Beiersdorf : A Matter of Attitude

The 'New Generation 50+' employee community found a home in the Diversity & Inclusion department. And it is no coincidence that this community resides there. The approach states that teams are particularly successful when different personalities, cultures and age groups work together. But as it is so often the case, the theory can be challenging in practice. When researching the 50-plus generation on the job market, one quickly ends up with prejudices - inflexible, less motivated, with little affinity for technology. Klaus-Peter Mikulla knows that this is usually not the case: 'We want to work on breaking-up such myths. Someone with experience wants perspectives just as much as younger colleagues. I'm sure there's a lot of potential here that just needs to be uncovered. Of course, there are people who have lost the fun in their work over the years. But this is often due to accompanying circumstances, such as commuting or the desire for flexible working time models. That's something that can be worked on.'

Klaus-Peter Mikulla and his allies have set out to identify opportunities and actively shape the future. For this to succeed, a paradigm shift is needed on all sides. With an intergenerational speed dating event, 'New Generation 50+' helped probably the most crucial prerequisite, being open to others, even before COVID-19. The concept was very well received, reports Klaus-Peter Mikulla: 'We are currently considering a virtual version in breakout rooms via Microsoft Teams. If the pandemic allows it again, face-to-face speed dating will definitely take place again.'