Sandvik's Holistic, Integrated Approach to Talent Optimisation

Connecting the Dots Across the Talent Journey

“What I’ve learned is that I learn something every day at Sandvik,” Eva begins. That mindset underpins Sandvik’s approach to Talent, Learning, and employee development. With 45,000 employees in 170 countries, including a near 50/50 split between blue-collar and white-collar workers, the company is navigating the complex challenge of building unified experiences that meet diverse needs.

Eva leads a team responsible for all Talent processes, spanning Learning & Development, performance management, succession planning, and executive search. At Sandvik, these areas are not treated as separate pillars but are instead deeply interconnected.

“Everything in the employee life cycle or people journey is actually closely connected,” Eva explained. “We collaborate across HR forums where business leaders and people from the Group level all come together.”

The Link Between L&D and Performance

While tools and platforms are important—Sandvik recently launched ‘Your Voice,’ a company-wide engagement platform—Eva emphasised that the foundation of Talent optimisation lies in conversations.

“You need to have continuous dialogues with your manager. That’s also building on the psychological safety that we think is important for innovation, creativity, being able to speak your mind and co-create.” – Eva Wikmark Walin

This people-first philosophy also drives Sandvik’s interest in individualised learning journeys. The company is exploring whether an LXP is the right fit for its future needs, but Eva is clear: “tools can help you, but it's still in the communication and the planning.”

Tailoring Development Across a Diverse Workforce

Given the variety of roles at Sandvik, from those operating heavy machinery to those in office-based functions, there’s a need to design development experiences that can be accessed in different ways.

While Eva in her role at Sandvik tries to make learning “one experience for everyone,” she acknowledges logistical challenges, particularly for blue-collar employees. To bridge the gap, she says that Sandvik is investing in leadership training for supervisors and is ensuring that both managerial and specialist career paths are equally supported.

“We think it's important that everyone has the chance to make their voice heard and have those development conversations.” – Eva Wikmark Walin

Getting the Basics Right Before Scaling

With experience spanning IBM, Telenor, Telia and Transcom, Eva brings a rich cross-industry perspective to the conversation. She noted, however, that tools and systems are only as effective as the foundational processes that support them.

“If you have a lot of tools but you don't have a process at the bottom, it will never work,” she cautioned. “It's the planning, the conversation, having those dialogues—that's the most important part.” – Eva Wikmark Walin

In fact, she believes that L&D, performance development, and succession planning are becoming so intertwined that it makes sense to treat them as one cohesive function.

While Sandvik hasn't yet formally merged these teams, their HR collaboration model ensures close integration across the board.

Moving Towards a Skills-Based Organisation

Like many global organisations, Sandvik is exploring what it means to become a skills-based organisation. “We’re in the beginning,” Eva shared. “We're trying to make sure that we first understand what we want to accomplish and achieve that we don't have today.”

Sandvik is closely aligning this work with its HR tech roadmap and employee data systems, with the goal of providing individualised learning and reskilling opportunities. 

“How would you understand and know the gaps for the future when it comes to skills, if you’re not in control of what you already have?” – Eva Wikmark Walin

The transition to a skills-based organisation is not just about taxonomy and systems, she said; it's about creating the visibility and capability to anticipate future business needs and respond proactively.

Embracing a Curious, Growth-Oriented Mindset

Eva champions curiosity and continuous development, both personally and professionally. “I think having a curious mind […] we speak about lifelong learning, but also about learning that lasts,” she reflected.

She shared how combining experience with learning deepens understanding, and how even non-work pursuits—like her studies to become a sommelier—can fuel professional growth.

“Every day I learn something new at Sandvik,” she said. “And I reflect on that in the evening. What did I learn today? I share it with my team when I can.”

For Eva, it’s essential that leaders model this mindset: 

“If you're not showing yourself that you're learning and have a curious mindset, then it's going to be hard to prioritise learning for your team.” – Eva Wikmark Walin

This role-modelling, she argues, is crucial in embedding learning as a cultural norm, especially in industries where health, safety, and sustainability are high-stakes and constantly evolving.

Final Reflections

Eva will be sharing these insights at iVentiv's Learning Futures Copenhagen session in April 2025 and sees immense value in cross-industry collaboration:

“It’s always good to discuss and connect. You get the inspiration, you get new thoughts, new networks. You always come out with new friends, new colleagues, new ways of working.” – Eva Wikmark Walin

She added that forums like iVentiv are a chance to align on shared questions, even if the answers aren’t clear-cut. “Usually you end up understanding that no one needs to have the perfect solution… but if someone has, they're also willing to share.”

In a world of accelerating change, organisations that bring learning, talent, and performance together will be best positioned to develop future-ready workforces. As Eva reminds us, it all starts with the mindset. 
 

Eva Wikmark Walin is an accomplished senior executive with over 25 years of global leadership experience across HR, talent management, customer service, and business consulting. She has held key roles in renowned organisations such as IBM, British Telecom, Transcom Worldwide, and Sandvik, where she has been a member of global leadership teams driving transformative strategies.

Thumbnail: 
News category: 
Talent Management

More Insights

In today's fast-paced business environment, the importance of mindfulness in leadership cannot be overstated. As leaders navigate the complexities of decision-making and relationship-building, mindfulness serves as a crucial tool for maintaining focus, fostering empathy, and enhancing executive presence. In this blog, we explore the insights of Matthias Birk, Global Director of Partner Development at White & Case, on how mindfulness can transform leadership. With decades of experience in leadership development, Matthias shares practical strategies for integrating mindfulness into daily routines, its impact on organisational culture, and the vital role of community in sustaining these practices.

Join us as we delve into the power of mindfulness to elevate leadership effectiveness and create more compassionate, connected workplaces.

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, companies like Expedia and Microsoft are harnessing the power of new technologies to drive learning, talent, and business objectives. Leveraging AI, including generative AI and tools like Microsoft's Copilot, these companies personalise learning experiences, enhance performance management, and streamline operations. Led by iVentiv's Hannah Hoey, we interviewed Liz Moran (VP of Global Talent Management, Expedia), Manasi Joshi (Senior Director, Learning & Development, Expedia), and Brian Murphy (Senior Director, Employee Skilling, Microsoft), to talk about new and emerging tech, transformation, and the power of learning and talent partnerships.

Watch now to learn how new tech is transforming corporate learning, improving operational efficiency, and supporting Talent Management to meet business objectives.

iVentiv has spent the first six months of 2024 asking Global Heads of Learning, Talent, and Leadership to share the top priorities and challenges for their function right now. At the end of 2023, the most popular area highlighted by respondents was Leadership and Executive Development. So far in 2024, more than 300 C-suite executives, all leading L&D and Talent functions for Global organisations, have responded. We can now reveal the results of the 2024 surveys so far.

In this blog, we explore the top priorities, with some preliminary exploration of what the figures tell us about the work of L&D teams across the world right now.

In our recent interview with Trish Uhl, Senior AI Specialist, we explored the transformative potential of AI within the Learning & Development (L&D) functions of organisations.

Trish, an expert in AI and technology, shared her insights on how AI is reshaping professional development and learning processes. Trish's insights underscore the urgent need for L&D to catch up with technological advancements and leverage AI tools to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. The future of AI in L&D promises exciting possibilities, provided human creativity and critical thinking remain at the forefront of this transformation.

With her extensive background in teaching entrepreneurship at leading UK business schools, Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj has cultivated a deep passion for fostering women in leadership. Through her work, Shaheena emphasises that true innovation requires not only diverse teams but also a leadership model that embraces psychological safety, an entrepreneurial mindset, and continuous learning.

Join us as we delve into the insights and strategies from Shaheena's ground-breaking book, Take the Lead: How Women Leaders are Driving Success Through Innovation, and explore her invaluable advice for aspiring female leaders navigating today's complex business landscape.Watch and read more here.

In our rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations must continuously adapt to stay competitive. One of the most effective strategies for maintaining a competitive edge is through reskilling and upskilling the workforce - a topic that 67% of L&D heads are focussing on in 2024, according to iVentiv pre-event data.

This blog delves into the key factors impacting reskilling and upskilling, explores the associated challenges, and discusses the implications for Learning & Development teams heading into 2024 and beyond. Read more.

As a leading player in the transformation to a technology-driven enterprise, ZF Group has launched the Skills Hub to address the evolving needs of its global workforce. Daniela Prinz, Global Head of Learning & Competency Development at ZF Group, sheds light on how this platform is pivotal in supporting employees as they navigate through the megatrends of e-mobility, digitalisation, and sustainability. The Skills Hub isn't just a learning tool; it's a change management catalyst designed to enhance the skills and competencies necessary for ZF's transformation.

In this interview, we'll explore how the Skills Hub and other strategic L&D efforts at ZF Group are not only reshaping the way employees grow professionally but also ensuring that the company remains competitive and forward-looking in a rapidly changing industry landscape. Watch and read more here.

Hannah Hoey (Research & Content Executive, iVentiv) took some time to dive into the dynamic world of Learning & Development (L&D) at Fugro, spearheaded by Wouter Jan Kleinlugtenbelt, the Global Head of L&D.

During this conversation, Wouter Jan talked about Fugro's transformative journey, adapting to cutting-edge technologies like uncrewed vessels and augmented reality, with the aim of enhancing operational excellence.

In this interview, we explore how Fugro integrates L&D with its strategic goals to ensure its workforce is not only skilled but prepared to meet the future demands of the geo-data engineering industry. Join Wouter Jan to uncover the intricacies of Fugro's L&D strategies, from onboarding new hires to fostering a culture of continuous Learning & Development.

Following iVentiv's Learning Futures Cologne, Richard Parfitt (Marketing Manager, iVentiv) spoke to Klaus Scheile (VP of Learning & Development, T-Systems) to delve into the T-Systems approach to skills and talent development. Watch the full interview here and read our blog to understand more about how T-Systems fosters a learning-centric culture, empowers personal development, and champions learning at every organisational level.

Klaus will be joining us at our 300th event in Cologne (8-9 April, 2025) - click the link to register: https://iventiv.com/events/learning-futures/learning-futures-cologne-exe...

Leadership Development continues to be a topic of huge interest to Global Heads of Learning, with 60.5% of you highlighting it as one if your priorities so far in 2024. In a recent interview with Berry Lumpkins, Global Head of Organisational Development at NKT, Berry explained how the organisation has built its approach to Leadership Development from the ground-up, and, crucially, how important it was to have the CEO's buy-in for the whole process. Watch the video in full here.

Pages