The internal "Greiner Sustainability Conference" 2022 under the motto "Empower People" was all about how we as a society, as a company and as individuals should meet the challenges of the working world and thus bring out the best for each individual. Sustainability is more than environmental protection, and that's why this year at the Sustainability Conference the "People" pillar of Greiner Sustainability strategy "Blue Plan" was focused. Input from different perspectives wer given from guests from big companies like Erste Group Bank AG or Salesforce and also the well-known speaker Ali Mahlodji.
CEO Axel Kühner opened the Sustainability Conference and emphasized the great importance that each individual employee has for the future success of Greiner. He also addressed the increasing importance of flexibility in working life and the desire for a job with meaning. Diversity is an important topic for Greiner, which will be given even more attention in the future through the establishment of a working group.
The invited experts gave an insight into the topics of employee satisfaction, diversity, mental health at work and motivation in a total of three interviews and a keynote speech. All these topics are important components in creating a working environment in which the employees of a company feel valued.
Learning from one of the world's best employers
The first interview explored the question of what makes a good employer. For Neal Eskin-Kahler, Senior Manager & Employee Success Business Partner at Salesforce, the work environment, the colleagues and the managers make a big difference. The most important thing, however, according to Neal Eskin-Khaler, is listening: "Salesforce listens to employees. There's a survey twice a year, and the results are shared with the entire company." She, too, stresses that companies today need to offer flexibility to talent in order to be seen as an attractive employer.
Managing diversity
Seon-Young Rang, Diversity Management and Inclusion at Erste Group and Erste Digital Bank AG & Co-Founder Inclusion Indicator describes diversity as something that is part of all of us: "We all have different backgrounds, religions, experiences and hobbies." For Millennials in particular, diversity is an important consideration when looking for a new employer. To manage diversity, it needs to be made measurable with KPIs. It's about thinking carefully about goals and then taking action based on data. According to Seon-Young Rang, there is often a great need for information among employees, especially in the area of leave management.
New Work & Mental Health
New Work describes the major changes in the way we work and puts people at the center. According to Nicole Kopp, work and organizational psychologist, self-organization and flexibility are of great importance for employees today: "Responsibility and the right to have a say motivate people. New work is also an issue for blue collar workers, because "new work is not the same as remote work. Production employees:should also be involved in the transformation and be able to bring their ideas." With regard to mental health, Nicole Kopp emphasizes the importance of talking about it and taking preventive measures.
Motivational words from Ali Mahlodji
To close the conference, Ali Mahlodji, Founder, European Youth Ambassador, Author, gave an insight into his life's journey and the lessons he has learned himself over the years in a wide variety of professions, "It's important to just do things - you shouldn't wait for others. It's up to us to shape the future." Through the WHATCHADO platform, he had conversations with more than 7,500 people who told about their career paths. According to him, successful people have one thing in common: they know why they do their job and the impact their job has on others. He also emphasized the importance of teamwork, saying, "Together as a team, we can overcome challenges. Each person around me knows something I don't." With small steps, we can change a lot together.
