Dagmar Möbius

As young people leave the region and the remaining workforce ages, companies need to find ways to attract and retain staff. However, most companies do not have the time or resources to undertake this task. This is where “Cultural fit,” a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, comes in.

“The shortage of skilled workers in Upper Lusatia is something else entirely,” said Stefanie Hanke. Hanke, who has a doctorate in business economy with a focus on marketing and business communication, lives in the border triangle area where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet. This is where she studied, and where she continues to live. She has been working at the International Institute (IHI) Zittau since 2007, now as an Advisor to the Dean of Studies, but before that she worked for a long time as a Research Associate at the Chair for Production Economy and Information Technology. Moreover, as an Alumni Representative, she also has “just a few other tasks at the Institute,” she says with a laugh.

“Both sides need to complement each other”

For many companies in Upper Lusatia, the shortage of skilled workers is a threat to their very existence. But how can companies create a unique proposition that can’t be copied, enabling them to find, retain or win back employees? “Making staff resistant to the attempts of headhunters only succeeds when workers are committed to a long-term relationship with the employer. For this, their values need to align,” explains Dr. Stefanie Hanke. What role do hierarchies play? Do you need to work overtime? How are conflicts dealt with? “Both sides need to complement each other.” If the employee and employer have good chemistry, the employee will stay loyal to the company, be more satisfied with their work, more productive, and ill less often. The staff turnover is lower and the enthusiasm for innovation is more pronounced.

Measures need to fit to the company

Cultural fit is a term from business recruiting, referring to the hiring of individuals believed to a good fit with the company culture. “We know the region and convey the concept in training courses and practical phases to companies in the Görlitz area,” said Stefanie Hanke. The project, which began in March 2023 as part of the STARK funding program after a two-year application phase, is led by Prof. Thorsten Claus and Prof. Dr. Remmer Sassen and will run until August 2026. Ten percent of the total funding of EUR 530,000 has to be covered by the International Institute (IHI) Zittau. Partner companies learn how to build long-term, mutually satisfying relationships with their employees. The teaching sessions of two to three hours take the limited time of supervisors and HR managers into account. The methods and theories learned must be viable for the businesses. The aspiration is: “We are not going to develop things that are not the right fit.”

A solid foundation for staff retainment

The companies undergo training to become “Change Agents” in “Cultural fit.” This includes a willingness to review the company’s own processes. Many companies and authorities in Upper Lusatia support the project, such as QESTIT AG, ATN Hölzel GmbH; OKA Büromöbel GmbH & Co. KG, Trixi Park GmbH, the Federal Employment Agency, and politicians.

“Staff retention is a matter of personal concern for me,” said Dr. Stefanie Hanke. “People are not machines that blindly follow orders. We need to ask ourselves, is everyone in our organization still doing well?” She does not want “cultural fit” to be understood as a cure-all or ad hoc solution. Rather, it is a solid foundation that can worked on and does pay off.

Contact:
Cultural Fit for Successful Employee Relationship Management
Dr. Stefanie Hanke
Tel.: +49 3583-6124199

(*) The images included in this created instagram post have the following sources: Hagenwerder (Görlitz): bucket wheel excavator 1452 from the closed opencast lignite mine: https://bit.ly/3GWlUjw, Originator: Jörg Bobelt; Turów open pit mine from the south (Sept. 2021): https://bit.ly/3CH67Cm; Mount Oybin in the Zittau Mountains: https://bit.ly/3CFkqaA, Originator Kora27; Post Office Square in Görlitz: https://bit.ly/3IHQ9ff, Originator Südstädter