How Dutch employers are stimulating a Sustainable Workforce

Company sporting facilities, an office chair to work comfortably at home, networking for young people or encouraging good mutual relationships between colleagues: many companies do everything to ensure that their employees are happy and employable in the long term. Especially in times of major staff shortages. When do people use those facilities? And if they do, or don't, what are the consequences for absenteeism, well-being and performance? Sociologist Anne van der Put is leading a study in which people in Dutch companies can share experiences with sustainable employability.

We also conducted this survey in 2016 and 2018, among more than 250 organizations in nine European countries, says Anne van der Put. The way we work has now changed quite a bit: since the Covid-19 pandemic, hybrid working has taken off. There is also increasing attention for diversity and climate-friendly choices. In this round, we specifically investigate how investments in this area affect organizations. And under what circumstances employees use it. For example, colleagues have a major influence on healthy behaviour, concluded Anne van der Put in her recently published dissertation. Employees who use workplace health promotion also perform better, my research showed. This may also apply to other investments that organizations make. We now want to learn more about other areas, next to health.

All kinds of solutions are being sought for the current staff shortages. We want to find out what companies are doing and what the consequences are.

We also pay specific attention to staff shortages, which are now prevalent everywhere. All kinds of solutions are put forward: attracting talent from abroad, asking older people to continue working longer after retirement, offering part-timers larger contracts. In order to respond to this social development, we now also want to find out what companies are doing and what the consequences are.

Privacy of participants 

The research has the same structure as the previous rounds. HRM managers are asked to complete a questionnaire about their organisation's HR policy. This takes a maximum of 15 minutes. In addition, employees and managers in at least three teams are also asked to answer questions online. To give everyone the chance to answer freely, they can participate anonymously and results are not shared with employers. As a thank you for their participation, participants have a chance to win a gift card worth €25. Organizations with enough participating organizations also receive a benchmark report in which they can test their HR strategy against that of other organizations. This way they can evaluate their own strategy.

The study is called "Duurzaam Arbeidspontentieel and is part of the Sustainable Workforce research that has been running for some time and invests research into a sustainable workforce in nine EU countries.

Join the study? More information? 

If you have any questions, would like to participate, or would like to obtain more information, please contact Anne van der Put and her colleagues via duurzaaminzetbaar@uu.nl . An information letter is also available for participants in this study.