People who don’t check the boxes for traditional careers can still bring plenty to the table. This is demonstrated by the experiences of Huset Venture Nordjylland, where flexible recruitments are making a tangible difference.
One hour of work a day can be enough to provide purpose and a fixed everyday point of reference. The people at Huset Venture Nordjylland understand this. They now have 75 employees, 70 of whom are flex jobbers. The many employees perform tasks for other companies in areas such as accounts and administration, graphical solutions, warehouse, janitor and waste management.
“We create job openings for people who don’t gel with a typical 37 hours a week job. We offer community and an everyday with purpose. Even just an hour a day at work can make a massive difference” explains director Dorte Boddum Kronborg.
Huset Venture Nordjylland is a non-profit social enterprise that makes a real difference to people who may not be able to succeed elsewhere. It works on the basis that everybody can make some kind of contribution, even if it is just a few hours. It makes a massive difference and has a self-reinforcing effect all 24 hours of the day.
Everybody can do something – nobody can do everything
The largest group at the company is employed under the ”FleXansat” flexible employee concept, whereby other companies hire workers as flex jobbers via Huset Venture Nordjylland. This is an attractive solution, as the companies are locked in to a supplier contract instead of an employer/employee contract. So if a company only needs a few hours of help a week, for example, some companies can be less likely to recruit flex jobbers themselves.
Some companies are sceptical about recruiting on flex job contracts, perhaps because it is unfamiliar. This concept allows them to find out if it makes good sense to them. Other companies use the concept because it is very flexible and easy to manage. There is a third group that chooses them because it means they don’t have to set up payroll administration etc.
“Although flex jobs can be subject to a certain amount of prejudice, most of that prejudice gets put to shame once the employee gets going. Most companies end up giving the employee a contract themselves. This is a big deal for some FleX workers. Going from a job with us to a flex job at a company is a huge victory for the people it helps. It provides a massive boost to their self-esteem.” says Dorte Boddum Kronborg.
Having something to get up for every morning is very valuable to all people. When in the director’s seat, it is important to clarify whether even just a few hours at work is an option. Having a job helps to define a person, even if they can only cope with an hour a day. And where there is a family involved, it makes you a good role model, which gives you even more self-esteem and confidence. “Being able to say that you work with this or with that is enormously valuable. Even though somebody’s worth is by no means defined by having a job, a job does still change how we are seen by other people” explains Dorte Boddum Kronborg.
Everyone is different
Huset Venture Nordjylland works with many different people. Some can manage by themselves while holding down a job. Others need more support to find where they fit in. But it makes a big impression when you see someone who is 38 years old getting their first ever pay check, or the pride on the face of a colleague who lives with some tough challenges when they can successfully manage working a few hours a week.
The director often finds that companies that do not already engage in social recruitment find it difficult to get started simply because they are unaware of the opportunities available. They may have employed a flex jobber previously where things didn’t go so well, so they make the mistake of thinking that somebody else would be an automatic failure too. ”But everybody is different, so there has to be the right job framework if it is going to be a success” says the director.
The calculator shows our value
DetIt is typically quite easy to decode that recruitments with special conditions are important to the people who get a job. They are happy and have an everyday life that works. That is still the most important thing.
The Social Sustainability Calculator can, however, also serve as evidence to others of how it benefits society when companies do things like recruiting somebody to a flex job position. GROW and the calculator help by providing a means of comparison. “Companies need to get even better at showing what they are doing and bragging about the numbers. When directors and managers talk about their social recruitments and how there are nothing to be afraid of it tends to rub off on others” says Dorte, with a smile.
Huset Venture Nordjylland use their own results from the calculator as part of their marketing. At the same time, it helps to illustrate their work to politicians and to STAR (The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment), who provide the grant that allows the company to take on its responsibilities. The company receives DKK 3.6 million, but according to GROW, the value it generates to society is worth over DKK 14 million. That is what is known as a good investment in North Jutland.