NEOLAiA Peer Network

HR Experts: (Mental) health in organisational and personnel development in the University environment

The NEOLAiA Peer Network "HR Experts" facilitates discussion and exchange among NEOLAiA universities and beyond on (Mental) health in the context of ...

• personnel development / early career development (or personnel promotion / promotion of early career researchers)
• organizational culture
• organizational development / university development
• working and study conditions

Employees from the administrations of NEOLAiA universities from HR development, health management and psychosocial counselling centres will come together for this purpose.

The NEOLAiA Staff Networks aim to establish international peer group teams among the alliance's universities to enhance expertise through digital and physical exchanges. They focus on the content networking of staff from specific areas, independent of existing work packages.

Focus of the network

Health Management and the Culture of Leadership and Collaboration in Academia in the newly founded Graduate and Academic Career Development Centre contribute special expertise and coordinate the following focal points in an international exchange:

Development of work and study culture:

• Organizational culture, leadership & health
• Role model, lateral leadership
• Clarity, orientation, transparency
• Constructive feedback, good support

Staff and student survey:

• Design and practical application
• Derivation of improvement measures
• Data-supported organizational development
• Topics: Collaboration, communication culture, leadership, satisfaction, mental health

Promotion of health:

• Focus on mental health among employees, doctoral candidates, students
• Topics: Dual dependency, abuse of power, time and performance pressure, worklife balance, stress caused by fixed-term contracts and worries about the futur

Concept and background

Bielefeld University is a special role model in the area of health: Over 30 years ago, it was the first university in Germany to declare it a central objective to organize its working and study conditions in a way that promotes physical, mental and social health. This is implemented in the sense of a holistic organizational development process, i.e. work is being done on a continuous cultural change towards conditions that are as conducive to health as possible. This includes both the reduction of stress as well as the strengthening of resources and the recording of needs, for example in the form of surveys on working and study conditions.

Data-supported organizational development: A university-specific questionnaire was developed in research projects and used at universities nationwide to derive suggestions for improving working and study conditions. The insights gained are shared in a university network and Bielefeld Health Management provides nationwide advice on data-supported organizational development.

Health as a Cross-Cutting Theme: At Bielefeld University, health is seen as a crosscutting issue that should be integrated into all relevant processes such as management, staff development and teaching, in close cooperation with topics such as family friendliness, diversity and sustainability. This promotes a holistic cultural development that creates an attractive place to work and study and ensures the long-term satisfaction and commitment of employees and students.