At the end of 2021, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced German mutual insurer DEVK to host its management conference virtually for the first time. The event welcomed more than 100 employees to the livestream of the event which was hosted at Kölner Zoo in Cologne (Germany) where DEVK is headquartered. Four topics relating to the future of work were featured in a session on new ways of working as part of the agenda at the conference: new working environments; mental health; agile approaches; and diversity. Below is a summary of the discussions on each topic and any conclusions that were reached.
Remote working in the new world
"It's a different way of working. And I also believe that it does something to people. For example, it makes a difference when you want to discuss difficult issues remotely" said one of the event’s speakers who shared their experience of working with colleagues in a remote environment.
Beyond the development of technical collaboration possibilities, a rethink is absolutely necessary. "For some people, it is still science fiction to effectively work together between business and IT. We have to change. We have to want this cooperation and actively shape it."
The new world of work is more than working from a remote office or home office. “Dialling in from home does not make modern work” was quoted by an expert on organisational development.
DEVK is well on its way in implementing some of the new possibilities in the new world of work. In today's working world, DEVK believes managers should create a framework in which all team members can contribute. Hybrid working options are now simply part of the profile of an attractive company.
The mutual insurer quickly mastered the journey to introduce mobile working and the home office (MO/HO) during the pandemic: but this did not automatically mean that everything is better when people are working remotely: The circle you have to deal with becomes smaller. For example, some important interactions are lost when people are not in the office together. In addition, some leaders may find interpersonal communication difficult when not in an office environment.
Mental health
The topic of mental health and wellbeing was rated as the most interesting in this session with DEVK employees. Mental health was deemed to be a "state of well-being" in which "one's own abilities are fully utilised”.
“When one's mental health is compromised, one likes to think of oneself as a strong person and ignores an initial malaise. Eventually, however, a lack of mental balance at work hits you all the harder: At some point, the body pulls the emergency brake." said one of the speakers.
The session’s discussions found that a lot can be achieved by rethinking and making simple changes. For example, by being kind to oneself; doing one's work in a linear order (one thing at a time) instead of side by side; becoming aware of one's own strengths; and cultivating relationships that give positivity and strength.
It is important that leaders address and advocate such issues in their team meetings. Especially for people working in a home office environment, there is a danger of mixing work and personal life too much and thereby overextending oneself and, thus over-exerting oneself. The conference session found that this must be prevented in a targeted manner.
Agile working
There are both many opportunities and challenges of agile working to drive business innovation and change. Agile working can change approaches in many companies and make them more efficient in the long term. In the medium term, the focus will be on the customer perspective and cooperation in cross-functional teams.
However, insurance companies often work in an agile way without measuring the success of the way they are working; and it is not a question of how many agile teams there are, but rather what "degree of maturity" they demonstrate.
This transformation is and will remain a constant learning process at DEVK.
© Jürgen Naber
Published June 2022
Diversity
Diversity is an increasingly important topic for DEVK and recognised as a key factor for the future at DEVK. The social framework, demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers are also fuelling efforts in the area of diversity in many companies in Germany. At DEVK, for example, many employees will retire in the next ten years, especially in eastern Germany.
DEVK recently signed a Diversity Charter which seeks to promote the diverse talents and skills of each individual within the organisation more than ever before. The Diversity Charter aims to ensure that all employees are treated with respect. The Diversity Charter sums up the desired goal in a nutshell: creating a working atmosphere that is fair and trusting for everyone – free of prejudice.
On signing the charter in January 2022, CEO Gottfried Rüßmann committed himself to diversity in the workforce. “Diversity is on everyone’s lips these days – and rightly so,” says Rüßmann. “We live in an increasingly heterogeneous society – that should also be reflected in the corporate culture. It is important to me that everyone at DEVK feels comfortable and can contribute their own personality.”
Experienced colleagues will train the new specialists, says Rüßmann, adding “The more diverse we make our workforce, the more flexible we will be in the future.” In addition, DEVK believes that the diversity of employees also increases their understanding of the individual needs of the insured. Rüßmann concludes by saying: “It is important to me that diversity is part of our corporate culture and that it is recognised as something that goes without saying. I am convinced that valuing diversity broadens our horizons and ultimately makes us more successful.”
However, the topic is also afflicted with a number of misconceptions among those who support it. "Diversity is sometimes seen as “the others" said one of the speakers during the event. “They see themselves as the norm, but their colleagues as exceptions due to gender, origin, age, etc., and thus as "diverse". This is wrong: "We are all part of diversity".
Moreover, joint success has to be worked out. "Mixed teams are not more successful per se. The prerequisite for success in mixed teams is that diversity is valued and that different perspectives are brought to bear in the daily work. Leaders have an important role to play here.”
The diversity of viewpoints in a positive light: "We should keep in mind that 'we are different'. We should ask ourselves, 'Why does the other person think differently than I do? In the past, we were considerate of people who were different from our point of view. Today, we want to use their strengths."
About DEVK
For more than 135 years, people in Germany have been confidently placing their everyday risks in the hands of DEVK Versicherungen’s various insurance products. Founded by railwaymen for railwaymen, DEVK today looks after around 4.2 million customers nationwide with more than 15.4 million risks covered in all insurance lines. A total of around 7,500 employees are ready to help customers quickly and actively. In addition, the "Sparda banks” (German cooperative banks) have been reliable partners of DEVK for many years. In terms of the number of policies, DEVK is Germany's fourth-largest household insurance company, fifth-largest car insurer and seventh-largest liability insurer.
