This is how you help employees to
stay vital and skilled
Blog by
Anneke Graven
Sustainable employability is more than an HR trend; it is a necessity for organizations that want to keep their employees healthy, motivated, and productive. But how do you ensure that vitality and job satisfaction become an integral part of your work culture?
In this Q&A session, colleague Anneke Graven highlights the human side and insights needed to successfully implement sustainable employability. All rounds with answers have been collected in a comprehensive whitepaper.
How do we deal with employees who are resistant to vitality or employability programs?
Resistance to change, especially when programs are made mandatory, is a natural response. At MEPD, we acknowledge this resistance and make it open for discussion. We do this in the following ways:
- Acknowledgement and openness: We give space for resistance to be expressed and discussed openly.
- Starting conversations: We explain the importance of participation and engage with employees to involve them.
- Creating engagement: Employees often only discover the value of the program later, so we make sure this process is clear and transparent.
- Positive dynamic: We encourage a valuable and educational experience by focusing on what is important to employees. We take time for this and really pause for a moment, so employees feel heard and seen.
How do we encourage employees to take responsibility for their own vitality and sustainable employability?
Our approach is tailored to the needs and world of experience of employees, which increases their active engagement. We do this by:
- Practical and accessible programs: We make programs practical and relevant to lower the threshold for participation.
- Individual meetings: We offer personal advice sessions to go deeper into specific questions.
- Raising awareness: By involving employees earlier, we help them think about sustainable employability, before complaints arise.
How do we ensure that employees feel supported in their well-being, both physically and mentally?
Genuine attention to well-being is the foundation for a culture of trust and engagement. We achieve this by:
- Low-threshold support: In addition to work performance, we also look at the broader well-being of employees.
- Noticing small signals: We pay attention not only to what is said but also to body language to respond in time to what is really going on.
- Culture of trust: We create an environment where employees feel supported and free to discuss well-being issues.
How do we create a culture in which employees feel safe to discuss stress or health issues?
An open and safe culture starts with leading by example. We achieve this as follows:
- Showing vulnerability: Managers and colleagues dare to be vulnerable, so employees feel safer to speak up.
- Trust: We make sure employees know that their stories are taken seriously and that openness has no negative consequences.
- Listening without judgment: We listen without judgment and look for solutions together to make well-being issues open for discussion.
How do we support employees who can no longer do their job due to physical or mental complaints, but still want to remain sustainably employable in another role?
We always focus on possibilities instead of limitations. We do this by:
- Adjusted roles or retraining: We look for suitable alternatives or retraining opportunities.
- Mapping qualities: We map out the employee’s qualities and drives to find new perspectives.
- Future-oriented approach: We continue to motivate and involve employees in the organization, so they remain sustainably employable.
Anneke Graven
Career Advisor
I really enjoy my role at MEPD, where coaching, training, organizing, moderating, and advising all come together. With my well-stocked toolbox, I can contribute to MEPD’s passion: people, work, development, and technology.
