Staff management / staff development

Motivated staff are a central resource for the success of an organization. It is the task of staff management to recognize, deploy and promote the working potential of all staff members in such a way that it makes an effective contribution to the objectives of the organization.
What is crucial here is to cover the quantitative and qualitative staffing requirements of the organization, not only currently but also in a permanent and sustained way. Another important factor is the activation of the abilities of staff and the development of a motivating organizational culture. Part of this task falls to staff development, which is involved with the development of potential and the qualification of new and existing staff.

Gender Mainstreaming addresses the various life situations of men and of women and their specific associated abilities. In this way, gender-related disadvantages are stopped and abilities of staff members in all their diversity are utilized in an optimal way for the organization without fixing differences in stone. In practice, this means looking at people in an unprejudiced way. Considered knowledge of gender stereotypes and gender-related distributions of probabilities in behavior is generally needed so that the actual potential of staff members can be recognized and encouraged. This also includes issues such as compatibility of career and family duties.
A staff management that is oriented to gender equality initiates a cultural change in the organization. A homogeneous organization oriented to a mostly male norm turns into a heterogeneous organization that provides appropriate possibilities for participation and development for all staff members with their specific differences and needs. The cultural change should both improve gender equality and increase efficiency. There are points in common here with “Managing Diversity”.

In this sense, quality in staff management means freedom from discrimination and orientation to gender equality

• in staff planning,
• in staff recruitment and selection,
• in the evaluation and payment of work,
• in staffing and evaluation of performance,
• in training and
• in the organization of work.

The staff management policy field can itself be the subject of Gender Mainstreaming when the individual tasks associated with staff management (e.g. staff selection, staff evaluation and training) are dealt with in a way that is oriented to gender equality. Gender equality-oriented staff management is based on the following implementation elements:

• gender equality-oriented analysis
• gender equality-oriented specialist aspects
• sensitization to and building up of gender competence
• gender equality-oriented processual and participatory aspects.

At the same time, staff management, and in particular staff development, is an important means for implementing Gender Mainstreaming. It should promote the gender competence of all staff members and thus give support to dealing with gender relations in staff members’ own work in a way that is considered and oriented to gender equality. This does not just mean dealing with other members of staff in a way taking account of gender equality, but also means that tasks should be performed in a way that is oriented to gender equality.

Her you can find further reading [German].