Leading with Well-being: Championing Employees First Philosophy – Interview with Ghita Jansson-Kiuru

Continuing our “Leading with Well-being” series supporting Mental Health Awareness Month, Margaret Jaouadi sat down with Ghita Jansson-Kiuru, a passionate advocate for people-centered leadership and the Chief Human Resources Officer at Hiab (Nasdaq Helsinki: Hiab), a leading provider of smart, safe, and sustainable load handling solutions. In this second installment, we explore how Ghita’s unconventional career path shaped her people-first philosophy, and why balancing performance with well-being is possible and essential for high-impact organizations.

Throughout the conversation, Ghita shares insights from her leadership journey and the evolution of Hiab’s “Employees First, Customers Next” strategy, inspired by Vineet Nayar’s influential book. At the heart of this approach is the belief that when people feel safe, supported, and empowered at work, they’re more likely to deliver exceptional results. She introduces us to the company’s guiding principles: Easiness, Empowerment, and Excellence, and explains how clarity, capability building, time management, flexibility, and leadership play critical roles in sustaining well-being at a global scale.

Ghita offers thoughtful advice to companies ready to take a more proactive stance on mental health: start by listening, invest in leadership development, and focus on creating psychologically safe spaces where people can bring their whole selves to work. She also speaks candidly about the unique pressures C-suite leaders face, from isolation to the expectation of constant strength, and emphasizes the importance of team trust, vulnerability, and individual responsibility, reminding us that even at the top, we all need support.

This article is a powerful reminder that embedding well-being into workplace culture isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative. Ghita’s vision is clear: when we build environments rooted in trust, flexibility, and purpose, we don’t just create healthier workplaces, we unlock the potential of the people who power them. And this starts with being sustainable with ourselves – recognising our limits, setting boundaries, and nurturing the energy that fuels us.

Margaret Jaouadi
Could you start by sharing a bit about your professional journey and what drew you to the field of HR and employee well-being?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
I started my career in sales. After graduating with a degree in marketing, I joined a tech start-up and quickly became a country manager. I had no leadership preparation or formal training, and the start-up environment was very entrepreneurial, fast-paced, focused on quick decisions, and constantly putting out fires. There wasn’t much time for structured personal development. I was learning on the job.

As much as I loved that environment, I needed to prioritize my five-month-old son. That’s when I transitioned into an international marketing leadership role. But what truly excited me—and still does—is the people side of business. What drives people, how can we develop them to become the best versions of themselves, and how can we create the right environment for that to happen? That’s what energizes me.

Over the years, I’ve had opportunities to take on more general management roles and become a managing director. I had the chance to take on divisional leadership positions. But I always said no. I wanted to stay in HR because I love working with people. It’s the perfect intersection of business and human development, which I find fascinating.

My experience in sales, marketing, and general management greatly helps me in my current role. It gives me a broader understanding of businesses’ operations and what people need to thrive. I think that blend is a great strength to bring to the role of CHRO.

Even back then, when I first moved into leadership, I had a strong sense of purpose. I wanted to help build a workplace where people could come in with a smile – maybe not every day, because we’re all human – but overall, a place where people feel happy and enjoy what they do. A place where work is meaningful and even fun, while the business still drives results. That belief has stayed with me. It’s still what drives me today.

As a young manager, fresh in the role, I was very driven. I’ve always had a strong work ethic and wanted to prove to myself and others that we could hit our goals and succeed. But I quickly realized that not everyone shares the same drive level or wants to work long hours. And that’s okay. I had to learn how to lead a team in a way that didn’t burn people out.

I started reflecting on how to balance ambition and results with well-being. That became a significant theme for me as a manager, which I still work on today. I continue to reflect and improve my leadership to create a healthy work environment where results matter, as does psychological safety.

I genuinely believe you can achieve both. You can push for performance and care deeply about people’s well-being. But to make that possible, you must create a space where people feel safe to be themselves.

Margaret Jaouadi
I’m glad you brought up the idea of balance because it’s easy for some companies to focus solely on results and create a performance-driven culture always about pushing harder and doing better. This pressure is particularly true for publicly traded companies, such as Hiab, which has recently become. There’s a constant tension between performing and transforming.

Finding that balance is an extraordinary skill. It’s about creating a culture where performance is expected and encouraged, but where people also feel supported, where there are clear guardrails and a network that helps them thrive without burning out.

How can we build a culture where performance and well-being are not in conflict but go hand in hand? That’s what I hope to convey through this conversation.

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
Funny enough, I took part in an HR strategy seminar yesterday. I was on a panel, and the topic was precisely this: how to strike the balance between performance and well-being. So it’s very timely.

Margaret Jaouadi
What does leading with well-being mean in practice, and how does this philosophy shape the workplace culture?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
I think if it’s done in a structured way, it can make a huge difference. At Hiab, we started our journey toward becoming an “Employees First, Customers Next” company in 2019. The inspiration came from a book called Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down by Vineet Nayar, and this philosophy captures this balance well.

The idea is that if employees feel good at work, feel safe, comfortable, and are in a good place emotionally and mentally, they will naturally serve our customers better. And when customers are happier, the business performs better, increasing shareholder value. It’s a chain reaction, but it all starts with the people inside the organization. This approach is very close to my heart and aligns perfectly with my purpose at work, so I’ve proudly taken on the sponsor role for this initiative.

We’ve developed our employees-first strategy in collaboration with employee focus groups from all over the world. These groups included people from different roles, levels, and regions of the business, and together we explored how it feels to work for Hiab today, how it would feel if we were an employees first company, and what we can do to make it happen. Out of those conversations, we defined what “employees first” means for us, and we built our approach around what we call the three Es: Easiness, Empowerment, and Excellence.

These three principles form the foundation of our people strategy. They are not separate from our business goals. They are integrated into how we operate and aim to achieve as a company.

Aside from the three Es, clarity is critical in striking the right balance between performance and well-being. Clarity around expectations, targets, and direction. But also providing clarity around roles, understanding how my role connects with others in the organization, and how I contribute to the bigger picture. That clarity creates an understanding of how we contribute and helps people feel grounded.

Another key factor is capability. People need to feel well-equipped to do their jobs. They need the knowledge, skills, and confidence to perform well. And most of us want to grow and stretch ourselves, too. If someone, especially a young person, is placed in a significant role without the proper support, that can lead to burnout. So, building and nurturing capability is essential at every level.

Time management is another big piece of the puzzle. It’s about helping people focus on what matters, set the right priorities, and manage their energy accordingly. That’s part of well-being, too.

And then there’s leadership. Leaders set the tone for psychological safety. People need to feel respected, seen, and heard. They need to feel safe asking questions, including the so-called “stupid” ones, and to ask for help without fear. Leadership is about creating a culture where people can be themselves through strong and weak moments and where collaboration and honest dialogue are encouraged.

And finally, there’s flexibility. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that flexible work is not only possible but often better. Whether you’re caring for small children or elderly parents, flexibility allows people to manage life and work more sustainably. That kind of autonomy gives people peace of mind, a key part of well-being today.

So when you combine all of this: clarity, capability, time management, strong leadership, and flexibility, you create an environment where people can thrive and deliver outstanding results without sacrificing health or happiness.

Margaret Jaouadi
Interestingly, we recently conducted a poll to prepare for this interview series, and the results were evident. By far, the top factor people associated with well-being was flexibility.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in supporting a mentally healthy workplace, and what strategies have helped you navigate them?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
One of the challenges, especially in a global company, is the many different views on working practices and attitudes.

Not only do we have a wide variety of roles, like office-based employees, sales teams out on the road, field service technicians working alone in a van, or factory operators on the assembly line, but each of these roles comes with unique demands. The nature of the work is entirely different, as are the challenges around well-being and flexibility.

On top of that, there are also cultural differences to consider. For example, in Scandinavia, there’s a firm belief in work-life balance. In contrast, in regions like the US or parts of Asia, there’s often a different mentality or set of expectations regarding work. So, building an approach that respects and works across all those differences is one of the key challenges.

Margaret Jaouadi
Would you say Hiab is trying to instill Nordic values across the company?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
I wouldn’t say that, and I’m not against this approach, but we’re trying to build our way at Hiab. Our leadership style aligns with Nordic values, especially how we see and value people. That’s one of the key reasons we chose the employees first and the customers next approach.

Still, I believe we’re shaping our own culture. While it’s rooted in Nordic thinking, the book that inspired our approach isn’t Nordic. It’s about finding what fits us, our beliefs, way of working, and interaction.

One thing I believe deeply in is reflection. Earlier this year, I attended an evening workshop on the theme of License to Chill. The idea is to allow yourself micro-breaks and reflection during the workday or outside of it, and be mindful of where you are and how you’re doing. Those moments of pause are crucial for mental well-being. They give you space to be creative, recharge, and approach your work with energy and clarity.

Last week, I had a two-day offsite with my team. We opened with the License to Chill concept on the first day and tried a few ways to pause and relax. We also had fun that evening and combined a feedback round with our company step challenge. We all felt great. The next day, however, we dove straight into the agenda and didn’t take any intentional breaks. And by the afternoon, we all felt the difference. It was a powerful reminder of how much those small pauses matter, even during structured, focused days.

It also reminded us that we’re all human—we can talk about well-being, practice it one day, and forget it the next. That’s why building a culture that not only allows for these practices but also encourages them, while also reminding people of their responsibility in the equation, is essential.

As leaders, we can create the space, model the behavior, and provide tools and support. But we can’t always tune into every single employee’s needs. People need to take responsibility for their well-being, too. It’s a shared commitment. We can foster clarity, show care, and make it possible, but we must make those choices daily.

Margaret Jaouadi
How can companies assess the effectiveness of their well-being initiatives, and what key outcomes or indicators should they track?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
No matter where you are or which company you’re in, you must measure it if you’re launching any well-being initiative. Without measurement, it’s challenging to understand the impact you’re having.

At Hiab, our primary KPI is employee engagement. We conduct regular pulse surveys and track pulse favorability, which is closely tied to overall engagement.

In addition to that, we look at the more typical metrics like retention and turnover. These give us a good sense of how stable and healthy our workforce is. At the local level, we also monitor sick leave rates, another important indicator of well-being.

Then, depending on the initiatives we’re driving at any given time, we track responses to specific survey questions that align with those focus areas. So we’re continuously adapting what we pay closer attention to based on what we’re trying to improve.

We emphasize individual growth and development, as we see it as crucial for overall well-being. One of the ways we track this is through Individual Development Plans (IDPs). We measure how many employees have active development plans in our system. It’s not a perfect metric; it sometimes feels rigid and maybe even clunky. But for now, it’s the best tool to track whether people focus on their personal growth.

Margaret Jaouadi
That’s an interesting point, because it highlights something fundamental: when people aren’t feeling well, they’re much less likely to invest in their development. It’s simply not their priority. So, in that sense, tracking how many people have active development plans can serve as a meaningful indicator.

What are the most effective initial steps companies can take to adopt a more proactive approach to employee mental well-being?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
I believe that establishing a strong leadership programme, one that directly addresses these topics, is probably the single most important thing an organisation can do. It all starts with understanding the current state: listening to people, understanding how they perceive their environment, and where they are regarding well-being and engagement. That’s the foundation.

In our case, we’re actively working on leadership development. We’ve built our own tailored programme, This is How We Do It, which is completely custom-made. It’s driven internally by our HR people and senior leaders, making it deeply embedded in our culture.

For me, leadership development is the key driver. It’s about equipping leaders and managers to manage performance and truly support and care for their people. It is about being present, mindful, and creating the right environment.

We also use employee focus groups on a rolling basis, tied to specific topics. It’s not just about sending out a survey; it’s also about creating space for dialogue, asking follow-up questions, and getting to the bottom of issues.

But beyond understanding, the concrete actions matter: leadership programmes, support, and coaching. That’s what ultimately makes a real difference.

Margaret Jaouadi
You’ve been a C-suite leader for a while, so you are very familiar with the unique pressures facing executive leaders, such as high expectations, decision-making stress, and the challenge of balancing their well-being with supporting others. What are some of the most significant mental health challenges you’ve seen at the C-suite level?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
I think the biggest challenge at the C-suite level, something everyone there is grappling with, is the constant pressure and workload. That said, I believe anyone who reaches that level is drawn to the responsibility and the challenges that come with it. They made a conscious choice, and in a way, they want it.

However, we still need to take care of ourselves to handle that pressure, the workload, and the challenges. Often, there’s also a sense of isolation, because the higher you go in an organisation, the more alone you can feel with your concerns and challenges. You receive less feedback and direct support to help you grow and improve.

That’s why, in the C-suite, it becomes even more crucial to take full accountability for your well-being.

I’ve been fortunate not to witness anything catastrophic in my career, but I know that burnout happens at every level. It’s a real risk with devastating consequences.

A critical part of my role is to keep an eye on how the leadership team is doing, to offer support where I can, and to encourage people to seek help when needed. We have coaching in place, and we stay vigilant.

Margaret Jaouadi
Yes, you’ve touched on a critical issue of loneliness at the top. Many leaders at that level struggle with asking for help because they fear they will be perceived as weak leaders. Even though they have chosen this path, it is risky to show that the pressure affects them.

But as you said, we’re all human. Sometimes the pressure becomes overwhelming, especially when personal challenges add to the load.

The courage to be vulnerable and ask for help should not be seen as weakness. Instead, it’s an act of self-preservation and ultimately supports the company’s well-being.

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
Yes, and the impact of a leader who isn’t feeling well can harm the organisation. That’s why we’re putting significant effort into leadership team development. We are a strong team, but we’re also continuously working on becoming even stronger, not just as individuals, but together.

For example, in early June, we have a one-and-a-half-day workshop focused entirely on ourselves as individuals: how we can grow and strengthen the trust between team members.

I think it’s pretty remarkable that we have a culture where we invest in this kind of work at the leadership level. It is a significant investment in time and resources, but we believe it is necessary. By building trust within the team, we reduce loneliness at the top and create an environment where people can be open, vulnerable, and genuinely support one another as colleagues.

Margaret Jaouadi
How can organisations create a culture where executives feel comfortable prioritising their mental health, and what support structures have you found most effective for C-Suite leaders?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
I think the most effective and important factor, by far, is the team spirit within the group. Having a shared agenda and a common purpose for why we’re there makes all the difference.

In addition, we’ve invested a lot in individual coaching to help us grow as leaders. That’s something we’ve found valuable and intend to continue.

Margaret Jaouadi
Many senior leaders I speak to identify conflict resolution as a key skill missing among leaders.

Disagreements are inevitable. But it’s the moments of conflict that test the strength of a team. How you handle those situations and resolve disagreements constructively is where a team’s maturity and resilience show up.

What are your thoughts on that?

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
Yes, I fully agree. We’ve had a lot of conversations over the years about this. Our aim has always been to create an environment where it’s safe to have honest discussions, including the difficult ones. We want conflicts in the meeting room, not the corridors.

Whenever we are in a moment of tension or disagreement where emotions are high or opinions clash, we almost feel like celebrating it. Because it’s a sign of something fundamental: psychological safety. The ability to disagree openly and still feel secure in the relationship with your colleagues shows trust.

A team full of yes-sayers doesn’t get you very far. It’s when people feel safe enough to speak their minds, challenge each other, and work through the tough topics together that real strength lies. That’s how you build a truly resilient, high-performing team. That’s also how different perspectives come together, making us stronger in finding the best solutions.

Margaret Jaouadi
Yes, I loved how your face lit up when I asked about conflict resolution. It must be an issue that resonates with you.

Ghita Jansson-Kiuru
Yes, absolutely. Conflict resolution comes up regularly in our conversations. It’s one of the key reasons we’re continuously working to evolve our leadership team to keep taking it to the next level. It’s essential to create an environment where people feel safe speaking up, even at the most senior level. When senior executives hold back, it’s a red flag that something isn’t quite right in the culture.

As leaders, having the self-awareness to want to get it right, rather than needing to be right, is essential. That mindset makes all the difference. For me, nothing is more rewarding than when it’s not the egos talking, but the focus is on the topic, the solution, the collective goal. That’s when real progress happens.

Egos have no place in a strong leadership team. We should leave our egos at the door when we enter the room. We’re not there for ourselves but to serve a purpose. Honestly, in my view, big egos are extremely unappealing. What’s truly powerful is humility, curiosity, and collaboration.

Margaret Jaouadi
Thank you, Ghita, for your time and for supporting this critical topic with your generous insights and practical advice. I do not doubt many leaders will find them helpful.

For a confidential chat about how Pacific International can assist you with your Talent Acquisitions and Diversity challenges in Industrial Machinery Manufacturing, please contact Paul Galanti or one of our Executive Search Consultants specializing in your sector.