Stakeholder engagement
OUR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
In full awareness of the fact that stakeholder engagement is the basic principle in corporate responsibility and sustainability, we consider expectations and opinions of our key stakeholders in all aspects of running our global business. We pay ultimate attention to creating a regular, continuous, and trust-based communication with them. One of the main reasons for us in developing and publishing this Sustainability Report is to create a dialogue platform to ensure our practices are in line with our stakeholders’ expectations and opinions. Our main stakeholder engagement in 2011 included:
Engaging our clients
This means keeping a close eye on our clients’ needs and desires, through frequent surveys and evaluations:
• Client Loyalty Surveys (CLS)
Supported by our research partner TNS NIPO, each country carries out at least one full CLS per year. Overall, we have improved weighted global client loyalty measurements by more than 5 points (in TRI*M measurement), in challenging market circumstances.
• Driver Satisfaction Surveys (DSS)
Each country carries out at least one DSS per year, with many countries performing more than one. Understanding driver satisfaction is key to ensuring that we provide the best service in fleet management.
• Brand Awareness Survey
We also use various qualitative surveys in order to understand how
our clients work with their
fleet and what we can do in order to help them with our products and services. The
information from these is used as input in product development processes every year.
Additionally, our proactive partnering approach means that we work in close consultation
with
our clients on a regular basis.
Engaging our people
Towards the end of 2011, LeasePlan introduced a new Global Employee Engagement Survey to measure global employee engagement consistently and simultaneously for all LeasePlan entities. The global survey provided a comprehensive picture of the level to which LeasePlan employees are engaged in their work and feel supported by the Company. The survey focuses on four elements of high performance organisations – engagement, leadership, goals/strategy and organisational capabilities.
Engaged and motivated employees are considered the primary strength of our organisation as well as a distinct competitive advantage. Ultimately, the Global Employee Engagement Survey will also instruct us as to how we can maintain our strengths, as well as highlighting where we can further improve our organisation and our services to clients.
Engaging our suppliers
We employ a partnership approach in our dealings with suppliers. Throughout 2011 we continued to work in close partnership with our suppliers using our well-established supplier relationship approach. In 2012, many of our suppliers will further understand our client experience standards as a supplier workshop will form a key part of the LeasePlan Identity Programme. This global programme is aimed at ensuring we continue to deliver our promise to clients.
Engaging with regulators & supervisors
Regulators are responsible for developing and maintaining a thorough understanding of the operations of individual banks and banking groups by collecting, reviewing and analysing prudential reports and statistical returns, and conducting on-site and off-site supervision. Regular contact is maintained with our management. The Basel Committee’s Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision (and specifically the Financial Markets Supervision Act for the Netherlands) outline the areas of attention and powers of the regulatory authorities. As part of the supervisory review and evaluation process these bodies oversee and supervise our operations. As a part of this process we communicate all relevant developments and initiatives with regard to our capital, liquidity, solvency and governance to the Dutch Central Bank.
Engaging with other key stakeholders
Additional key stakeholders we continued to engage and build working relationships with in 2011 were:
• Industry associations
• Vehicle manufacturers
• Media
• Business partners
• NGOs and sponsorship partners
• Communities