MERLIN Properties Annual Report 2019 / English

86 | Annual Report | 2019 increased the number of hours of English classes in response to employee’s demands and extended the language offering to Spanish for employees of the Portuguese subsidiaries, in view of the Company’s expansion in Portugal. Cybersecurity courses were provided for 191 employees in 2019. • In-house training: MERLIN’s own employees teach courses to their colleagues, supported by external experts where necessary. By this means, the Company shares and enhances the knowledge gained by employees during their professional careers. As an example, a total of 43 employees received SAP training in 2019 as part of this programme. • Personalised training: MERLIN gives employees the opportunity to select the courses most suited to their specific needs. Employees and/or their superiors identify a need and submit a request to HR. 3. A direct relationship with the employees One of the main reasons for MERLIN’s desire to keep its current structure is our direct relationship with the employees. Nonetheless, and despite maintaining this philosophy, the Company’s growth has led to the design of certain processes that allow our professionals’ concerns and opinions to be heard while also keeping them up to date with the professional project. • The employee satisfaction survey was again launched in 2019, placing special emphasis on knowing their training needs. LOOM employees and Portuguese employees took part for the first time, allowing MERLIN to identify the work climate and the perception of new joiners in relation to the Company. • The second annual all-employees meeting was also held in Madrid, while the fourth asset management meeting took place in Valdecañas, attended by 85 employees from the executive team, asset portfolio managers and corporate departments, so as to build a common culture among the different teams, obtain first-hand knowledge of the assets and analyse synergies. • Driven by the LOOM integration, team spirit was also fomented through visits to MERLIN’s and LOOM’s assets, as well as by inviting MERLIN employees to attend LOOM events. • MERLIN continued to develop and consolidate the usual communication channels with employees, such as emails or daily press summaries, which allows our professionals to keep abreast of the most relevant news stories affecting the Company and the industry. Also, in 2019, new ways to interact with employees were applied so as to carry on fostering a sense of belonging to the Company. The “School day-off” activity was introduced for the first time in 2019. The employees were given the chance to take their children to the Madrid offices and to participate in different activities, as well as visiting one of the urban farms managed by the Company; 38 children aged between 3 and 14 participated. 2,950 h of training in 2019 27% of employees have joined the Company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan MERLIN’s commitment to its employees and their families MERLIN’s commitment to its employees and their families. Some of our employees’ children who are young adults still in the education system have had the opportunity to work on a temporary basis in the Company’s facilities on the preparation and organisation of events. This gave them their first contact with the working world and their first job interview.