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Category: Health & Benefits

Strategic Resilience – Environment in Danger

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Companies need to think through these topics on time and think them through strategically, so they can build up strategic competitive advantages

Companies face a variety of challenges. In a business environment characterised by multiple ongoing, simultaneous crises, managers can easily lose sight of what is happening from above. To be able to strategically align your company to the opportunities of the future in a timely manner, a strategic view of the profound transformation processes that are currently taking place is necessary.

The strategic framework affecting companies

Two of these profound transformation processes are currently overlapping as they unfold. They represent technical-ecological paradigm shifts that not only fundamentally change the rules of the economy, but also reflect the increasing development of a profound change in society’s values.

One paradigm shift concerns the unfolding wave of digitalisation, which began around the mid-1990s with the emergence of the internet and is now moving into the next phase. This phase concerns topics such as quantum computers, artificial general intelligence, crypto as a payment system and basis for uniform ownership rights, as well as the topic of physical/virtual immersion, which can be summarised under the term metaverse. What these topics have in common is that they will bring with them commercial availability in the next few years along with opportunities that are difficult to imagine today.  However, forward-looking companies must prepare for them and prepare today.

The second paradigm shift is that of sustainability. This is currently showing increasing momentum, driven by the European Union’s immediate goals for decarbonization, as well as the 2030 Agenda regarding the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Europe has set itself the goal of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, with the interim goal of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990. Here too, this means that companies are under immediate pressure to act.

The third aspect that companies have to take into account are crises. The multitude of ongoing disruptions in recent years has coined the terms polycrisis and permacrisis demonstrating that they have become a normal part of everyday life. These disastrous events often come unexpectedly, and the extent of the individual crises is unimaginably high.  Nevertheless, managers must incorporate them into their strategic considerations and be prepared to deal with them. Recent crises have included the Corona crisis, the supply chain crisis, geopolitical crises, the crisis of increased inflation coupled with economic stagnation and, depending on the country, even recession.

The need for strategic resilience

Companies must take these framework conditions into account to secure and expand their future competitiveness. A strategic look at the opportunities of the overlapping paradigm shifts of the unfolding next phase of digitalisation with that of sustainability is necessary. Only companies that identify these opportunities in a timely manner and align themselves with them in a timely and proactive way will also benefit from them economically. Focusing on opportunities is an essential factor in strengthening the company’s strategic resilience when dealing with ongoing crises. This enables companies to process unexpected shocks, realign themselves more quickly and consistently seize opportunities.

 Strategic resilience combines hard and soft factors and is an emerging management discipline. In a forward-oriented view, it combines levers such as aligning on a continuously redefining core business, such as eliminating non-core businesses and structurally reducing the fixed costs while at the same time substantially increasing financial reserves. It rethinks the business model centring around a net zero growth plan and innovation, and elevates the corporate purpose, diversity and inclusion and agility within the company. The ability to communicate clearly, authentically, and continuously with targeted storylines becomes strategically relevant for distinguishing companies and building up differentiation advantages.

How to deal with an environment in danger

 A key driver of change and thus key motivator to increase the strategic resilience of your company is not limited to, but certainly includes the topic of E within the ESG structure. It stands for environment and comprises the segments of energy use, water use, waste management, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions. It is a necessity to act on these topics, but it can also offer opportunities to build up strategic competitive advantages for companies.

The targets are set: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by the year 2050 with the near-term target of -55% compared to the year 1990 by 2030. However, the calculation of the carbon footprint of companies will have to include all emissions scopes (scopes 1, 2 & 3), meaning that the entire supply chain will have to be incorporated. For most of the companies, scope 3 makes up the by far dominant part of its emissions. This leaves companies with the fact that they will have to tackle the supply chain issue strategically to turn emissions reductions into the right dimensions and to reduce risks. This fact alone will lead to the need to rethink the own business model regarding the origin, the use, the reuse, and the recycling of resources and will become a major risk factor in need of timely mitigation.

Furthermore, energy independence will become an increasingly important topic of strategic resilience and reduce risks for companies regarding energy supply. When considering the use of water, it is all about finding ways to reduce the usage to a minimum and to divide water use by drinking water and industrial usage. With regards to materials, it is about reducing the need for them to a minimum and avoiding waste along the way, as well as about reusing materials at the beginning and the end of industrial processes, thus prolonging the lifetime of materials in general. One specific aspect concerns the usage of plastics, as there is a lot of energy needed to produce them, but the usage is often very short and the afterlife unproportionally long – a good case for the cycling economy, if the right partner network is set. As a first step, any single use plastic should be eliminated as of tomorrow.

This leads us to the topic of biodiversity. Even though often unknown and underrated, biodiversity is a core enabler for many biological processes and affects food variety and security as well as the availability of raw materials. Therefore, it is of utmost importance, to work scientifically on securing and advancing biodiversity in areas which can be influenced by the company. Scientifically because it is a difficult topic to be understood and demands specific expertise.

Recommendations for companies

Companies need to think through these topics on time and think them through strategically, so they can build up strategic competitive advantages. For this purpose, the concept of double materiality needs to be followed:

  • the outside-in perspective assesses risk related to the company caused by e.g. external climate impacts such as floodings.
  • The inside-out perspective assesses the risks for the company caused by their own activities creating harm to the environment such as interventions into nature.

This implies increasing the strategic resilience of the company, identifying risks on time, and providing mitigation strategies which are incorporated into the strategic initiatives of the company. In addition to that, companies need to start thinking more strategically about opportunities in time, and identify, where competitive advantages can be built up in an increasingly challenging environment.

About Vladimir Preveden:
Dr. Vladimir Preveden is an advisor for strategic transformation and has supported more than 200 companies in the DACH region as well as in Central and Eastern Europe in this role. After 20 years at Roland Berger, much of it in various management functions, he has been working independently for several years and focuses on topics of strategic resilience and sustainability transformation. He also teaches at the WU Executive Academy in Vienna. Dr. Vladimir Preveden is married and has three children.

Abad_Garcia_Jose

Dr. Vladimir Preveden

Advisor for strategic transformation

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Sustainability and Risk Management in Car Fleets

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Austrian Post has laid the right tracks for vehicle fleet sustainability in the haulage and logistics industry with its future-oriented strategy.

The discussion about the sustainability of the automobile industry is currently going in different directions. From e-vehicles to hydrogen or renewable energy fuelled transport, there’s a lot to consider:  The CO2 balance should not only consider local emissions, but also pollutants during production, the logistics chain, and recycling.  In various calculations it can be shown that an electric car has lower emissions than a combustion engine after about four years of operation. While other studies show that a medium-sized electric car in Europe emits about two-thirds less harmful greenhouse gases than a combustion engine. With pure green electricity, the values are even higher.

In addition to these considerations, the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in many countries is currently still under construction and is therefore often a factor that prevents companies purchasing e-vehicles for their fleets.  For example, if we assume the charging process of an electric car takes about six times as long as filling up at the pump, 100,000 public charging units would have to be available for Austria alone to satisfy the needs of business and the public. Currently Austria has only about 20% of this requirement.

Austrian Post has laid the right tracks for vehicle fleet sustainability in the haulage and logistics industry with its future-oriented strategy:

  • It is not only equipping its fleet for electric or hydrogen mobility, but it is also ensuring its vehicles can be charged or fuelled enroute.  Furthermore, to guarantee the fleet is still driving efficiently, it makes sure the routes are also optimised
  • Its use of muscle power or partial muscle power, leads to an even greater CO2 reduction.
  • In the light commercial vehicle sector, Austrian Post is only using electric vehicles, and for heavy transport, the company is experimenting with hydrogen.
  • The issue of noise pollution also plays a major role in the Post’s field of activity. By operating electric vehicles or using vehicles powered by muscle power, noise pollution is massively reduced.

With this future-oriented use of alternative mobility, Austrian Post has steered its fleet towards sustainability.

Common car fleet pitfalls to avoid.

For vehicle fleets, it is important to keep an eye on the overall risk costs. In addition to passing on the costs to insurance companies, risk-reducing measures are particularly useful. By analysing individual damage lists, one can determine the frequency of different types of risks and react accordingly. Based on our experience, we have identified the following recurring problems:

  • Distraction by mobile phone: Thanks to hands-free systems, talking on the phone is no longer so critical, but the transmission of text messages or the use of the mobile phone as a navigation device (e.g. looking at the mobile phone display for the correct route) have increased enormously.
  • Visual impairment: If the driver wears corrective glasses or contact lenses for long-sightedness for example, it can be difficult to read the directions on maps or satellite navigation systems whilst driving. Theoretically, unless he/she has bifocals, he/she may have to switch between reading glasses and long-distance glasses. This leads either to a distraction when switching glasses, or to reduced visibility when reading the device without glasses.
  • Utilising the right vehicle for the job: This is especially an issue in the commercial vehicle sector, where loads must be delivered efficiently and economically. If you provide a vehicle that is too large, it could cause manoeuvring and parking problems for the driver. According to our findings, manoeuvring and parking activities are the most frequent cause of damage for commercial vehicle traffic. Many vehicles are equipped with parking sensors or cameras, however, where time and little space are at stake, these helpers are often ignored. With smaller vehicles, parking and manoeuvrability become easier, but then the economic savings and efficiency are lost.

We have seen many such damages not only have an impact on the damage statistics and thus on the insurance premium, but also on other company costs. For example, an employee is unable to work due to an injury caused by an accident, or the vehicle is not available for transporting goods whilst it is repaired which leads to reduced efficiency and additional costs. Accidents because of causes such as these, and many others, can be tackled with effective risk management.

Abad_Garcia_Jose

Jose Luis Abad Garcia

Competence Center Manager Motor

T +43 664 888 447 99

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Environmental, Social and Governance Dictates Much Needed Change to Health & Benefits Offerings

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Nowadays, more and more companies are starting to realise the accepted traditional benefits offering is no longer relevant or appropriate, and the one-size-fits-all approach is a thing of the past.

Covid-19 and its impact on mental health

The impact of Covid-19 was significant, and created ongoing challenges around health, global economy, commerce, and ultimately the way we live our lives. In many ways, Covid-19 underlined and increased the awareness of inequality between one workplace and another: those who had access to healthcare, online education, the ability to work remotely, and many other aspects, became acutely obvious and was much discussed between colleagues, friends, and families. For example, and perhaps most obviously, whilst many people could do their jobs from home, this did not (and still does not) apply to all.

Globally, people were dealing with the health, and social and economic impacts resulting from the pandemic. Mental health bit hard for many, and we are only now just seeing the true extent of how many people were impacted. By the end of 2020, the United Nations reported that stress and anxiety levels had risen substantially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and although no one escaped the impact of Covid-19, frontline workers, the elderly and vulnerable, and our younger generation, including those in their formative years at school, were some of those who felt the impact the greatest.

According to the definition of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Mental Health is “a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Before the pandemic, it was questionable how many employers were aware of this definition.  For example, when we look more closely at wellbeing and mental health in Georgia, it has only recently become a key agenda item for employers, with much more awareness and education still needed. As a result of the state of mental health support in Georgia, further work is required by employers to implement more proactive measures and preventative support for their employees – but, it is clear for this to work, there needs to be a robust state framework in place to offer this much needed support, quickly.

Environmental, Social, and Governance’s impact on (ESG) Health & Benefits

More widely, local and internationally headquartered employers in Georgia are looking to establish more proactive measures across the spectrum of financial, cultural, mental, physical, and social pillars with HR departments keen to embed preventative support for their employees.

Covid-19 accelerated pre-existing trends towards a greater ESG integration and understanding, with employers embracing this s more quickly than they might have done otherwise. Despite the global economic and health crisis many companies have increased their efforts to improve their management approaches and communications in relation to ESG issues.

In 2015, the United Nations developed 17 Sustainability Development Goals, also known as Global Goals, to act as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people will enjoy peace and prosperity. One of these goals is good health and wellbeing which links both ESG with wider wellbeing strategies.

Thanks to living in a challenging and competitive environment, employers understand by creating accountability around ESG, in particular around the social pillar, they are ensuring employee wellbeing remains a key agenda topic.  As such, wellbeing is considered an integrated part of doing business nowadays.

Employee wellbeing affects almost all aspects of business, and whilst great work has been done to date, much more needs to be done. Wellbeing must become part of the corporate DNA, part of the everyday business, part of the company values,  culture, and wider strategies.

ESG has gained significant attention in recent years as businesses and investors recognize the importance of sustainability and responsible corporate behaviour. The Social element of ESG directly relates to the values and culture of an organization, and how they wish to be perceived internally and externally. So, when it comes to Health & Benefits, ESG considerations can play an important role in many ways. By providing comprehensive health benefits, wellness programmes, and initiatives that promote a healthy work-life balance to boost employee engagement, businesses are contributing to a healthier and more content workforce.

The changing face of Health & Benefits

Each generation wants something different from the workplace. It is the employers’ role to empower managers to develop strategies to engage employees of all different ages to keep them motivated and happy. For example, healthcare is the most important benefit to employees in Georgia. But when it comes to employee benefits, it is clear employers are recognizing the need to provide a much wider benefits programme to their people.

Nowadays, more and more companies are starting to realise the accepted traditional benefits offering is no longer relevant or appropriate, and the one-size-fits-all approach is a thing of the past. Traditional benefits, such as life and health insurance or pension plans no longer give employers a competitive advantage. If there are five generations working in the same workplace, it is clear there should be a different approach to meet the needs of each generation. Traditional benefits such as life insurance and a pension plan might not be that attractive for Gen Z, but for Gen X and Baby Boomers they are a real benefit.

Non-traditional, or “newer” benefits include flexible work arrangements, mental health support, and other demands of the modern worker.  Employees nowadays appreciate the ability to have flexible work hours, remote working options, or alternative work schedules that allow them to achieve a better work-life balance.

Along with changing societal expectations, differing requirements from the workforce of today, and the inevitably different demands of tomorrow’s employees, employers must look to the future and start adapting and evolving to personalise and tailor their total Health & Benefits offerings to ensure they remain appropriate, competitive, and relevant.

Preslava Gencheva joins GrECo

Tamila Liparteliani

Practice Leader Health & Benefits GrECo Georgia

Gabriele Andratschke

Head of Group Human Resources

T +43 664 962 39 18

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“Saubermacher Will Be a Network Aggregator During the Transition.”

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Ralf Mittermayr, CEO at Saubermacher AG, the most sustainable waste disposal company in the world (GRESB rating), discussed with Jürgen Spari, Regional Manager of GrECo Steiermark their zero-waste vision and what zero waste will mean for the insurance industry.

Listen to the full interview with Ralph Mittermayr in German language.

Spari: What does Saubermacher’s zero-waste strategy mean?

Mittermayr: Zero waste has two meanings. Firstly, if we want to move towards a circular economy where only a small part remains as waste management then we have to say goodbye to the permanent concept of waste. Today, only 7% of all raw materials worldwide are recycled. Conversely, this means that 93% of raw materials are not recycled. Austria is at 11%. Pioneering countries like the Netherlands are at 27%. In concrete terms, this means that the rest is not recycled as raw materials. Our biggest goal is creating a circular economy, with Saubermacher positioned as a partner to industry to close raw material cycles.

“Globally, only 7% of all raw materials are recycled, which means 93% of raw materials are not recycled.”

Secondly, zero waste means lean thinking:  how can we prevent waste? How can we constantly improve and continually optimise? How can we continue to innovate and progress? Nature serves as our model because it typically doesn’t waste anything.

Spari: What sustainability goals is Saubermacher pursuing?
 
Mittermayr: We have two very distinct sustainability focuses.  The first is for the company to become CO2-neutral. We are making great strides in some areas – more than 30% of our car fleet is already electric and we aim to be completely electric by 2030, and for our entire vehicle fleet of almost 700 vehicles to be CO2-neutral drives by 2040.  We are also forging ahead in supplying our own electricity with photovoltaic systems and purchasing CO2-free electricity.  Plus, we’re trying out many other solutions: we have the first hydrogen waste collection truck, and have already experimented with alternative, liquid-based fuels which are produced with zero CO2.
 
Our second sustainability focus is to help our customers to reduce CO2. For example, Saubermacher is the largest producer of substitute fuels in Austria. Fuels from waste residues and a substitute fuel can – with the same calorific value – contain up to 40% less CO2.  It has the same CO2, of course, but it uses biogenic fractions from the waste and, because these are not newly extracted from the earth but are reincorporated in the biogenic cycle every year, they are not subject to CO2 tax.

Spari: You previously mentioned the end of the classic waste management industry. What adjustments will Saubermacher make in its own value chain to seize these developments as an opportunity for sustainable corporate success?

Mittermayr: In the future, waste management will not be an isolated industry. We predict that classic waste management will evolve, transforming waste products into secondary raw materials. This requires classic services such as collection, identification, sorting, separation, and treatment.

The concept of ownership becomes exciting: today it is the case that a company hands over the waste to us and pays for it. We then own this waste and can make all kinds of things out of it. But the future looks different: The waste products created during production will no longer be taken out of the producers’ hands.

“The ownership of waste will change: The waste products created during production will no longer be taken out of the producers’ hands.”

We are already seeing very clear trends to this end: increasingly in France materials are no longer being handed over to waste management, but instead they remain the property of either specific companies or are systems bundled by companies. In Austria we have the ARA, and Germany has the Green Dot. These are systems that find optimal recycling solutions on behalf of the distributors of the products.

In the past, the focus was on a quota: X-amount must be collected and recycled. That has now changed considerably: Today, beverage producers, for example, want their material back, e.g. PET bottles, and they want it qualitatively processed so that they can use it for the next life cycle.  In France, this has already gone much further. In the case of furniture or textiles, waste management never reacquires the concept of ownership. Rather, as a partner of industry, it helps to keep the cycle going. 

As specialists in logistics and in processing these material flows, this is not a huge challenge for Saubermacher, but we must learn to integrate ourselves into these networks and to think in a larger-scale industrial way.

Spari: What will Saubermacher AG look like in 5 to 10 years?

Mittermayr: That’s a good question. How long do these change processes take? My experience is that they usually take much longer than you think, but not always! There’s a huge dynamic in our industry so I think we will see both, and Saubermacher will have a strong role as an industry partner and as a partner to the big companies during this transition.

Saubermacher will grow as it continues to absorb and integrate smaller companies. Today we have 76 holdings, and this will continue to grow because smaller, often family-owned, companies will no longer be able to cope with the flood of future requirements.

We are specifically driven by legislation, very strongly by the CSRD and by the EU taxonomy. Non-financial reporting means nothing other than that large companies, which have waste streams due to their business activities, need a partner who will report back on the real, genuine CO2 content that takes place in the processing of their waste and show them ways to improve.  In Austria, probably only a handful of companies will be subject to this EU taxonomy, so how is a company with 12 employees, which is not subject to this system itself, supposed to provide a company with data suitable for auditing? Saubermacher will therefore be a network aggregator that aggregates resources that are needed in the industry.

Spari: The European circular economy package provides for digitalisation as a key measure by 2030. Digital technologies such as censoring, Internet of Things, or blockchain are seen as the essential building blocks of waste and recycling management for industry and commerce. The adaptation to new business models, for example for sustainable recyclables management, leads to a sometimes-radical change in the risk landscape.  What risk management measures is Saubermacher taking to anticipate and manage future risks arising from these changes and innovations, so you are prepared for changing risk potentials or threat scenarios?

Mittermayr: The biggest risk in all these developments is that you don’t know when and how they will occur, or in what form. We talk about this thoroughly in our strategy meetings. Once a year, the entire strategy is adapted in an iterative procedure – including the existing guard rails. Every few years we also review these guard rails. For the most part, we do this by developing theories and assessing their opportunities and risks and how likely they are to occur. We also consider counter-theories to these hypotheses and their impact. 

We have an expert panel who undertakes these deliberations consisting of top managers who have been in the business for many years, top young talent who are simply socialised differently and see the world differently and perceive trends differently, and middle management. To date this expert team combined with our risk management approach of strategy, forming thesis, and falsifications, hasn’t let us down and we’ve had most things on the radar.

Spari:  What solutions do you see for battery recycling, especially with the increasing quantities of lithium-ion batteries?

Mittermayr:  Battery recycling is probably the most sensible thing one can do. Today it is technically possible to recycle 80 to 90% of the metals in lithium-ion batteries.

A battery in an electric vehicle can easily be used for 10 to 15 years.  So, to do a simple calculation, let’s say that that battery can be used for 10 years and 80% of it can be recycled. That means that this battery can be driven four times if I can recycle 80% of the metals, which in turn means the material I initially take out of the earth can be used for 40 years.  If I use that battery for 15 years and recycle 90% of it (there are no barriers to achieving such rates), the battery can be used for over 120 years!

Battery recycling will become a normal thing, just like paper recycling or glass recycling is today. The battery recycling industry is very young, and we aren’t seeing big volumes yet, but this is just like the beginning of glass or paper recycling.

Electromobility and the electrification of our society through these products is irreversible. The solutions are there – what is often lacking is the maturity of the solutions. This is a technically challenging issue, but we have already solved many other things on a large industrial scale and can do the same again.


Spari: Let’s talk briefly about insurance. We want to take an extremely critical look at the insurance and reinsurance markets, because there is a big dichotomy: on the one hand, we have the way insurance companies deal with the recycling industry, which is burdened with losses, but on the other hand, we have the essential role of the recycling industry in the fight against climate change. Recyclers can become ESG heroes. How do you see this contradiction and how can it be resolved?

Mittermayr:  Due to the circular economy, an insurance company that finds recycling too risky will have a hard time finding customers in the future. Increasingly, very large companies will include recycling capacity and capability in their own portfolios, and the insurance companies will not be able to cherry pick which parts of the organisation will be insured, e.g. insuring the new production facilities and offices but not the part where recycling and the circular economy take place.

“Insurance companies will not be able to cherry pick which parts of an organisation will be insured.”

The hotspot risk will become more widely distributed. Today we have a few waste management companies that have many large recycling plants and thus a disproportionately high risk. However, developments in recent years show that the newer investments in treatment plants are very often made in joint ventures together with industry, as in Saubermacher’s case. This changes the risk profile for the insurer because the recycling, the waste treatment, the circular economy all take place on site at the industrial company. The risk for the insurer becomes more fragmented. What is more, I am convinced that the risk profile for recycling plants will decrease due to technological progress – as we have observed with timber companies.

As an industrial company, I would seriously consider whether I would want to work with an insurance company that simply does not want to insure a significant part of our future as humanity.  I implore the insurance industry to think about this very carefully – this is a megatrend.  I would heavily question an insurer’s strategy of not wanting to insure such risks at all, and not wanting to learn what it means to insure this industry.

About Ralf Mittermayr:
DI Ralf Mittermayr, born in 1968, has been working for Saubermacher AG in Feldkirchen near Graz as Spokesman of the Executive Board and Head of Marketing since 2014. He studied at the Technical University of Graz and after graduating held numerous positions at well-known companies such as Philips Semiconductor, GRIPS Electronic and Infonova.

About Saubermacher:
Saubermacher AG is an international waste management and recycling company based in Feldkirchen near Graz. The family-owned company was founded in 1979 by Hans and Margret Roth. and is a qualified partner for approx. 1,600 municipalities and around 42,000 companies. The company employs around 3,600 people in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia.

Jürgen Spari

Jürgen Spari

Regional Manager Steiermark

T +43 664 149 94 89

Jürgen Spari

Ralf Mittermayr:

CEO Saubermacher AG

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Health & Benefits’ Evolving Landscape: Current and Future Trends

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We are in the fast-paced age of technology and Health & Benefits is having to transform and evolve at an alarming pace to keep up. 

The way in which we work has dramatically changed in the last five years, not least thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Flexible working, remote working, hybrid working, working from home, co-working spaces, mental health awareness… (the list goes on) have become more and more commonplace in our everyday business language.  In this ever-changing work landscape companies are finding it crucial to adapt their Health & Benefits programmes and wellness offerings to fit with the ever-evolving requirements of today’s employees. 

This article will explore the impact of new ways of working regarding Health & Benefits and discuss ways in which companies can adapt their wellbeing programmes to attract and retain the best talent.  We will also look at how organisations can anticipate future trends and developments and manage the risks associated with these new working methods.

How we work today

In today’s world we have a vast array of choices as to where we work and how we work. With those come new concerns and risks when it comes to our employees’ mental health.

Remote working has become the new norm for many.  However, while it has benefits, such as increased flexibility and improved work-life balance, it can also negatively impact employees’ mental and physical health. According to a study by the World Health Organization, remote workers have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and burnout due to the lack of social interaction and the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life.  To mitigate the negative impacts of remote working, organisations can provide employees with mental health support, ergonomic equipment, and technology to help them work more efficiently from their chosen location. Additionally, as within the office environment, employers can encourage employees to take regular breaks, establish clear boundaries between work and personal life, and ensure they have access to adequate healthcare coverage.

Flexible working hours have become a popular request as employees seek a better work-life balance, working around their families or other commitments.  However, organisations using flexible working as an attractive tool to retain employees need to be aware of how to help employees manage their hours effectively to prevent overwhelm and stress.  Organisations must establish clear guidelines and policies to ensure flexible working hours do not negatively impact employees’ health, making it clear what the legal maximum working hours are, that breaks need to be taken regularly, and what their expectations are around an employee’s availability.

Hybrid working combines in-office and remote working to offer flexibility and support to employees. It proves a popular choice for employees because they typically enjoy more autonomy and a better work-life balance.  Employers adopting this model have noticed their employees are more engaged meaning the company benefits by building a more productive, healthy, stable workforce. 

However, with this new blended working comes unique challenges.  For example, employees may feel disconnected from their colleagues, and there may be a need for more collaboration and communication, leading to decreased productivity.  Organisations must establish clear communication channels to mitigate the negative impacts of hybrid working and ensure employees have access to the technology and resources they need to work effectively. Employers should also encourage regular communication and collaboration to ensure that employees feel connected to their colleagues.

The Transformation of Health & Benefits

We are in the fast-paced age of technology and Health & Benefits is having to transform and evolve at an alarming pace to keep up.  There are numerous ways Health & Benefits is supporting these new ways of working. We see significant changes in the way remuneration and benefits are structured. Benefits are becoming more diverse, and packages are more voluminous. They are geared to every age, lifestyle, and need. They range from the well-known additional health and pension benefits to household help or childcare, to experiences, more free time in the form of extra days or unpaid leave, free personal days, or a 4-day working week.

Overall, the transformation business model for Health & Benefits is a process of continuous improvement requiring ongoing feedback, analysis, and refinement to deliver maximum value to both employees and employers.

This process involves several key steps, including:

  • Identifying employee needs and preferences: Employers must first understand the needs and preferences of their employees to design relevant and effective benefits programmes. This may involve conducting surveys, focus groups, or other forms of employee feedback to gather insights.
  • Designing personalised benefits packages: Once employers have a better understanding of employee needs and preferences, they can design benefits programmes tailored to individual employees. This may include a range of wellbeing programmes, financial incentives, and other value-based benefits.
  • Leveraging technology, data analytics and delivering insights: Employers can use technology and data analytics to better understand employee needs and preferences and deliver insights to track employee engagement and outcomes. This can help employers identify areas for improvement and refine their Health & Benefits offerings over time.
  • Fostering a culture of wellbeing: Employers must foster a culture of wellbeing within their organisations by promoting healthy(ier) behaviours and providing a supportive environment for employees to achieve their health and wellbeing goals.
  • Education: In a fast-moving world, adapting to changes can be difficult for employees, especially considering a multi-generational and multi-cultural workforce. Employers should take the initiative in creating educational programmes, with a focus on health awareness and healthy lifestyles, as well as  on digital skills enabling access to care.

Digital health: The rise of telemedicine solutions

From mobile digital health apps to smart watches, many employees are already utilising the tools of the digital age to monitor and manage their own health and wellbeing.  They are already tracking their health metrics, such as blood pressure or blood glucose levels, and have access to real-time feedback to help them manage their overall health or pre-existing conditions.

Employers should be tapping into this trend, making the most of a broad range of technologies and tools designed to improve healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and the overall patient experience.  It is undeniable that digital health solutions should be a part of your Health & Benefits package, whether that be additional coverage for group health insurance or a standalone product.

Telemedicine is perhaps one of the newest digital offerings in Health & Benefits.  It improves patient access to care, and accessible pathways focusing more on preventative care.  For example, it enables patients to receive care remotely, which is particularly important for those who cannot travel to a healthcare facility. This can include those living in rural areas, suffering with mobility issues, or who are immunocompromised and at higher risk of infection.

Other offerings for your Health & Benefits arsenal

As quickly as employees’ requirements change so does the plethora of Health & Benefits options available for employers to offer their workforce.  The war for talent is fierce, especially in sectors such as IT.  Having additional products in your repertory might just win you the recruiting contest.

Mental health products – Historically mental health might not have received as much emphasis in some Central and Eastern European countries as in others. However, there is a growing recognition of its importance. Progressive employers are integrating mental health support and counselling services into their benefits packages.

Flexible benefits systems – Some companies are offering flexible benefits systems where employees can choose the benefits that are most relevant to their personal circumstances with options to change these as their circumstances change.

Wellness programmes and work-life balance – Employers are increasingly offering a broader range of wellbeing programmes and incentives to encourage employees to play an active part in managing their health. This includes things like gym memberships, healthy meal options, and financial incentives for meeting health goals.

Future trends and developments

Looking ahead, emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and automation, will continue to shape the future of work. This will require organisations to adapt their policies and practices to support these changes and ensure their employees have the necessary resources and support to succeed in this new environment.  For example, organisations may need to invest in training and development programmes to ensure employees have the necessary skills to succeed in a more technology-driven workplace.

As organizations continue to navigate this new reality, it is essential to consider the benefits and risks of these new ways of working. We are giving our employees the opportunity for an excellent work-life balance meaning improved productivity, and cost savings for the organisation. However, we are exposing them to new mental health risks such as feeling isolated because they are having reduced face-to-face interaction, which may hinder communication and collaboration; as well as to older more familiar risks such as burnout but with the lack of supervision you get in an office.

Organisations must be prepared to support their employees in the latest and emerging ways of working while managing the associated risks. They need to consider factors such as the availability of appropriate equipment, connectivity, and access to virtual collaboration tools. They must also provide support for their employees’ physical and mental health, including ergonomic workspaces, mental health resources, and access to healthcare.  Those who don’t take these factors into account, will be opening themselves up to a whole new can of  employee mental health worms, talent retention issues and much more.

Preslava Gencheva joins GrECo

Preslava Gencheva

Deputy Group Practice Leader Health & Benefits

Preslava Gencheva joins GrECo

Danijela Jurcic

Head of Health & Benefits, GrECo Croatia

Gabriele Andratschke

Head of Group Human Resources

T +43 664 962 39 18

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Health & Benefits: A Fresh Approach to Employee Benefits

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The new world order is bringing many existing workplace trends to the fore, while accelerating the adoption of flexible and agile working environments and raising concerns about the mental health of employees. 

In the war for talent, a robust yet evolving Health & Benefits programme has become a key requirement for employers to stand out and attract new team members, while retaining and motivating the existing workforce. HR & Benefit teams are facing many challenges. Here are a few:

  • 5 generations in the workforce create challenges for the HR community
  • War for talent includes recruitment, retention, and motivation
  • Personalisation of benefits
  • Gender dysphoria
  • Menopause
  • Enhanced parental and leave policies
  • Wellbeing (financial / mental / physical / social)
  • Absenteeism and presenteeism
  • Mobile workforce, global mobility, and expats
  • Flexible and agile working
  • Employee value proposition

Employee expectations are changing too, and, with further challenges in recruitment and retention of talent, employers – not just small domestic, but even smaller multinationals – are considering introducing more diverse benefits for their people, sometimes for the first time.
 
Employers are looking to work with specialist consultancies who understand their business, employee requirements and, even more importantly, act as their true partner to provide sustainable long-term Health & Benefits solutions.
 
With the global outlook of 2023, protecting the health and wellbeing of employees has never been more important for employers than right now. More widely, addressing ESG factors can help employers manage their environmental and social footprint and determine their business risks and opportunities, and the social element is the direct link to Health & Benefits. When looking more widely at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, good health and wellbeing is one of the 17 goals.  Our GrECo Health & Benefits team is already focussing on these important aspects in its conversations with clients.
 
Moving away from a “transactional” relationship to being seen as a partner, an extension to the HR team, our international specialist Health & Benefit Risk Managers work closely with HR & Benefit teams to support and advise on the current and future benefit strategies of the business.
 

Providing sustainable and tailored solutions

It is no longer just about insurance, it is about how an employer can successfully establish a robust, yet flexible Health & Benefits programme for the multigenerational and generational diverse workforce of today – and tomorrow.

We work with our clients to put in place:

  • Market-leading tailored Health & Benefits concepts which we compare to relevant labour and tax law options
  • Planning and support for in-house implementation and optimisation of existing systems
  • Support in the selection of partners through tender negotiations and comparisons, evaluations, etc., as well as support for tenders in line with public procurement law
  • Complete project management expertise to implement employee benefit schemes
  • Where needed, centralised multinational client coordination – centralising the benefits administration, compliance, governance, and stewardship
  • Local specialists, supported by group-wide international experts

 
If we look at the current geopolitical and global economic backdrop, we realise that despite our years of experience, we have never come across such high levels of uncertainty. Many questions remain unanswered, for example: When will the next pandemic hit? Or the next war? Will we face a global recession? Will the energy crisis worsen? In terms of Health & Benefits, the question is how can these programmes function and remain sustainable if and when we are confronted with the next challenge?
 
The new world order is bringing many existing workplace trends to the fore, while accelerating the adoption of flexible and agile working environments and raising concerns about the mental health of employees. 

What our clients say:

Gözen

GÖZEN HOLDING is a group of companies, active in the field of airlines, representation, surveillance, fuel, controlling, brokerage, security and training in the aviation industry. Based on its experience and know-how gained over 44 years, Gözen Holding has become a brand in the industry. Gözen Holding continues its successful activities in tourism and in the aviation sector with more than 3,500 employees. GrECo Turkey has been the trusted broker of Gözen Holding since 2014. It was GrECo’s extensive know-how in employee benefits and experience in claims handling that motivated Gözen Holding to work with GrECo.

Сет Bozyiğit
Board Member at Gözen Holding A.Ş

Additional insurances for employees have become a key competitive factor in both recruitment and employee retention. That’s why we need a partner who is very familiar with all these processes and who provides personal top-notch services and solutions that fully support our employees.

ЕСЕ Türkiye

The expert in shopping centres and multifunctional complexes was founded in October 2000 in Istanbul. ЕСЕ Türkiye is an affiliate company of the German ECE, the European market leader in the field of shopping centres with approximately 200 centres under management and activities in 13 countries. With more than 50 years of experience in Europe and 22 years of experience in Turkey, ЕСЕ invests in the future of the retail industry. GrECo Turkey has been the trusted broker of ECE Türkiye since 2014.
 

İrem Tür
Human Resources Director ЕСЕ Türkiye

Thanks to GrECo’s comprehensive services and solutions, we, as Human Resources, ensure a high degree of employee satisfaction.  This helps us focus on our core business.

GfK

For over 85 years, GfK has been supporting its clients in business-critical decision-making processes concerning consumers, markets, brands, and media. GfK’s reliable data and insights, together with advanced AI capabilities, have revolutionised access to real- time, actionable recommendations that drive marketing, sales, and organisational effectiveness of GfK clients and partners.
 

Polia Green

HR Business Partner – Global Operations & GSC Bulgaria (MI, MM, MCI)
Human Resources Department | GfK | Bulgaria

Whenever when we required a specific service, additional clarification and follow-ups they were there for us! GrECo is a true partner who has our needs in mind and best interests at heart. They are great advisors whom we can count on for insights, current trends and possible solutions.

APS TRADING

Established in 1995, APS Advanced Printing Systems is a company with leading market positions, track record and history in the production of thermal printer mechanisms, controller boards and tailor-made thermal printing solutions. APS engineering, production, sales offices and representatives are strategically located across the globe in Europe, Asia and the United States. The company aims to provide highly reliable, innovative thermal printer solutions that meet needs of customers’ applications.
 

Desislava Petrova
HR Manager APS TRADING OOD

GrECo helps us understand new trends and differences in the market and take the best decisions for our employees. Their knowledgeable, dedicated, and caring staff expertise has added key elements to extend and augment our efficiency in employee care.

Preslava Gencheva joins GrECo

Preslava Gencheva

Deputy Group Practice Leader Health & Benefits

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Risk Management Advising for Health & Benefit programs

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Good Risk Management focuses on identifying and treating defined risks and should be a continuous and developing process embedded in a company’s HR and wider Benefits strategy.

The last few years have changed many perspectives in Employee-Employer relationships. Employee’s thinking has been changed. It is when people are no longer sold to companies but companies to people.
People who perform better work smarter, more flexibly, and are more engaged! Well-being and comfort are a priority. Employers should address these needs if they want to be employers of choice and, importantly, have satisfied employees.

More and more companies face the challenge of attracting and retaining people and making their company a desired place of work. That is why providing excellent employee benefit programmes, including comprehensive healthcare, and benefits which are meaningful become crucial for most.

The situation is equal for Health & Benefits providers: the new market reality also needs a different and more innovative approach for advisors. Addressing the business and people risks is key, and offering a wider Risk Management Advising offering is the answer. The value of an effective Health & Benefits programme goes beyond the traditional insured benefits, it starts to match employee lifecycles and needs and evolves, now and in the future.

Standard single “insurance” recommendations are no longer relevant, and steps must be taken to support and suggest holistic decisions for the Physical, Financial, Social and Emotional well-being of the employees.
What does it mean in practice to handle a Risk management approach for the Health & Benefits programme? Good Risk Management focuses on identifying and treating defined risks and should be a continuous and developing process embedded in a company’s HR and wider Benefits strategy. Three critical steps in the Risk Management process (and how we apply them) to provide tailored and bespoke Health & Benefits solutions include:

  • Risk identification
  • Risk analysis
  • Risk Control 

Risk identification

Identifying risks involves uncovering threats to the company that may already exist and potential hazards that may exist in the future. Understanding and planning for them in the benefit plan design will ensure employers can manage costs and risk more effectively. Here are a few reflections when designing Health and Benefits plan that Employer can consider:

  • War for talent
  • Retaining people
  • Personalized choices for employees to meet their changing requirements and needs
  • Five generations in the workforce
  • Wellbeing (physical/mental/financial)
  • Absenteeism/presenteeism
  • Mobile Workforce
  • Global mobility & ex-pats
  • Flexible & agile working
  • Employee value proposition
  • Consideration of health and safety hazards
  • Higher employee engagement
  • Accelerated digitalization

Risk analysis 

Here the use of tech and data is essential and beneficial. What benefits different age groups use most is just one key area! Here, data is crucial – using it to assess areas on an emotional and physical level where employee groups need support.

The Employer can then use the data to improve the overall plan design. Choose benefits to positively impact employees’ mental and physical health and manage costs wisely.

Accelerating digitalization will require more comprehensive risk assessments related to pure insurance. Insurance solutions such as D&O and Cyber liability should be part of this wider discussion – peace of mind and security, looking at ways to mitigate the business and people risks!

Risk Control 

Controlling risk involves the development of a comprehensive and adequate programme for Health & Benefits. Following assessment and analysis, the programme should cover all essential areas:

  • Physical
  • Emotional 
  • Financial
  • Social
  • Wellbeing 

Preslava Gencheva

Deputy Group Practice Leader Health & Benefits

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Technology, and Its Role Within Health & Benefits

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Flexibility has become the norm, but more choices and options will be needed to match changing lifestyles, requirements, expectations, and locations.

The total reward package and wider benefits programme have become more employee-led, and this will continue to be a key area to keep under review as employee expectations evolve, and the next generation (Gen A) enters the workforce.



Flexibility & choice

Employees already want to select (or be offered!) benefits / cover that suit them, and their circumstances. Flexibility has become the norm, but more choices and options will be needed to match changing lifestyles, requirements, expectations, and locations. Moreover, and importantly, wider benefits which are seen as valuable and making a difference to the workforce – will need to be carefully balanced between insurance-related options, and wider non-insured benefits. 


Anecdotally, this will become the norm and an important part of the everyday expectations of our future employees. 


Focus has switched to how the package can work to support the wider strategies, and “benefit customisation”, and choice, are now high on the radar for employees, and needs to become a key part of the risk management strategy for HR & Benefits teams! Doing so will help tackle the changing demographics, and expectations, in an increasingly diverse and ageing workforce.

Technology will go hand-in-hand with future Health & Benefits Strategies

Employers considering this approach will need a multilevel benefits system in place where people can pick & choose but also have a core level of benefits in place to ensure equality. 


Importantly, a mix of technology solutions incorporating total reward, analytics and data insights provides the employer with an opportunity to not only manage but have a much greater understanding of their workforce, benefits use, claims, absenteeism and wider engagement/usage of the benefits will become a “must-have”! As is the ability to upload data to insurers 24/7 providing real-time pricing/underwriting decisions/claims updates.


Technology plays such a key part in our lives, and this will naturally evolve – we are, in the main, attached to tech 24/7, whether this is a “good” thing or not is pretty obvious BUT enter Generative Pre-trained Transformer, the recently created ChatGPT. The AI Chatbot, otherwise known as an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, arguably stands in parallel to human intelligence by offering smart and speedy solutions, some would say the same (or better!) as experts’ advice across everything we do. 


Is ChatGPT relevant to health benefits? More needs to be seen to come to a conclusive answer, but, it’s cool!


There are clear advantages to AI – the very real potential to mitigate administrative costs and given the increasing medical insurance premiums, a way to look at ways to reduce these, or lead to intelligent pricing! There is also a clear opportunity to improve claims-management processes and member experience. Recently, it was reported that AI played a key part in appealing a medical claim which was declined by an Insurance company. 


Whilst it speaks for itself, one thing is clear, the better the input and clarity of brief, the higher level of quality and outcome is likely to be achieved by using AI / ChatGPT. 


Ultimately, AI will provide Health & Benefit Risk Managers / Brokers, Insurers and HR & Benefit professionals with the opportunity to further automate operational and manual tasks, but also potentially provide improved employee experiences, cost containment and so much more! 

Focus on Health & Benefits budgets wisely

When all is said and done, businesses will need to invest their benefits budget wisely – from restructuring health & benefits policies to evolving and becoming fit-for-purpose (and relevant!). Data insights and analytics will play a crucial part in not only employee engagement, but whether an employer is domestic only or multinational, ensuring understanding of their generational diverse workforce needs and (short-medium-long term) requirements will be key; equally as important will be making better use of and embracing wider technology and digital solutions.

Having a flexible and evolving H&B strategy and programme in place will not only help employers be ahead of the “war for talent” curve but will also go a long way to ensure costs are managed, early intervention (preventative benefits) is in place and the health & wellbeing of their people are truly at the heart of the company DNA culture!

The article is written by Adam Riley.

Preslava Gencheva joins GrECo

Preslava Gencheva

Deputy Group Practice Leader Health & Benefits

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GrECo Health & Benefits hires Practice Leader in Croatia

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Danijela Jurcic

Danijela Jurcic joins GrECo Health & Benefits in Croatia, further reinforcing the wider group strategy to become the employer of choice across the Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) region.

Furthering its already significant foothold in the Croatian market, GrECo has appointed Danijela Jurcic as Health & Benefits Practice Leader for Croatia, in a newly created country leadership role. This role further reinforces Adam Riley’s Health & Benefits group strategy to become the leading risk management adviser and employer of choice throughout the CESEE region. Working with Adam and Robert Fucak (General Manager, GrECo Croatia), Danijela is now responsible for building the local Health & Benefits business in Croatia.   
 
Danijela joins from Alliant Employee Benefits, based in the United States.

Adam Riley, GrECo Specialty, Health & Benefits commented: “We warmly welcome Danijela to GrECo and are delighted she has joined us to develop the Health & Benefits business in one of our key countries, Croatia.
 
We have been recruiting across our countries, and this is our third senior hire for the Health & Benefits business this year. Attracting high-calibre individuals and top talent is a key part of the people strategy within Health & Benefits and the wider GrECo Group, and the appointment of Danijela truly reflects this. GrECo is renowned for its people, reliability, stability, and independence.
 
She will play a key part in building our local Health & Benefits business in Croatia and will join my senior leadership team to support the wider growth strategy across the group to become the leading Health & Benefits consultancy across CESEE.
 
By building our capabilities locally, further enhances our value proposition for clients, partners, and carriers. I am looking forward to working with Danijela to continue the success of our Health & Benefits business across the CESEE region, and personally wish her every success in this new leadership role.”

Preslava Gencheva joins GrECo

Preslava Gencheva

Deputy Group Practice Leader Health & Benefits

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Social Workplace – Giving People a Sense of Belonging

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Social Workplace - Giving People a Sense of Belonging

From an HR perspective, the past three years were predominantly shaped by the challenges and crises that have influenced our activities since the beginning of the pandemic. The impact of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity – the VUCA world – has become more pronounced with each crisis that has hit both the economic environment of organisations and people`s personal lives.

Our world is marked by rapid change, continuing disruption, and instability. Geopolitical risks that boost this uncertainty add to the challenges in the global labour market. Organisations find themselves in a seemingly ongoing struggle to attract, retain and manage talent. But what implications does this have on our HR work?

A new approach

The pandemic has taught us to work in hybrid environments that connect co-workers mostly virtually. As a result, social interaction has decreased. Multi-channel communication has become part of our daily work routines. However, Eurostat statistics show that in 2021 only 13.5% of employees in the EU performed work from home on a regular basis. Even if 2022 shows a slight decrease in the area, remote work has come to stay, and yet another upward trend is expected for future years. Although the flexibility of the workplace enables individuals to better balance work and personal life, the downside of remote work is the lack of social interaction. That being ascertained, leadership teams and HR have recognised the importance of moving their people into the centre of their attention.

Creating social work environment

As ESG (environmental, social, governance) topics are gaining importance throughout organisations, HR must focus on creating socially sustainable work environments. The first step in this process is to create awareness and a common understanding of how the most relevant factors of social sustainability are linked to the corporate vision and mission. In this dynamic framework, organisations must seize the opportunity to rearrange their corporate DNA, create sustainable and secure workplaces and build a work culture that puts people first, focussing on individual needs. More and more candidates are now screening potential employers’ efforts towards climate protection, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as ethical decision-making. Especially the generations X, Y, and Z want to contribute towards making the world a more liveable place again.
 
Sustainable Human Resource Management also considers future generation workforces and seeks to achieve long-term strategic alignment in human resource planning. However, the latter seems to be an increasingly challenging task. The much-cited and increasing shortage of skilled personnel as well as an ever-ageing workforce constitute the main obstacles.

Different generations – different values

The generation mix from baby boomers to generation Z on the labour market and within organisations creates a blend of values and relevant cultural features. The critical assets professional experience and expertise meet young academic knowledge and ambition. Digital natives and digital immigrants team up to achieve corporate goals. Whereas this may seem obstructive at first glance, the dimension “age” as outlined in the Diversity Charta offers numerous chances for individual development, skills transfers, sharing of knowledge and experiences as well as mentoring and sponsoring of talent. Putting the generation issue aside, the focus must be on merging the different values of each generation to create a common work culture.
 
But who are those talents and where can they be found?

Identifying, promoting, and managing talent

According to a Deloitte survey, more and more organisations are beginning to redesign working environments to attract and retain top talents regardless of their age. It is important to acknowledge that what differentiates talents from any other member of the workforce are their relevant performance potential, their competences, and their commitment towards achieving organisational goals. While talent is often associated with external resources, screening the workforce for potentially dormant talent within the organisation should become a permanent feature in the recruiting and people development processes.

Having identified talents, HR must regularly verify whether the skills and competences meet the requirements of the future workforce. Comparing current and possible future roles is part and parcel of a well-structured talent and succession management scheme to facilitate people development within the organisation.

Learning & Development Strategy

In the future, the focus will be on high-value human work, where upskilling and reskilling constitute the main objectives of talent strategies. Rapid change in knowledge and skills lifecycles demand a Learning & Development Strategy that provides learning modules that help identify and develop future skills and, more importantly, enable regular reviews. Learning programmes that foster education and individual development, opportunities that promote transparent and flexible career paths and broaden the range of tasks, rank high among talents. People want to be part of this transformation where businesses evolve into learning organizations. They want to play a role in the development of future skills as this provides them with orientation and the key to unlock innovation and creativity. However, this development needs a framework that allows a balanced error and feedback culture as well as trust in new work approaches.

Creating a sense of belonging

Undoubtably, HR has moved away from the lockdown-induced standstill of the recent past. HR is now trying to best counteract today’s crises of inflation, war, and energy shortages. It needs to move into the new year with a healthy portion of optimism. Whereas little can be done about these crises, HR can be instrumental in building work environments that employees feel connected to. People who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to identify with and stay in the organisation. For HR this means: To move the organisation forward, the first huge step in the right direction is creating a sense of belonging.

Gabriele Andratschke

Head of Group Human Resources

T +43 664 962 39 18

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