Posts Tagged ‘inclusion’

Best Practices

Employees in times of demographic shifts (1) / Mitarbeiter in Zeiten des demographischen Wandels (1)

Sunday, May 8th, 2011 by Anke Meier

A recently published study of McKinsey Germany: Wettbewerbsfaktor Fachkräfte – Strategien für Deutschlands Unternehmen  - reports the challenges, which companies in Germany have to face within the next 15 years: Until 2025, up to 5 million skilled employees, thereof  50 % with university degrees will be missed in Germany. As a result, companies have now to develop strategies for unleashing the big potential in skilled workforce within the upcoming years. 

The study recommends companies 12 different measures to strategically prepare for the demographic challenges ahead of them. Some of them are more relevant to bigger companies and of those, a few pay strongly into the business case of Diversity & Inclusion. 

Todays´ focus will be on how to broaden the capacity of the existing talent pools; in particular: including employees age 50 +. 

In the past times of high unemployment, the social consensus was that elder employees should make space for the younger ones. Thus, the share of early retirement and retirement part-time increased between 1999 and 2009 from 1.3 % to 16%.  But in particular this group of employees carries a lot of skills, know-how and experience which is essential for a successful company. If elder employees participated more strongly in the workplace, a gap of 1.2 million missing employees could be closed. However, using this potential requires dedicated management.

  1. Flexible working models: Job sharing, flexible working times and breaks can help to adjust to a different working rhythm of elder employees.
  2. Age Diversity in teams: these teams combine creativity and openness of younger ones with quality and process know how of the experienced ones.
  3.  Health management is an essential measure not only for the elder ones. It always pays off with a lower illness within the workforce and thus a higher productivity. Measures can include education on healthy food, sports, dealing with stress, and various medical treatments.
  4. Life-long learning: the assumption, that elder employees are less innovative is not true. Very often, elder employees are excluded from the learning and education system within a company, as it is felt, that these employees are retirement short term anyway. Therefore, their explicit inclusion in specific programs may help employees to change their career and thus increase their contributions to the company.

 What do you think? Please share your experiences from age-diverse teams.

(more…)

Best Practices

How to survive the technology tsunami – five rules/Den Technologie-Tsunami überleben – fünf Regeln

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 by Astrid Bosten

Technology, when used consciously, can be helpful in managing every day’s life where family and work seem to be colliding. There are people who prefer high-tech apparatus to manage both their work and family responsibilities on a single device, and there are others who prefer different gadgets, opting for separation of family and work concerns.

The world has sped up and people are expected to excel and deliver, and the path of work and life overlap to a degree. Due to unlimited access to information and technological advances we have entered a cycle of info-overload where we get caught up, and we must find ways to throw a kink into it to end the overload.

To be productive it is important to keep the work life merge in balance, and to keep the stress level down. Therefore it is necessary to observe several rules such as consciously limiting the news intake, stop always being available, do not respond to e-mails in the moment and limit your texting, don’t be so caught up in how other people define success, and stop multi-tasking.

By keeping in mind these rules and stopping just go with the flow we will be able to handle this technology, and info-overload. [DE]

(more…)

Women in Business

Being a Diversity Manager is like being a Doctor / Ein Diversity Manager ist wie ein Arzt

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 by Astrid Bosten

© pix4U - Fotolia.comDuring my two weeks vacation on Christmas season I had to realize that being a Diversity Manager is like being a doctor. If a doctor enters the room all of a sudden the present people start to moan about this and that and tell about illness and sickness.

Nearly the same happens if you enter the room as a Diversity manager, of course just if the present people even know what a Diversity manager is… but they did! So, as soon as I came into a room people – especially the male ones – tended to start a discussion about the women’s quota. And – believe me or no – as passionate I am discussing on that topic, during my vacation I do not feel the urgent need to do so…

But nevertheless we did – at least a little discussion for “beginners” about the business case of women in leadership positions; but the strangest thing about that discussion was that all the men who were there have and strongly support their working academic women. And they see how hard they are struggling to reconcile family and career… the upshot was that one thing for the entire men was sure – they feel discriminated. Okay! Why not? A first-hand experience could be the first step in the right direction…

 Rethinking, Exemplify, Experience [DE]

  (more…)

Diversity & Inclusion

Happy New Year / Frohes Neues Jahr

Monday, January 10th, 2011 by Astrid Bosten

Same procedure as every year: Reviews of the year often comes much too early and New Year’s greetings sometimes somehow late… nevertheless I don’t want to miss to wish you the same: A happy, healthy and successful New Year! 

2011 promises a wide range of exiting Diversity themes and even more exiting Inclusion topics. The women’s quota will remain a never ending discussion and men start part time work even in the consulting industry. Asia will take an active part in the discussion and the application of the Diversity concept. And Australia just developed a standard on gender inclusive job evaluation. You see: the word stays tuned on the Diversity issue.

Henkel employees can look forward to an intensive and exiting Diversity year 2011 and to the next level of implementation. Male Henkel employees should save one special date for a highlight that is especially prepared for them on March, 24. The motto of our third Women’s Networking Day in 2011 will be: “Women’s choice – Bring your colleague”. All invited women in leadership positions at Henkel are called to bring their male line-manager or colleague to this event. But men: don’t worry! You will not face the gallow! The Diversity concept in general and especially this event is not meant for gender monotony but for gender diversity and of course we carefully take care that the program is interesting and balanced in providing relevant information for your daily work!

With these pleasant anticipations on exiting meetings, discussions and events I just can invite you to hang in there and to join in: Rethinking, Exemplify, Experience!

Read you tomorrow

Astrid Bosten

  (more…)

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity at Christmas Time / Vielfalt an Weihnachen

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Christmas is one of the most common holidays worldwide. All Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus but depending on the place and time, they celebrate it differently.

While in Germany Christmas Eve is the most important day (and the day when we all get our gifts) in the Anglo-American area people have to wait until December 25th  to get their gifts. The Greek Orthodox Church however celebrates Christmas at January 7th because all holidays are scheduled by using the Julian calendar.

 
  • In Sweden Christmas Eve traditionally starts with watching an episode of Donald Duck.
  • In Poland eating carp at Christmas Eve is a very common tradition. According to the twelve apostles Polish people eat a menu consisting of twelve meals.
  • In Russia and most other Slavic countries Jack Frost and his grandchild Snegurotschka are bringing the gifts.
  • In Spain however the three Magi are responsible for bringing gifts at January 6th. But watch out! Those who haven’t been honest during the year only get a piece of coal!
  • The USA seems to be world champions of decoration. There, Christmas often is very colorful and loud. To respect different ethnic groups they only send “Season’s Greetings”.

These few examples show how divers the same holiday is celebrated worldwide – a real prime example of diversity, although it might be posed in a very stereotyped way.

Now it’s time for us to travel home to our families too for eating roast goose, Fondue, or wieners with potatoes’ salad 

Thank you for your loyalty. We hope we picked up some interesting topics for you. If you did enjoy our blog, don’t keep the secret! Tell others and us – this is your Christmas present for us :-) .

We wish you a Merry Christmas and the best wishes for health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year. We are looking forward to welcome you in January with the latest vibrant news on Diversity & Inclusion.

 

Your Global Diversity & Inclusion Team

P.S. Do you wonder how the Nativity story would have looked like in the 21st century? Maybe like that…

(more…)

Women in Business

Family Circle / Im Kreise der Familie

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Same procedure as every year… when Christmas approaches, usually the entire family gathers around the Christmas tree. Christmas time is the season to realize and reflect the importance of our families.

This has always been the same and will stay the same. The things that changed are the roles people play within their families. May be that dad is cooking the Christmas dinner, while grandfather is just arriving in time from work and mom is writing the last e-mails on her laptop. World upside-down? Not at all. This seems to be the modern way of life.

We wrote many posts about women, female careers, role models, politics and society. But the place where everything comes together as one is our family. If both parents are employed – a dual career couple – then things have to be organized.

 In his latest post, Roland Kopp-Wichmann writes about the challenges families face when both parents work. In the end he poses one essential question to make a decision pro or con career: Let’s assume you look back to your life when you are 70 or 80 years old; what are the important things that endure a lifetime? And what are the things that lose importance?

This is the question I had to answer about eight years ago. What is really important in my life? My answer is a clear and definite one: my children and my family are the most important and ever lasting elements in my life! They give sense to my life. Nevertheless I don’t have the feeling that I have to make a decision but that I have to strive, I have to structure and I have to organize more – at least for the next few years.

A friend of mine once told me: “Astrid, you have to make a decision. You can’t have it all!” But I wasn’t convinced. Why do I have to make a decision? It all adds up in an equation if the constant and the variables are chosen right. The constant things in my life are my children and my family. Their well-being, joy and our quality time have priority. But my children as well have their constant things in life: school and nursery school. But the time we spend together is valuable time.

And then there are the variable elements in this equation: these are the hours of work and the place of work. It’s your leisure time and your recovery time. In fact this looks like that: I stand up at 5 a.m. in the morning to work for the first two hours from home. When my children wake up we spend our time until all of us have to go our ways. Not later than 9 a.m. I arrive in the office where I spend the next 6 – 7 hours. In the afternoon I pick up my girls and we spend the afternoon until they fall asleep. Depending on the amount of work I open my laptop once again in the evening.

This lifestyle does not just demand your own flexibility but a flexible employer as well and a line manager who supports you and who values the output of your work not the amount of hours you spend in the office. At Henkel there is the rule of “pay for performance”. Additionally to that the family oriented measures like two company owned nursery schools and trusted working hours gives the opportunity to integrate private and working life.

This is why I would pose Roland Kopp-Wichmann’s question in a slightly different way: Not pro or contra a career decision but pro or contra an employer and environmental circumstances.

 For your and your family all the best und lots of quality hours at Christmas time! [DE]

  (more…)

Best Practices

Theory-Practice-Workshop Diversity / Theorie-und-Praxis Workshop zum Thema Diversity

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Last Friday, managers, researchers and students met each other at the 12th Theory-and-Practice Workshop at Henkel’s Headquarter in Duesseldorf, Germany. The workshop was organized by the PWL Foundation e.V. and Henkel on this year’s topic:“Diversity & Inclusion”.

The half-day workshop started with introductory notes of Flora Spannagel who presented an overview of Henkel’s recruiting processes and Anke Meier, Henkel’s Global Diversity Director . Anke Meier introduced Henkel’s Diversity strategy and concept. These speeches were followed by Kathrin Breuer’s presentation of the key findings of an empirical investigation of women in leadership positions. She stated that working part time is the number one career killer for women.

After that, students worked in small workgroups that were moderated by Henkel managers on different topics: stereotypes, part time managers, life stages of a career, cultural diversity and emerging markets, and generation Y. 

In the final panel discussion Anke Meier and Professor Dirk Sliwka, who owns the chair of Personnel Economics at University of Cologne,  talked about measures to improve the reconciling of family and career. Birgit Koeppler from Deutschen Post and Uta Langner form Towers Watson completed the panel. The students presented as well to the panel as to their fellow students the results of the different workshops.

At the final get-together everyone agreed that the workshop was a success. Anke Meier summarized: “The Theory-and-Practice Workshop is a good possibility to discuss topics – like diversity today – and get insights from different points of view. Also, the opportunity of socializing is a good chance for all.”

  (more…)

International Ambassadors

Make an Impact on Diversity

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

 

Some weeks ago our Diversity & Inclusion ambassador for UK, Diane Humphrey, told us about a new apprentice who would start in the beginning of November: Libby Howe.

Libby is a young woman with learning difficulties and employed by Hertfordshire Pass, a local, user driver charity whose aim is to help young disabled people lead an independent life. On October, 25th Libby had her first day at Henkel in Hatfield where she is working two days a week for a six month period. Libby attends a learning programme on another day of the week and is studying for a NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) in Business Administration. And really, Libby Howe has mad a magnificent start. Here are her words about her first couple of days:

 Monday 25th October

Morning: induction with Diane and introduction to the Henkel website.

Words I have learnt: Intranet – inside Henkel only

Internet – World Wide Web, Adhesive – Glue

Innovation – improvement, advance, originality

Human Resources – HR 

Afternoon: introduction to franking the mail with Jeff.

 

 Tuesday 26th October

Morning: Helen showed me how to order sandwiches and I printed some labels.  But next time I am going to use the phone and order the sandwiches.

Gail showed me how to use the web page and order lunch in advance.

Janine encouraged me to place a lunch order.  I ordered Kristy Grey (another employee) a Twix (a chocolate bar) when we were meant to have ordered a sandwich for me.  I sat with Helen and had my name put on the system as I couldn’t find it at this moment in time.

 Afternoon: we planned our lunches for the whole of November!!

Helen set me up a really cool challenge, to ask Jamie, who works in IT,………  ‘I have been asked by Helen if Jamie had used the Sandwich Box site?  Would you like to go through it all?’  He said yes and I taught him how to order his lunch.  He is capable of doing this and he has learnt from me very well indeed.  Helen describes him as ‘lazy’, so I offer to order his lunches for him.  With Jamie I have discussed his likes and dislikes and so together we have brought this forward and he will send his lunch preferences to me by email and I will order this for him on the days he will be in the office.  He goes abroad to work.The outcome:  Jamie is going to save time and have a healthier lunch (we discussed ‘five a day’ ). (five portions of fruit or vegetables a day, i.e. a healthy diet). 

 

Henkel UK started working with Hertfordshire Pass about four years ago and has supported the charity with donations and product through the Make an Impact on Tomorrow Programme.. The charity was initially championed by Dr Mark Harding who was a Trustee of the charity. Since Mark’s secondment an internal advertisement has produced two excellent volunteers who have stepped forward to continue the strong relationship with this inspirational charity, the two employees are Mike Peacock and Richard Boyle.

Global Diversity & Inclusion ambassador Diane Humphrey said ”It’s easy to do nothing, the challenge is to get involved and make a difference. Henkel’s Make An Impact on Tomorrow Programme is about the difference our employees make in the projects and charities they are involved in and the Diversity this brings to our Company.   We are proud to support Hertfordshire Pass: we know that they make a significant difference to the lives of the people they touch.’ 

You can find out more about Hertfordshire Pass by clicking on the following link http://www.hertspass.com.

Diversity & Inclusion

Retire later, keep mentally fit? / Später in Rente, fit im Leben?

Thursday, October 21st, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

The hypothesis is widely believed but wasn’t proved until now: People who go into retirement later, are more likely to stay mentally sharp. However, the correlation is extremly difficult to demonstrate.


Recently, two economists published their paper „Mental Retirement“ which includes data from the US and 12 European countries.  The study began almost 20 years ago and surveys more than 22.000 people over the age of 50. The results clearly demonstrate, that people from the US, England and Denmark, where almost 70 percent of sixty-year-old people still work, have better cognitive skills than people from France or Italy, who are likely to retire earlier.
At this point, the study cannot say, what aspects of work help people to keep their memory sharp. Therefore, finding out, what exactly helps to maintain cognitive functions will be the next step. Until then, the study is also a good tool to discourage prejudices against older employees. [DE]

(more…)

Diversity & Inclusion

National and Religious Holidays in October / Nationale und Religiöse Feiertage im Oktober

Monday, October 4th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

The first National Holiday of October is celebrated in China. On the 1st , the „Golden Week“ begins, a national celebration commemorating the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. On October 1st, 1949 Mao Zedong, communist leader, proclaimed the People’s Republic of China on Tiananmen Square. Chinese people visit their families on these holidays.

On October 3rd  Germany also celebrates its national day, the German Unity Day. It commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany in 1990. Actually the wall fell on the November 9th. However, this day is also the anniversary of the Kristallnacht, a Nazi-attack against Jews. Therefore, the day of the actual unification was chosen as the national day. Every year the official celebrations takes place in a different city; this year in Bremen.

In the USA, October 11th is Columbus Day, which remembers Christopher Columbus’ landing in the New World on October 12, 1492. Government offices are closed at that day, however, most businesses remain open.

In Spain, October 12th  is called Hispanic Day. The day is celebrated with a big military parade in Madrid. Argentina, Columbia and other Hispanic countries celebrate the 12th October under the name „Día de la Raza.“

Turkey celebrates Republic Day on October 29th. It commemorates the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 and the first President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal, better known as Atatürk. The day is celebrated with official ceremonies in Ankara, classical and pop concerts and a big firework in Istanbul. To honor Atatürk, flags with his portrait can be seen on state buildings.

Protestants in Germany celebrate Reformation Day on October 31st. It is a religious holiday that commemorates the Reformation of the Church by Martin Luther. On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther published his 95 theses, which are regarded as the foundation of the Protestant Reformation. This holiday is also celebrated in Slovenia and Chile.

Jews celebrate Simchat Tora on October 1st. This holiday marks the end of the annual Tora cycle and the end of Sukkot. The Tora includes the five books of Moses. On Simchat Tora, the tora rolls are taken out of the ark in synagogues and carried around in a procession. [DE]

 

In China wird ab dem 1. Oktober fünf Tage lang das Nationalfest anlässlich der Gründung der Volksrepublik China gefeiert. Die Feierlichkeiten werden auch als „Golden Week“ bezeichnet. Am 1. Oktober 1949 proklamierte Mao Zedong, der Vorsitzende der Kommunistischen Partei, auf dem Platz des Himmlischen Friedens die Volksrepublik China. Die Feiertage nutzen Chinesen, um ihre Familie zu besuchen.

Auch Deutschland begeht im Oktober den Nationalfeiertag. Der Tag der Deutschen Einheit wird seit 1990 am 3. Oktober gefeiert. Er erinnert an den Fall der Mauer zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland und an die Wiedervereinigung als Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Der Mauerfall fällt zwar auf den 9. November, da dieser Tag jedoch bereits durch andere historische Ereignisse, wie die Reichspogromnacht negativ gefärbt war, wurde der Tag, an dem die Einheit vollzogen wurde, als Nationalfeiertag gewählt.

Die offiziellen Feiern zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit finden jedes Jahr in einem anderen Bundesland statt, dieses Jahr in Bremen.

In den USA wird am 11. Oktober der Kolumbustag gefeiert. Er fällt jedes Jahr auf den zweiten Montag im Oktober und erinnert an die Landung von Christoph Kolumbus am 12. Oktober 1492 in den heutigen USA. Zentrum der Feierlichkeiten ist New York City, wo eine große Parade veranstaltet wird. Regierungsbehörden haben an diesem Tag geschlossen, für die meisten Beschäftigten ist der 11. Oktober jedoch ein normaler Arbeitstag.

In Spanien wird der 12. Oktober als Tag der Hispanität, Día de la Hispanidad, gefeiert. Es ist der Nationalfeiertag in Spanien. In Madrid findet eine große Militärparade statt und die Spanier feiern den Tag mit Musik und gutem Essen. Auch in Argentinien, Kolumbien und anderen lateinamerikanischen Ländern ist der 12. Oktober ein nationaler Feiertag. Dort wird er allerdings Día de la Raza genannt.

Am 29. Oktober feiert die Türkei den Feiertag der Republik. Im Jahr 1923 wurde an diesem Tag türkische Republik gegründet und Mustafa Kemal, besser bekannt als Atatürk, wurde der erste türkische Präsident. Die Feierlichkeiten beginnen bereits am Nachmittag des Vortages. In Gedenken an Atatürk werden neben der Türkischen Flagge auch Flaggen mit seinem Bild gezeigt. Am Abend des 29ten findet in Istanbul ein großes Feuerwerk statt, mit Musik und Konzerten wird bis in die Nacht gefeiert.

Evangelische Christen in Deutschland feiern am 31. Oktober den Reformationstag. Sie gedenken damit der Reformation der Kirche durch Martin Luther. Der 31. Oktober 1517 gilt als die Geburtsstunde der Reformation, da Luther der Überlieferung nach an diesem Tag zur Diskussion seiner 95 Thesen aufrief, die Grundlagen der evangelischen Kirche. In den Ländern Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt und Thüringen ist der Tag ein gesetzlicher Feiertag, sowie auch in Slowenien und Chile.

Am 1. Oktober feiern Juden Simchat Tora, das Fest der Gesetzesfreude. Es handelt sich um den letzten Tag des Laubhüttenfestes, weswegen es auch Schlussfest genannt wird. An diesem Tag endet der Zyklus der Tora und wird wieder von vorne begonnen. Zur Erklärung: Die Tora umfasst die fünf Bücher Mose und ist der Grundstein jüdischen Glaubens und Kultur. In den Synagogen findet eine festliche Prozession statt, in der die Torarollen aus einem Schrank genommen und sieben Mal durch den Raum getragen werden.

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
 

Bad Behavior has blocked 1444 access attempts in the last 7 days.