1.4 Our people

Our people drive the value we create. We balance our strategic objectives with reinforcing the characteristics of our culture that make us unique. In doing so, we contribute to sustainable growth, innovation and increased added value per employee.

Added value 

We rely on exceptional people to develop products that, consistent with our purpose Technology for Life, meet needs, solve problems and bring significant benefits to people and businesses alike. The extent to which customers are willing to invest in products is directly tied to their perceived relevance and therefore value. Our people's contribution to that value is the reason we monitor added value per employee. It tells us how effective we are, as a team of more than 1,000 people, at turning our technological expertise and market insights into relevant and sought-after solutions.

Our emphasis on added value per employee is also indicative of our approach to compensation and benefits. We see our employees as treasured sources of value, therefore we engage in profit sharing. We believe this is not just the right thing to do but also leads to skin in the game, reinforcing our entrepreneurial spirit and incentivizing innovative ideas. 

People development 

Achieving commercial success and market leadership takes commitment and patience. We take a long-term perspective by investing in lasting relationships with our employees. We achieve this by creating an ecosystem that empowers people to take control over their personal and professional development, and by developing vital capabilities and leadership qualities for realizing Nedap's strategic ambitions. In doing so, we ensure that each employee is able to grow in their current role and in ways that add value to our collective success.

Nedap Academies 

The Nedap Academies address three opportunities for advancing our Nedap strategy:

1. Accelerate leadership
   We emphasize leadership development and are intentional in succession planning to enhance organizational performance and move toward a more results-oriented culture. As part of our people strategy, we focus on leadership at all levels of the organization. We expect people to show personal leadership, regardless of their position.

2. Building vital capabilities
   We identify and develop the capabilities needed to secure our leading position in our key markets and seize new opportunities, focusing on both core and emerging technologies. Among other things, it is vital that we preserve and expand our technological know-how, and that we make the best possible use of this expertise. This is in line with the goal to make our collective knowledge and experience accessible to all.

3. Advancing Nedap talents
   We identify and support talent as they progress in their careers at Nedap in order to create meaningful experiences for our employees and build a high-performance organization.

Learning platform 

We promote self-directed learning through the Nedap Learning Platform, which was launched in 2024. The platform enables our employees to take ownership of their own personal and professional development.  

Onboarding 

We offer an introduction program to familiarize new employees with the Nedap culture, values and way of working. Key topics include our code of conduct, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), privacy, and security. After one year, employees participate in the Nedap Survival Skills program. The program equips new employees with the skills to navigate a culture that values and expects personal responsibility and entrepreneurship. In addition, we tailor the onboarding curriculum to the individual needs of employees.

In section 2.2 we report on the updates to our people development approach and our investments in programs and initiatives. 

Culture 

To step up our performance, we are cultivating a balanced culture that honors values such as trust, respect and inclusivity, and that emphasizes results and performance.  

We aim to preserve our entrepreneurial spirit by encouraging individuals to take ownership of their projects and providing them with the space to achieve their goals and fulfill their responsibilities. We emphasize the importance of setting a clear direction, including shared principles and guidelines to inform our actions and decisions, and well-defined roles and responsibilities. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Nedap, DEI is integral to our strategic vision. We strive to embed DEI into every aspect of our organization, from our company policies to our daily operations. Our global DEI Story outlines our shared vision and values, while recognizing that our employees are located in different parts of the world, each with their own cultural, societal and geopolitical context. Therefore, we translate our global DEI story to local initiatives.

Our DEI focus areas are:

1. Inclusive leadership, international mindset
   We foster a culture of openness and acceptance by promoting cross-cultural understanding, with leadership serving as role models. We strive to build a diverse senior management team that reflects our commitment to DEI principles. As a global company, we focus on embracing an international mindset.

2. Equitable global teams
   We aim to foster collaborative and equitable partnerships across all business units and offices worldwide, embracing cultural differences to create an inclusive work environment. We expect our employees to embody our core values, while acknowledging the cultural, societal and geopolitical context of each region we operate in. Our commitment to equity extends to enhancing opportunities for women, remote workers and neurodiverse colleagues while actively cultivating diverse local leadership teams.

3. Transparency
   Our policy is to make Nedap information accessible to all employees in English. Transparency in internal hiring, promotion and decision-making contributes to equal opportunity. We seek to promote effective communication through the standardized use of English when appropriate.

4. Gender balance
   We strive for gender balance at all levels of our organization, aligning senior management representation with the overall workforce. Our commitment extends beyond traditionally gender-dominated fields, promoting diverse representation across our organization. We provide tailored support to help women advance, especially into senior management roles.

Employee participation and profit sharing 

Nedap offers an employee participation plan, promoting a shared interest in the success of our company. Each year, Nedap N.V. distributes 6.5% of its pre-tax profits to its employees, who may use all or part of this profit to buy depositary receipts for shares (certificates). The Employee Participation Foundation (Stichting Medewerkerparticipatie Nedap) currently holds 3.6% of Nedap's share capital on behalf of the employees. In 2024, 76% of employees opted for the plan (2023: 74%).

In addition, Nedap grants certificates to all employees through the Nedap Additional Participation Plan (NAPP) when profits exceed a set minimum. When Nedap's EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes, excluding one-off items) grows by more than 5% compared to the average of the past three years, Nedap distributes 40% of this excess growth to employees in the form of certificates. Certificates are subject to a four-year lock-up period. The EBIT threshold for 2025 is €28.8 million (2024: €29.1 million). In 2024 the threshold was not achieved, therefore no NAPP certificates will be granted over the financial year.