Manager’s Challenge 2016: 3 target actions to make sustainable employability work in your business

As a manager or HR professional you know how important it is to keep the company healthy by giving a positive impulse to sustainable employability in work and reduce absenteeism.  As a change manager and communication specialist at Yellow Factory and as a student of Social Media Marketing Strategy at the North Western University through Coursera, I am very much interested in the development of a healthy workplace and the prevention of occupational diseases. I have found two articles highlighting the importance of giving co-workers the opportunity to reach sustainable employability by giving them the freedom to take control.

The first article called “Duurzameinzetbaarheid begint bij zelfregie” is written by Bert Bloem at the website “Over Duurzame Inzetbaarheid”. The author –  senior HR Consultant, trainer, ( e ) coach and interim manager at Meurs HRM, states that it is just a matter of getting started. For your employee, it is important to take control on how he or she functions as a human being, transferring self-reflection to the working environment. Changing your behavior can make things possible. Of course, if you get back up in accordance to the vision, strategy and policies of the  company, (cultural) change will be more effective. A helpful tool is the E-portfolio map – a relevant online file to make sure employees keep on track with their progress.

Foto: Shutterstock

The second article is at the website “Over het nieuwe werken”, and is called 3-vs om HNW echt te laten werken from Jacco van den Berg, founder of Van den Berg Training & Advies a consultancy firm which helps companies to function better through developing synergy.  He states that employees can work independently, without borders of place or time, without you as the boss watching. Managers have to measure actual output, not presence. This still might seem as a difficult step to take. It takes trust, freedom and responsibility. Your company culture will florish by it:  sustainability grows and so will revenue. Important issue to add, is involving employees in your magic goals: make it measurable, acceptable, communicated, inspired and engaged. Keep the dialogue going and make sure employees feel connected by sharing knowledge face to face.

There are 3 action items to be distilled that are relevant for the development of sustainable employability within your company if you want to become a leader in growing sustainable employability:

•  Get started! – just get on with the process of making sustainable employability part of the company policy, while employees start reflecting on their own attitude as a person/employee.

• Open dialogue – involve employees to learn from them and keep them involved on how to change things for the better concerning their vitality, motivation and competences.

• Focus on securing agreements made – to keep track, build up a smart file (online) in which employees can manage self-improvement, add achievements, new competences, ideas etc.

Start 2016 with improving the working environment and less absenteeism from work: reflect on the improvement of sustainable employability by focusing on more self direction of your employees. Start now.

My name is Mariette Bijl, I am a change & communications manager at www.yellowfactory.org and currently studying Social Media Marketing Strategy at North Western University through Coursera. My focus areas are: sustainable employability, prevention of absenteeism at work, occupational healthcare, promoting training and schooling of occupational physicians, insurance doctors and companies. Please feel free to connect with me through twitter.