…Changing climate…!
In our present newsletter issue, now that all the attention is focused on the United Nations Conference on #ClimateChange (#COP27 ) at Sharm El-Sheikh, we thought to give a little more emphasis in an environmental topic ('changing climate') that seems not to be of the direct interest of the #HR function.
But we wanted grasp the occasion to 'change climate' as well and contribute as company against #Climate Change supporting the change of attitude needed at this point of time. We believe that anything that matters must attract our attention and interest and - ever more - everything that matters to all people on earth must be a matter for #HumanResources to consider.
While talking to candidates during recruiting interviews, many of us had the chance, as recruiters, to find out how high young candidates raise their expectations from their future employers... Much more than a fair salary, they seek companies that have a social and humanitarian vision as they want to feel that their future job has a higher end and purpose. Statistics show that a company that shows respect to the #Nature , Humanity and #Environment has more chances to attract a candidate than another that just pays well and offers a good work environment.
But also banks and business valuators are giving high attention to the '#SocialResponsibility ' and focus on the #SustainableDevelopment Reports presented each year by companies together with the yearly results to shareholders and the public, while people are more and more investing based on #ESG criteria?
[ Environmental (waste & pollution, resource depletion, greenhouse gas emission, deforestation, climate change etc.) Social (employee relations & diversity, working conditions, local communities, health & safety, conflict, child labor etc.) Governance (tax strategy, executive remuneration, donations & lobbying, corruption & bribery, board diversity & structure etc.)
From a different angle, we must not forget the risk -?always there – of some corporate incident relating to health or the environment and how easily a company’s' image can be impacted. HR teams that had a similar experience know this very well, stay alert and always give special attention to preventive action, processes, training, controls, intervention, documentation, assessment.
Also, in this issue, we have asked IT scientist and Board Member of a Software development Company Mr. Vassilis Tsetsos to be our guest and share with us his views about how he sees work evolving in the era of digitalization.
The ‘Work Digital Card’ was another topic keeping HR teams busy this month. We have had the chance to talk with the company involved in the ‘set up’ of this card, EpsilonHR, a member of the EpsilonNet group of companies (see HR excellence).
In ‘Live Up’, John Ioannou introduces in his article the concept of authenticity at work ‘Το be or not to be’ authentic is the question, while Pavlos Avramopoulos – in ‘News from Brussels’ is giving us a topic of special focus. It is about the new EU directive on the 60-40 gender mix for the Boards or the Management population (66-33) alternatively.?
Finally, we did another change, inaugurating a column called ‘Pop Up’ hosting topics that can really pop up in the office put us out of our zone of comfort as they would need special handling and tact. At the end we will collect your opinion about the way you would have handled the specific situation and publish the generic feedback when the next issue pops up again…
Good < Great << GREEN
Who would imagine 70 years ago that 'Environment' would be such an important matter for the human being. The term environment was even not mentioned at the time in the founding text of the UN organization that organized for the last 40 years the environmental conventions and summits nor in the EEC foundation texts.?
50 years ago, things started to change. When the Club of Rome published its report ‘the limits to Growth’ giving the message that we should see the development with another eye, one would need a lof of imagination to become able to see how fast the limits have been trespassed at the expense of the Environment and Nature.
One would need even bigger imagination to convince somebody about the fact that all the technology shown at the science fiction films shown on the b&w TV screens would have been out of date today.
The third industrial revolution, made by microchips, IT and digital technology followed by the fourth revolution managed to delight the human beings and - like fire with Prometheus – gave them access to new experiences (…democratized them at a certain degree) – giving them also the means that could skyrocket their capabilities making them feel as the masters of this World… Homo Superior…
During this wild-enthusiastic ascending path of creation, humans flew that high, bringing the distant Universe much closer but having also lost contact with the Earth omitting to give her the proper attention or – more rightly – the proper respect, to the nature, the environment and to all creatures that coexist with them (animals, plants, natural resources).
It was not by pure luck that humans took the name ‘anthropoi’ - 'The one who looks high'.
How about another attribute describing the same creature? ‘Those who always create, always destroy and fix again’
And thus - ‘imperceptibly’- we did arrive in the era of 'Climate Change', creating things, destroying plenty of others and trying to fix them now.
The truth is that many of those things would not be able to get fixed while others would take a lot of time and effort until they will get fixed, demanding sacrifices from all, not only financial but also psychological like a change of attitude…
Today, as we talk, what matters most is to realize that Environment and Nature need us - more than we think we need them...?
This will be the first great step – this change of attitude - that will enable us to see things clearer about what we need to do at a personal and group level so that we can pass the Earth on to the next generations in the same condition that we would like to have found ourselves.
For those who lack imagination about what they can do personally, with the family or in a group to help the Environment and Nature, they must certainly have to talk with their Human Resources Department… Don’t worry... They might have prepared something good to be on the safe side... as they use to do with other things too…
Working in a digital world: New challenges?& new opportunities
Vassilis Tsetsos, Managing Director of Mobics S.A.
#COVID19 pandemic resulted, among other things, to a high increase in remote work and faster digital transformation at governmental and enterprise level. There seems to exist a strong dependency and potentially correlation between these two trends that is already affecting (and will surely continue to do so) the working environment and work habits. In this short article we will try to identify various “symptoms” of this evolution in work as well as some topics that will need the attention of both employers and employees/workers. [My experience is from the ICT domain and more specifically from small software houses (20-50 staff), but I guess that my perceptions touch other domains, too.]
First of all, #DigitalTransformation and #digital work tools enable #RemoteWork for more and more professions. The industry is now in the phase of exploring and improving tools that help remote workers be as productive as on-site ones. However, in the next years we expect advances in tools that will try to monitor and assess the actual productivity, degree of collaboration, degree of focus etc. even though, such tools are useful for companies, special attention should be paid so that such tools do not “penetrate” the personal spaces of users.
The stereotype of a “digital #nomad” is already well-established and possibly an ideal career life-style for many. However, such approaches will eventually lead to a shift from employees to freelancers. Even though this may be well accepted and beneficial for some professions (e.g. software developers), it might also lead the companies to imbalances. Loyalty to the firm and adoption of its principles is challenged, which is surely a concern for smaller companies. The fact that workers working from their place do or can share their time to 2 or more employers is also a case that needs special experience to handle so that productivity and ethical work principles are assured (for both employers and workers).
Another important topic is the new digital skills and competencies required by new workers, especially when occupied in a remote or hybrid position. Such skills go far beyond the core skills for their job, extending to collaboration, security, productivity, networking applications and techniques, to name a few. The cultivation of such skills until now is mostly left to personal initiative, however both governments and companies understand that they also have a role to play there. Such skills, together with the new trend of micro-credentials will play a key role in the working environment and also to vocational training in the next few years.
Vassilis Tsetsos (PhD), is a researcher and ITconsultant, Managing Director of MOBICS S.A. and Museotek S.A. and co-founder of Codefactory.
Employees' ‘Work Digital Card’?
10 questions and answers about the employee ′Work Digital Card′ (WDC)?
1.What changes in relation to the Digital Work Schedule?
From November 1st until November 30th all employees from every business have to be registered digitally excluding the possibility to attach any form of additional files (excel, word etc)?
2.How will occur the work schedule notification to the ERGANI system??
The notification will be in a 100% digital form by the payroll administrator who has to create from scratch a digital work schedule and submit it to ERGANI excluding the possibility to attach any form of additional files (excel, word etc)?
3.How and when will Annual Leave and Absences have to be submitted to ERGANI central IT system?
The employer has the obligation to submit the records of employee leave – absence – sickness absences to ERGANI system within the first 10 days of the following month
4.How will Digital Work Schedule impact the employees’ pay??
The connection between Work Schedule and Actual Work will be ‘real time’.?
This will facilitate the control based on a list of predefined checks?
5.What is the Work Digital Cart (WDC)?
The WDC provides information in relation to the work schedule, overtime, over-hours, shifts, pauses, days off and employee leave. The above will get submitted digitally and all time accessible to employees, employers and authorities
6.How does the card punch work and how ERGANI will register this information?
ΗThe card punch will be done by the employee himself and will registered by ERGANI system ‘real time’ giving feedback to both employee and employer
7.What are the different options for the employee to punch the WDC?
Throughout any electronic presence recording system.
Π.χ. Attendance Clock, Employee Self Service, Epsilon HR Card Scanner
8.What changes in relation to process of attendance card punching in the past?
The WDC user must ensure that he/she possesses appropriate documentation and prove in case of non existing punches (during the entrance or exit) .?
Any type of deviation (small or big) from the submitted time schedule must be checked and documented
9.What happens with the overhours – overtime?
?They must be registered through the card. Sanctions will be applied in case of omission during controls
10.How does the card punch reconciles with the payroll at the end of each month?
The payroll calculation must be aligned with the hits. Any type of diversion (small or big) from the submitted work schedule must be checked and documented
You can find more about the work digital card in
The balancing act of being authentic
Being authentic is considered an important and valuable leadership attribute. Typically, we think of being authentic as being genuine, sincere, and true to ourselves – as simple as that! In reality, however, being authentic is not that simple.
Is it good to always be authentic? The simple answer is Yes! From my experience though in business as well as in my recent capacity as an executive coach, I struggled to convince myself that it is effective to always be authentic. This struggle has raised several questions for me:
I would presume that many of us are faced with this authenticity dilemma. In the very early stages of our lives, parents, educators, and mentors advise us to be honest, be who we are, be true to ourselves... be authentic. Many times however we find ourselves having to adapt and flex our style to be effective and successful. This to me implies that we need to adjust / modify our actions and in many cases our mindset to fit into the ‘system’.
Authenticity is very relevant to how we manage our careers, especially as we move up the career ladder. As different roles have different demands, challenges, expectations, and pressures, we usually feel that our authenticity is tested. Saying too much or too little about what we think early on, could have negative consequences.
First impressions form quickly and we may lose our effectiveness and authority as leaders if we disclose everything we believe/feel when we are new to a role and our credibility is unproven.
Thus, we tend to hold back, which may result in feeling inconsistent, perhaps even insincere, and that our true self is compromised.
However, I would argue that this unpleasant feeling is temporary and is created every time we get out of our comfort zone and we’re on our way into the growth/development zones. We need to strike a balance!
So how do we manage this delicate balance? How do we change our leadership identity every time we move on to bigger and better things while preserving our authenticity? Drawing from my experiences and my recent career change, here are four general principles/habits I recommend following:
Increase your self-awareness and admit your ignorance
Challenge yourself by taking on new projects. At the same time, be open minded and culturally sensitive. Be aware of your strengths, your emotions, and your limitations. This self-awareness will regulate your responses/behavior. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake”. Authenticity is about acknowledging and accepting your weaknesses and shortcomings with courage and continuing to learn and improve.
Surround yourself with a diverse group of people
Be unbiased, respect and accept diversity and opposing views. Build a diverse team, develop honest relationships, and promote openness. Authenticity is about accepting different viewpoints, welcoming disagreements, and facilitating genuine and constructive debate.
Do not compromise your value system and beliefs
Ground those principles in your daily life and make sure your reactions/practices reflect them. Authenticity is about finding ways to demonstrate your personal traits and values consistently through your words and actions. The stronger your values are, the easier it will be to express them.
And always stay faithful to your true North, your purpose in life
People who have clarity about their life/leadership purpose bring their whole selves to their jobs and participate fully and honestly in the workplace. There is nothing more real and authentic than knowing, living, and serving your unique purpose in life.
While applying these four principles in this ever changing and tumultuous world, take time-outs and reflect on your journey and consider your relationships/friendships. It is worth noting that the relationships you formed early in your life are usually based on innocence, unconditional care and honesty and will provide you with strong guardrails to preserve your authenticity and help you to never forget your roots. So, safeguard and protect them.
Being authentic and showing our true selves usually means making ourselves vulnerable. And vulnerability takes courage, it is risky, and may have negative consequences. The reward is that you lead an honest life and an honorable career, and you are accepted for who you are.
I have come to recognize and accept that there is a constant balancing act between remaining genuine, sincere and true to ourselves, and the need to adjust to different situations to be effective, as well as, to evolve as leaders/ coaches in order to become the best possible versions of ourselves. As we consciously navigate this ongoing dilemma to strike the right balance, we continue to grow, develop, and refine our leadership and coaching skills and increase our confidence and success in helping others without losing our authenticity.
News from #Europe
Council approves #EU law to improve gender balance on company boards
The directive, which will have to be transposed into national law by the states members, lays down that at least 40% of non-executive director positions in listed companies should be held by members of the underrepresented sex by 2026. If member states choose to apply the new rules to both executive and non-executive directors, then the target would be 33% of all director positions by 2026.
The core of the directive stipulates that listed companies that would not achieve the objectives wouldl need to adjust their selection process. They have to put in place fair and transparent selection and appointment procedures, based on a comparative assessment of the different candidates on the basis of clear and neutrally formulated criteria. When companies have to choose between equally qualified candidates, they should give priority to the candidate of the underrepresented sex.
Once a year, companies must provide information about the gender representation on their boards and the planned measures as to achieve the 33% or 40% objective. Member states will publish a list of the companies that have achieved the directive’s objectives on an annual basis.
Embarrassing situation in the printing room…
(… it is not what you think…)
'Confidential / For internal use only …' have been the words marked in bold red ink that attracted me most when I opened the door of the printing room... To whom could they belong…?
Sales or marketing – I thought first – had their own printing room in their own floor... they didn’t have?any electricity shut down today so that they would come here … therefore it must be either a document from Purchasing, Internal Audit, Legal Department or HR…?
I get a look at my watch – 6.30 in the afternoon, the derby is at 21.00 – and it will not be broadcasted... therefore Purchasing and Internal Audit are excluded since they all have got tickets for the entire season for their beloved teams… Tomorrow we will see who the winner is from the way those colleagues will behave ordering their coffee… Usually, the heads of the department order for their people when their own team wins… When not, they ‘disappear’ behind their screens and spreadsheets and give a sign that they are alive only when the aroma of the ‘black without’ ordered by the Manager of the opposite team from the nearest coffee shop intrudes the heavy atmosphere…
Legal department wouldn’t?definitely be in that list of suspects - they have been on a business trip to Thessalonica for a legal issue with a dealer…
So it must be HR… aha … and it is the period where they play with scenarios on salary increases…!?
You would agree with me that it is quite legitimate to succumb to the temptation to let my curiosity discover in which percentile I stand in relation to others … I don’t blame myself, I am pleased with the company, my earnings and the way they treat me, … but... but... there is this but... especially when I do my very best... . I couldn’t say the same about the others or at least about some of them... and yes, it would make me feel angry if I would realize that they earn better money than me?being much better … as everybody says.
But, one minute... Wouldn’t it be unfair to do so, right now, to give myself a challenge after 30 years of blind respect to the ‘looking at my own job’ principle?
On the other hand, isn’t it time to see in praxis whether this 'divine' sense of Justice lives in our company and whether all those values communicated by HR every since and then?through savvy worlds - like 'contribution-retribution', 'fairness', 'equity', 'pay for performance' - are truly written on the stone and not in the sand?
After all, at the end of the day …it is not my fault that they left their document unattended … (Even if they catch me on the act I could always say that I wanted to see who the negligent recipients are as to bring the paper to them… or not?)
One of my hands has been tasked to ‘uncover’ the truth when suddenly a voice broke the silence...
-???Oh Apologies… this is the paper I was looking for... said a relaxed young man joining me in the printing room...
-???Are you a new colleague?... I asked...
-???Yes.. No... Not exactly... I am the new intern... It’s my first day here and I am printing the list of the company cars...
-???Aha... Company Cars eih..., I replied…?Are they going to switch into e-mobility… ?
-???I don’t know… I guess you would find out... the one or the other way, wouldn’t you ?
-???Ehhh … (What is this boy telling me now - I thought...)
-???Delighted, I am Peter…
-???Delighted Peter, George…
-???Nice to meet you…
(My Goodness - I thought… It’s so easy to get things wrong… could have been a Director catching me in the act… )
-???Hi George… (a familiar voice came to my ears)
-???Ohh Hi Mr. General Manager…
-???May I introduce you to Peter, my son, he is doing his internship with us…
-???Yes… We just met …
-???Could you do me a favor? I need a trusted colleague, like you... to teach this young man the Code of Ethics of the Company … and how not to leave confidential documents exposed to the common view… Would you be ok with that…?
-???No problem… at all… I replied... It’s my strong point... I mean... ethics
-???Peter was winking at me…?