People

At Ahlstrom we are approximately 7,000 employees connected by our purpose and values, which are integrated in our everyday work. Our purpose brings meaning to our work and guides our decisions across the company. We want to create healthy, safe, engaging, and inclusive work environments, where people can learn, develop, and grow, and where they are treated and compensated fairly and given equal opportunities. Engaged people in healthy working conditions are more driven and innovative, leading to better business performance and customer satisfaction.

Enabling people

Ahlstrom remains committed to ensuring every employee has the opportunity to a successful career at Ahlstrom with the same standards applied. We aim for an inclusive workforce that represents the communities we work in and the customers we work with. We value and celebrate our diverse and inclusive culture, recognizing its positive impact on innovation, decision making, and engagement. We strive to foster an environment where this diversity can thrive, making Ahlstrom a better place for everyone.

Engaged employees

We use employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) to measure employee engagement at least once a year, and our Employee Voice Survey gives our workforce a way to share their feedback on what we do well as an employer, and where we could be even better.

Our ambition is to reach the top decile eNPS (score 41) in the manufacturing industry by 2025. (eNPS 2024: 39).  

Safety

As an industrial player in the manufacturing industry, Ahlstrom's operations involve processes and work in circumstances where hazards exist and therefore require a systematic and effective health and safety management process. At Ahlstrom, we strive for a zero-injury workplace by setting ambitious targets for continuous improvement and developing consistent safety practices and competencies at every level. To achieve our long-term aspiration, we aim to make safety more than just a consideration and mindset—it should be an actionable part of our daily operations. At Ahlstrom we firmly believe that everyone deserves a safe, healthy, and engaging workplace. This commitment extends to include all, even those not directly on our payroll. Our health and safety rules apply equally to all, ensuring a consistent and secure environment for everyone involved.

10 leading safety indicators

The main element of our strategy is to work actively with our ten preventative measures to further strengthen the corporate safety culture.

  • We report hazard and near misses

  • We perform behaviour based safety interactions

  • We measure rolling near miss corrective actions %

  • We measure employee safety participation-%

  • We conduct safety inspections

  • We measure contractors safety training hours

  • We analyze incidents and actively share our learning

  • We measure employees safety training hours

  • We continually improve through active sharing of best practices

  • We measure actions closed from annual safety meeting

CARE365

In 2024, Ahlstrom introduced CARE365, a culture of care closely aligned with one of the company’s core values. Fostering this culture is a cornerstone of our journey to enhance safety and collaboration in the workplace. Our approach is founded on the belief that a safe and thriving work environment is built on mutual responsibility, open communication, and proactive engagement. To lay the foundation for this culture, we encourage engagement and open discussions about Health, Safety, and Environment components, ensuring everyone has a voice and feels empowered to contribute. By embedding open and constructive communication into daily routines, employees are encouraged to identify issues and actively participate in resolving them.

Working conditions

As a labor-intensive industrial operator, we recognize the importance of managing the workforce in a responsible manner with a special focus on workplace health and safety. Ahlstrom positively influences workforce well-being and prioritizes a healthy work-life balance. Its sites are in countries with statutory requirements for working conditions, including reasonable working hours and fair pay, holidays, parental leave, and part-time work. Actions that promote healthier work environments positively impact employees' general physical and mental well-being, employee experience and satisfaction. The company recognizes that poor working conditions could lead to a range of negative outcomes, affecting employee wellbeing, resulting in reduced job satisfaction and commitment.

Preventing health and safety-related risks

At Ahlstrom, we believe that engaging everyone in safety activities fosters a culture that seeks to identify and control hazards. Over time, this reduces risks and the potential for harm, ultimately cultivating a positive safety mindset. Controlling exposures to hazards in the workplace is vital to protecting workers. Ahlstrom applies the hierarchy of controls as a way of determining which actions will best control exposures and lower workers exposures and reduce risk of illness or injury.

To prevent health and safety-related risks, we conducted internal cross-audits and exchanged best practices. Additionally, Ahlstrom developed its own Leadership Safety Training (LEAD), which is based on the social psychology of risk. This training aims to enhance our understanding of the physical, mental, and team dynamics that influence human decision-making and judgment.

Training and engagement

By implementing preventive measures, such as safety procedures, training programs including the handling of hazardous materials, and regular inspections, Ahlstrom has effectively introduced a foundation to reduce the likelihood of accidents, injuries, and illnesses, improving working conditions. This creates a culture of safety and ensures the long-term success of our occupational health and safety management systems.

At Ahlstrom, we continue to prioritize our focus on improving the employee experience. Through engagement workshops (Thrive), we prioritized the well-being of our employees by aligning seamlessly with our core values in particular the value of "Care". The initial phase of this program, started in 2023, targets the engagement of operators at a site level. To do this, we gather comprehensive and direct feedback from our employees and their managers regarding their experiences. This feedback then helps our plant management teams to define and implement short- and long-term actions towards enhancing overall employee satisfaction.