give SATS an e-NPS of 52 after their first quarter. Onboarding is a strong contributor, as 96% of the employees say they have received a positive first impression of the company.  

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Team managers see faster improvement among new employees

A successful onboarding is not only valuable to employees. The same internal survey also shows benefits for team managers. A majority find the digital support valuable while they notice a faster improvement among new employees. 

75% of leaders agree that digital support has helped them ensure a positive induction.

47% of new employees perform beyond their line manager’s in the first quarter.

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An attractive workplace - employees return to SATS

Many former employees chose to return to SATS. A possible reason, according to Johan, is the strong culture, fantastic colleagues and important mission: To make people healthier and happier.
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"96% of employees get a positive first impression of SATS. New employees perform beyond their manager’s expectations."

- Johan Westberg, Nordic Culture and People Manager, SATS