“RĪGAS SILTUMS” challenge of the 25th anniversary

Striving to be the best example of practice in Latvia and the Baltics

About the company “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

“RĪGAS SILTUMS” provides the residents of Latvia’s capital city with warm housing in the cold months of the year and hot water supply, as it is the main heat supplier in Riga and the largest district heating company in the Baltic States. Confirming the status of a responsible and sustainable employer, in 2017 “RĪGAS SILTUMS” received the good practice award “Golden Helmet” for measures to promote the return of employees who work after a long absence. The company has also received the title of Latvia’s national winner in the European Business Awards competition and other significant recognitions.

The company regularly participates in various good initiative projects in support of sustainability, healthy lifestyle and growth. The team of “RĪGAS SILTUMS” participates in marathon races, tree planting events, as well as the company has its own training center for employee growth opportunities.

SOME FACTS: “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

  • Provides 76% of all heat energy in Riga
  • Owns 689 km long heating networks
  • Available to customers 24/7

SOLUTION

Celebrate the company’s anniversary together in a fun and unprecedented way

“RĪGAS SILTUMS” introduces new modern technologies not only by modernizing equipment, but also by engaging employees in joint virtual challenges to give colleagues the opportunity to get to know each other better, bring the company’s values to life and finally – celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary together!

Therefore, in 2020 “RĪGAS SILTUMS” in cooperation with Efectio created a challenge where every employee of the company could participate in and which would provide positive emotions every day. In order to achieve the organization’s great mission – “to provide Riga with safe, high-quality, environmentally friendly and sustainable district heating”, it is important that every employee is aware of the company’s values, team strength and the importance of each employee’s position as part of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”.


Both Efectio and “RĪGAS SILTUMS” believe that bringing values to life should not be a tedious process, so the challenge was created to integrate its values – openness, responsibility, reliability and efficiency – into everyday work responsibilities and culture. On the Efectio platform, employees had to complete a small task each working day that reflected one of these values, or a “mini” challenge to improve health, strengthen team spirit, or demonstrate skills.

“Everyday hustle and bustle brought a little more smiles, changed the model of cooperation with colleagues, and gave me the opportunity to do things I don’t usually do.”

 – Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

“I was motivated to participate in the challenge in order to move more, drink water, treat colleagues more kindly, etc.”

 – Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

Involvement of employees in the “RIGA HEAT” challenge:

  • 25 tasks in honor of the company’s 25 years
  • 27 different employee teams
  • A total of 5173 completed tasks
  • Sent 291530 virtual “hearts” to pictures added by colleagues
  • 687 added comments
  • A virtual memory wall with 208 attached pictures
  • 243 surprises for colleagues
  • A “RĪGAS SILTUMS” exercise complex with 203 exercises was created
  • 150 new talents of colleagues were discovered

And much more!

“Some of the challenge tasks were created to get to know the company better and promote its development, which allowed us as employees to express ourselves on the topics such as what we think about our company, what we would like it to achieve, etc. I think this is an excellent opportunity for business leaders to find out what the microclimate is in the company itself.”

 – Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

RESULTS


Enthusiastic, intense competition and team spirit

“It was necessary to find time to complete tasks together with the team – everyday life was filled with laughter, smiles, and positive emotions!”

– Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

The employee engagement program revealed that the employees of “RĪGAS SILTUMA” take on challenges with enthusiasm, motivate other team members, and are ready to stand up for fair play. Both the office staff and the teams working in other locations provided insight into their daily work. During the challenge, a closer connection with the company was strengthened by listening to the anthem of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”, visiting the oldest heating substations, sharing common memories, and participating in other activities. As a result of the program, “RĪGAS SILTUMS”, using the opportunities provided by Efectio, was able to make the everyday life of employees more interesting, often challenging their team to go outside the comfort zone and compete for valuable prizes. The biggest benefit is the opportunity to reveal to your employees that “RĪGAS SILTUMS” cares about their employees’ satisfaction, engagement, and well-being.

“The tasks of the challenge were not the same, they had to be performed with a sharp mind, physical effort, and even required to acquire computer skills.”

– Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

“In the challenge, I appreciated the opportunity to get to know colleagues who I had not met before with direct job responsibilities so far, including from the department where I work!”

– Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

“I enjoyed seeing other colleagues’ visions, ideas, activities. I also liked being able to get to know my colleagues on another level. ”

– Employee of “RĪGAS SILTUMS”

At the large-scale team event, 70% of the employees were active participants in the challenge. At the end of the program, a high average employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) was presented – 73% of the surveyed employees would recommend “RĪGAS SILTUMS” as a workplace for their friends (indicating a rating of 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale). 96% of employees believe that they got to know their colleagues better during the challenge.

“What this project disclosed to us – no event had revealed the creativity and different talents of our colleagues in such an explicit way. During the challenge, we saw one surprise after another, a whole series of surprises! In the middle of the game, the leaderboard of the challenge changed significantly, and the teams began to think not only about the creative execution of tasks but also about the tactics of the game.”

Agnete Busta, Public Relations and Communications at “RĪGAS SILTUMS”