Healthy Organisation: What makes employees healthy?
With this note we expand our small series on the Healthy Organisation (HO): The healthy employee. He or she resembles the “fuel“ of a company. If the personnel is impaired in their efficiency due to physical or mental stress, this is not only borne by the individual (Who wants to suffer from burn-out or chronic back pain?), but it costs the German economy annually up to 75 billion €. Which conditions must be fulfilled in order that employees are able to work “healthy“ in the long run? Two central aspects need to be mentioned here:
“Person-Job-Fit“: Do the skills of the employee fit with the position or the company?“Job-Person-Fit“: Is the work surrounding employee-friendly?
The first aspect can be guaranteed by means of efficient personnel development systems. This includes besides a professional method of selection as well suitable learning and development systems.
For an optimal “Job-Person-Fit“ the following factors are advantageous (compare e.g. DIN EN ISO 9241):
- Meaning: Am I as an employee able to unfold or further develop my potentials in diverse tasks? Do I have the possibility of taking on holistic functions (from planning to controlling)? Do I see the bigger picture of my contribution (do I simply assemble car components or do I build the best cars in the world)?
- Autonomy: Do I have sufficient room for input (less surveillance, more self-organisation)?- Recognition and feedback: Do I receive feedback regarding my work? Are my ideas and suggestions heard?
Further factors such as processes, structures, working climate, compensation, leadership etc. play an important role and are interrelated. With our concept of the Healthy Organisation we would like to make it clear that it is always the holistic approach that takes into account all interconnections and interactions which serves as a sensible perspective. That is why individual measures (key word “back training“) are practical only in an overall context. When taking a look at company reality one could almost get the impression that such measures merely serve to salve the consciences of the Management or HR without achieving sustainable effects. If employees are healthy and are able to engage themselves, the energy level of the whole organisation will grow: Productivity rises, fluctuation sinks and customer orientation is improved!