Know-how

02/06/2025

People at the heart of our company

Have you ever started a new job and felt completely out of your depth? Unsure of who does what, how your role fits in, or even who your manager is?

At Ugigrip-Vallgrip, we believe every newcomer deserves a smooth and memorable onboarding experience. Whether you’re joining us on a permanent contract, as a temp, an intern or an apprentice, you’re a unique individual stepping into our world. Your interpersonal skills are just as important as your experience — they’re what help you thrive in a team shaped by shared values. So, how do we help you feel at ease from day one?

Let’s walk you through the onboarding journey we’ve designed just for you.

A tailor-made journey

A thoughtfully crafted onboarding process

Your integration actually starts before your first day! During the interview process, we include fun activities to help you learn more about your future colleagues—and yourself.

One week before you officially join, you’ll receive a survey via Klaxoon, a collaborative platform we use, so you can start settling in and share a bit more about who you are and what motivates you.

On your first day, get ready for some surprises: a welcome breakfast, a scavenger hunt to discover your godfather or godmother, a deep dive into our different departments, and more.

Your first week will be a mix of learning about our jobs and easing into your role, all with the support of your manager and team.

To wrap up the week, our HR and communications teams will sit down with you for a one-on-one chat to hear your feedback and make sure everything’s going smoothly.

And onboarding doesn’t end there—check-ins are scheduled throughout your trial period to make sure you’re feeling confident and supported.

Bringing your unique strengths to the team

At Ugigrip-Vallgrip, we believe every new team member brings something valuable to the table, and we want you to feel right at home from the start.

To help you thrive from day one, we focus on:

Creating a strong sense of belonging so you feel comfortable joining the team
Building cohesion to foster smooth, day-to-day collaboration
Encouraging open communication and feedback as part of our culture of continuous improvement

Because each person is unique, and every individual contribution strengthens our collective success.

One step closer to success

A happy employee is a motivated, positive, and high-performing one.

Onboarding isn’t just a formality—it’s a crucial first step toward professional and personal success.

So go for it: invest in your people from the very first minute.

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Know-how

19/05/2025

Let’s aim for engagement!

Tired of endless meetings that go nowhere? Unprepared, one-way sessions where only a few speak up? You’re not alone! “Meeting overload” is a common affliction.

But imagine meetings where everyone has a voice, where participation and engagement are the norm. It is possible!

Here’s how we transformed our meetings into dynamic, efficient, and inspiring moments.

Together, we go further

A successful bet

As part of our broader restructuring journey, we realized that rethinking our meetings was essential. How could we foster more engagement, participation, and energy?

We explored various training programs in management and personal development to breathe new life into our meeting culture.

With innovative tools and facilitation methods, we’ve successfully turned our work sessions around. Ready to learn some of our secrets?

Speaking up and active listening

So what methods do we use? Here are a few of our favorite techniques:

T.O.P (Topic >> Objective >> Process): To frame the meeting properly, we start by clearly stating the topic, the goal, and the process. For example:

Topic: Launch of the “Working Better Together” project
Objective: « Understand the concept of working better together and put it into action »
Process: Inclusion → Defining ground rules → Sharing views and brainstorming → Identifying risks → Next steps → Wrap-up

Ground rules: Defined collectively, they boost commitment. Examples: punctuality, active listening, non-judgment, confidentiality, setting time limits, etc.

Inclusion: A question or card game to get everyone to speak up and open up. For instance: “How are you feeling today?” or “What does this project mean for our company, in your view?”

Sharing perceptions: Everyone explains what a word or concept means to them—this fosters mutual understanding and builds consensus.

Wrap-up: End the meeting by inviting each participant to share their thoughts or feelings. Examples : a “ROTI (Return on Time Invested)” score from 1 to 5, or asking, “How do you feel as we wrap up this meeting?”

A host of benefits

What have we gained from this?

Structured meetings: Sessions that are clear, focused, and productive
More openness: Inclusion and wrap-ups have become second nature
Increased participation: Everyone has a chance to speak, encouraging open dialogue
Autonomy: Team members are now empowered to organize their own meetings
Meeting evolution: More creative and participatory sessions, fewer top-down ones

By embracing these methods, we’ve not only improved the quality of our meetings but also strengthened our team’s cohesion and engagement.

What about you? Ready to transform your meetings? Share your experiences and draw inspiration from our secrets to host more dynamic and productive sessions!

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Know-how

23/11/2022

Like cold-forging, rolling is a metal forming process.

At Ugigrip-Vallgrip, rolling is mainly used to produce threads, knurling, grooves, etc., from a headed blank

It takes place in a second stage, after the cold-forging operation that gives the part its basic shape. This process deforms the part by pressure between two dies to obtain the final shape, according to predefined machine settings.

To provide production finishes, several options are available, such as coating (zinc plating) or heat treatment.

Important

What should you pay attention to?

It is essential to always consider the volume of the blank in order to anticipate the deformation created during the rolling process.

Why ? Because the part will elongate during deformation, so it is necessary to have sufficient material to produce the final component.

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Know-how

18/11/2022

Cold-forging is a manufacturing process that uses 100% of the raw material — metal wire — to form the final part.

The part is created through the deformation of this wire: it is struck several times, across multiple stations, without any material loss.

The slug — the cut wire — is formed within successive dies. Depending on the machine, there may be between 3 and 6 or 7 stations, corresponding to the number of times the part is struck.

The final part produced by cold heading is called a “blank.”

Did you know?

Which raw materials can be used?

Steel, copper, aluminum, and brass wire are commonly used.
It is also possible to produce simple stainless steel parts. However, when the part becomes complex, an additional heating station must be added to the machine.

To provide production finishes, several options are available, such as thread rolling.