Volkswagen Financial Services and the Protestant Foundation Neuerkerode are two company groups that have been closely connected for years. Information events, joint activities, and concrete counseling and support services are the characteristic features of this alliance between the region's largest social-sector employer and VWFS. Corporate Communications sat down with Tobias Henkel, the CEO of ESN, to talk about the collaboration.
Mr. Henkel, could you tell us how you personally see the partnership between us and ESN. How do you explain the fact that these two particular organizations have come together?
Henkel: It's exciting to see two companies come together here that have so much in common, even though they are so different. On the one hand, we have a Protestant foundation that has been assuming responsibility in the region for over 150 years in what we today call the social and healthcare sector, stemming from our original work supporting people with disabilities. Over time, this has evolved into a complex group of companies that makes a difference in many areas of society. This ranges from counseling people with addiction experiences to mother-and-child rehabilitation programs and our work at the Krankenhaus Marienstift (KHM) hospital, where we accompany people through the various stages and journeys of life, providing care from obstetrics to palliative care. That's the heart of ESN. And on the other side of the alliance, we have an internationally operating mobility services provider, part of a major corporation that shapes this region and far beyond. So that's the combination we have – a long-established foundation and a globally active financial company.
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"We fit together so well because I genuinely feel that these people are at the center of everything we do."
Tobias Henkel, CEO of the Protestant Foundation Neuerkerode
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What else strikes you as particularly positive?
Henkel: We've already been doing a great deal together in recent years. What's interesting is that the bonds created now extend far beyond the actual project or event. I see VWFS staff members spending time in our village of Neuerkerode completely independently of any joint activities taking place. Over the years, real relationships have developed with our residents. And I think there's nothing more rewarding than seeing proof that you have brought people together – and that these connections endure.
Looking beyond the immediate Braunschweig region, what are your thoughts in general on collaborations between the social and private sectors? The concept itself isn't new, of course, but perhaps it still holds untapped potential?
Henkel: Anyone who has followed the development of our Federal Republic over the past 80 years can indeed tell a wonderful story of prosperity. And along the way, we're still learning how to view this question of economic growth through a fundamentally different lens. As a society, we now face the challenge of defending the social achievements and protections that this country has built. And not just because national defense has suddenly become more important and requires substantial funding, in the same way our infrastructure does. Rather, it is the social achievements in this country that we will have to defend and safeguard, those very gains that have been integral to the progress of our prosperity. We are currently learning that things we took for granted are no longer a given, and we must clearly define where we set new priorities. And we can only accomplish this together as a society, with everyone involved working together and talking to each other. And yes, we'll also have to learn to make sacrifices, to do without. I call this voluntary renunciation or "conscious restraint." Of course, such a message certainly isn't popular, I know..
Is the impression deceptive that social services in Germany are too often viewed merely as a cost factor rather than as a unifying, cohesive element within society?
Henkel: We need to fine-tune our own perspective on the social sphere. Take healthcare reform, for example. Reform invariably implies "cutting costs", which is probably necessary but it must never become an end in itself. The question is how to go about this intelligently, because alongside the need for smart cost management, there are also certain expectations in our society. No one wants to wait 20 hours in a hospital emergency room or months for an appointment with a specialist. There's a legitimate expectation that when help is needed, there are institutions to meet that need. All this has long been seen as self-evident and taken for granted. But we are now learning that this certainty, this sense of entitlement is crumbling and that, as a result, our expectations regarding quality of life are changing. That doesn't necessarily mean we have to be worse off. But it does mean we need to reassess certain things in a way that preserves what is truly important and valuable. Changes are inevitable. Doing without certain things probably is too.
New topic. Change in society also means grappling with a changing labor market. That must also apply to the head of a company like yours with 3,000 employees, right?
Henkel: Right now, the biggest challenge in the social and healthcare sector is staffing. Besides the fact that services must be adequately funded, the question for us is: "How do we continue to inspire people to work in what is a really demanding environment?" Anyone active in nursing and care, looking after the disabled and elderly, or working in hospitals comes up against big challenges. The working world here has also undergone change, and this has led to work intensification and increased workloads, especially in the really unpopular but essential shift duty environment. We want to make it clear that pursuing a future in the social and healthcare sector is definitely worthwhile. These are fulfilling professions because you're there for people and assume great responsibility for them. You are needed! Those who choose this path develop a unique, intrinsically motivated bond with their work. It's no surprise, for example, that sickness rates in nursing professions are substantially lower than average.
What specifically is ESN doing to inspire people to choose a career in the social professions?
Henkel: Please don't get me wrong: I fully understand the argument "I want to see my children grow up, and I don't want my working life to consume me." Working shifts, especially at night, is exhausting and a real challenge for family life. And yet, I see colleagues who are passionate about their work. I also see those who break under the pressure, though. But those who do it with passion, I admire them. As a social-sector and a socially responsible employer, we ultimately have to ensure that the professional fields important to us are made as attractive as possible and, of course, we need to allow a healthy balance between family and career to be possible. We place a great deal of importance on this as a company. And here once again, I believe we are called upon to act together as a society that is based on social values and principles: if we fail to make these professions attractive and build on that appeal, then we face the problem that our expectations of these social systems will be completely undermined. Then there will simply be no one left to care for our parents in their old age, look after the sick, or support people with disabilities. .
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"We need something like conversations around a campfire again."
Tobias Henkel, CEO of the Protestant Foundation Neuerkerode
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Is there anything that still makes you hopeful?
Henkel: Yes, because solutions do exist. Whenever challenges have arisen, this society has always found ways and responses to overcome them. Just think of the great social reforms of the 19th and 20th centuries. Incidentally, we owe these reforms not only to our own efforts, but also to the fact that other countries desired a Germany in their midst that was prosperous and stable. And this perception, this mindset should serve as the guiding principle for our thinking and actions in the future. Responsibility is the key word. For us and our democracy, it's a difficult situation – admittedly. That's why I don't envy anyone in politics who has to take responsibility at this time – a time when there are no longer easy benefits to distribute, but instead fundamental questions to address.
To find good solutions, you need discussion, even a willingness to argue…
Henkel: We need something like conversations around a campfire again. At the dinner table, at the sports club, in the office, among friends, with parents. But who actually does that? Who really sits there talking about Russia's war of aggression, about migration, pensions, and similar issues? I think too few people do. Perhaps because they don't dare, or because they don't feel sufficiently informed. In my view, it is this lack of information that gives rise to the sometimes extreme positions we see today – positions in which consensus and compromise become increasingly irrelevant. Given this context, we should hardly be surprised by the results of recent elections.
So you're advocating for better dialog, more interest in the other side, and greater participation in society and the common good?
Henkel: Exactly. The cooperation between ESN and VWFS is driven and sustained by people and their interest in other people. How else can social reality be experienced?
Henkel: Germany has a great many social safety nets that catch people when they fall. And yet there are still individuals who cannot help themselves and who live in parallel societies. This partnership between ESN and VWFS shows me very clearly that there are indeed people who want these parallel worlds to touch again, to reconnect. Alliances like ours are so incredibly important because they broaden our horizon and allow people to see one another simply as human beings! For that I'm deeply grateful.
Thank you very much for your time and for talking with us!
