What do you do as a union representative?
I am an elected representative of AF at Scania. Within my role at Akademikerföreningen and Saco, I can contribute to the company decisions that impact many employees. Our target is for Scania to be an attractive employer and a better workplace for our members. I am also part of two working groups at Scania, regarding leadership and the transition journey.
What sparked your interest to get involved?
My main goal was to connect my working field, which is customer experience, with employee experience. I’ve come to realize that the two are very much connected. Since Scania is such a big company, I saw it as an opportunity to get a better holistic understanding of the various challenges at Scania, better understand problems from different viewpoints and ultimately come up with better solutions.
What do you find stimulating in your role?
I find it very motivational to represent other employees by enhancing the quality of decisions and improving the employee experience in parallel with the customer first core value in Scania. Also, the knowledge you gain by being involved is precious. I don’t think it’s possible to have such a broad understanding of the organization if you only work in one section.
Do you need certain skills or experience to be a union representative?
Of course, any expertise and expertise are beneficial as you can translate it into this work. However, it is essential to have passion and a willingness to commit. You will also learn a lot by being involved in this work. I would say it’s good if you like to see the bigger picture and want to make a difference for other people, not only yourself.
Do you have any advice to someone who’s new in the role as a union representative?
Be patient. Sustainable commitment and teamwork are keys to effective contribution. It’s also good to cultivate a long-term vision towards growth and development.
What is the community like within the union?
The network is excellent, and you can connect to many important stakeholders that are also decision-makers in their related area. I love this community as I’m continuously a part of the co-creation of different initiatives. Together within our roadmap, we bring lots of value both to the members and Scania.
Facts
Name: Hamed Yahyaei
Job title: Senior UX /CX/Service Designer at Scania
Role: Contact person for Akademikerföreningen Saco
Union: Akavia