Ms. Theel, what personally motivated you to take over the project "Family as a Success Factor"?

I worked for many years at the Cottbus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) in the field of securing skilled workers, advising companies on employer attractiveness, recruitment, and employee retention. Family-friendliness already played a significant role back then. This is why I am delighted to push this topic forward nationwide.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the project. Why is it still relevant today?

With demographics and skilled worker shortages, it’s especially vital for companies today to bolster work-family balance and position themselves as attractive employers. Establishing a family-friendly HR policy is crucial to retaining employees. Our project and the business network "Family as a Success Factor" aim to support companies in meeting this challenge. Additionally, it's important for us to showcase the many excellent solutions that companies already have through our network. Many are unaware of the potential they could better utilise.

What role does the ability to balance family and work life play in a company’s profitability?

Family-friendly measures and offerings can help attract employees—be it trainees, workers, or skilled professionals. This can be especially decisive for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in more remote regions. Ultimately, family-friendly business practices are crucial for any company wanting to retain employees and reduce high turnover. When life circumstances change and skilled workers leave because they can’t balance work with personal life, it can harm a company’s profitability. For instance, missing hands in production or sales can quickly have significant consequences for revenue.

What initial steps would you recommend businesses take to enhance their family-friendliness?

First, adopt an open stance. Employers should acknowledge that family-work balance matters: "It concerns me." Everyone has personal lives that influence their professional lives. Employers gain significantly by recognising this. Important first steps include demand-oriented evaluation within one’s own company: What does my workforce need? What issues arise? Topics such as childcare, caregiving for loved ones, or the varying availability of single parents could play a role. Employers should carefully observe employee needs or, ideally, ask directly. With their findings and queries, they can then reach out to us, gather further information, or find inspiration from other companies in our network.

What offerings do you concretely provide for your member companies?

We raise awareness on all topics around work-family balance and provide informational materials, including checklists, guides, and tools. Additionally, we publish examples of best practices from companies on our website and social media to inspire members and offer fresh ideas for their own practices. Above all, we provide a robust network: Regularly held regional workshops, on-site events, or online meetings allow members to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and gain new ideas. It’s amazing to witness how openly and transparently businesses share in these contexts. Online, we also provide multimedia content, such as recordings of webinars or our podcast – the "Compatibility Espresso".

Which examples from the network show how companies can benefit from family-friendly measures?

Many of our examples demonstrate that solutions can surprisingly be simple. For instance, a medium-size business closed its in-house cafeteria but now brings in a local bakery truck instead. Other approaches promote time flexibility—for example, by granting new parents additional "baby days," allowing families more shared time. It's crucial that businesses don’t adopt standard solutions but instead develop measures that fit their unique workforce.