ProFuture: Shaping demographic change
Longer working lives, a shortage of skilled workers and the increasing importance of knowledge are the challenges presented by demographic change.
That’s why ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe is focusing on maintaining the capabilities of employees, competing for suitable next generation staff, securing knowledge gained through experience as well as lifelong learning.
The company is prepared thanks to ProFuture – here, the Executive Board, plants, works councils and the workforce have worked together on a broad basis to put together a comprehensive package of measures which provides tools and offers for employees and executives.
„Capable and motivated employees are a company's most valuable resource.To succeed in the global marketplace, companies are reliant on dedicated employees and teams who constantly develop innovative ideas and produce top-quality results on a day-to-day basis. With ProFuture, we want to promote these important skills on a systematic basis and sustainably anchor knowledge in the company. ProFuture offers state-of-the-art tools to provide employees with targeted training and maintain their health and ability to perform. At the same time, ProFuture provides our executives with a framework for supporting their employees in these goals.“
“We are prepared for the future because we invest in employees from all generations. With ProFuture we are maintaining the capabilities of our employees young and old e.g. through a company health management scheme. Our recruitment strategy and internal support programs are securing next-generation staff long term, and we are retaining and developing the knowledge of our employees through targeted HR development and systematic knowledge transfer.”
“ProFuture is a real plus for our employees. With many offers, it makes it easier to balance family and work. ProFuture gives equal weight to health protection, HR development and training for all employees. With this and many other offers, we are securing employees’ ability to work and the future of our jobs. Together, with ProFuture, we are implementing the collective agreement for shaping demographic change.”
ProFuture comprises four themed action areas:
- 1. Utilize employees to optimum effect
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ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG derives its HR planning for all areas of the company from an analysis of age structures. This means that HR requirements can be identified at an early stage and appropriate measures derived, e.g. the recruitment of 1,000 qualified apprentices by 2013 or concrete succession planning in a team.
- 2. Retain employees
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ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe takes care of its employees: In addition to an attractive income, the company helps employees e.g. to balance family and work commitments. Options exist both for young families and for employees who need support in caring for family members. Flexible working time organization – whether in administrative areas or shift work – rounds out the spectrum in this action area.
- 3. Improve health, safety and efficiency
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Due to the rising retirement age, health and appropriate workplace organization are becoming particularly important. Preventing illness, taking personal responsibility for health promotion and creating working conditions appropriate to the age of employees thus represent important themes in this action area.
- 4. Develop competencies
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Employee know-how and specific knowledge gained through experience represent a fundamental component for success on the global markets for ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe. The focus is on employee development. Our talent management concept includes support for young talents studying alongside work as well as HR development systems for pay-scale and non-pay-scale staff in key positions. Knowledge transfer between “old and young” is a further module.
ProFuture makes all this and much more possible; numerous offers have already been launched and forward-looking agreements concluded. Many more will follow in the next few years, because ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe is getting its employees “fit for tomorrow”.