Jacobien is Agile Coach and Accessibility Subject Matter Expert at Atos. She is one of the chairs in the organization for the ERG for inclusion of people with Disabilities. For the last 6 years she has been working in Employee Experience & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She gives training about Cultural Diversity and Stress Management.
For Jacobien, people are like parts of a puzzle, who all have something remarkable to bring and all have something is missing, and together they are more than the parts added up. She wants everyone to be able to be the best version of themselves.
We are delighted to share that Jacobien will be speaking in Amsterdam as part of our European summit. We caught up with her to see how she’s feeling in the runup to the event.
Hi Jacobien, we are thrilled that you will be speaking at the Wellbeing at Work Europe Summit in May. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
Great! Really looking forward to the event and getting inspired by all the other experts on this topic.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing and mental health?
Our organization is going through a huge reorganization. This asks a lot of employees and leaders. So constant focus on wellbeing and mental health is needed.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
Many organizations are stepping away from their DEI commitments. This will have a significant impact on employee wellbeing.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
My dream is to make this world a better place, and my passion is to understand why people do the things they do. I have experienced burnout myself and have seen many others struggle with it. Helping employees feel well and become the best version of themselves gives them the tools to make the world a better place and achieve much more than I can do by myself.
What impact is AI having in your organisation and how are you managing that?
I work for an IT company, so the impact of AI is significant. Everyone in our company needs continuous training in AI. Since security is one of our core business services, we must always stay ahead of the security implications of using AI, especially with new AI tools.
Other than AI, are there any challenges that you are seeing for the first time and how are you addressing them?
In 2024 the global population of over 65s outnumbered the global population of under 15s. Let this sink in and what this means for your company. Focussing on accessibility is getting more and more important. Our focus and team on this topic is increasing.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
In the next 12 months employers should focus on continuing with DEI even though Trump and Musk feel differently. Because it is important for the wellbeing of employees, and companies will only flourish most when employees flourish.
Do you feel that investment in employee wellbeing in the region is increasing or decreasing and is that a direct reflection on HR leaders’ increasing ability to demonstrate effective returns of their strategies to leadership?
In most companies, DEI efforts seem to be decreasing as leaders often follow the hype surrounding Trump and Musk. I don’t think ROI has anything to do with this; rather, it seems to be about white men wanting to maintain their privileges and stay in power.
How has your organisation been leading the way?
Last January, we organized a DEI summit focusing on the changes in the world of DEI and collaboratively developed a plan to address these changes. Additionally, we held a session on the risks of AI for DEI. Please feel free to have a look at the sessions https://www.linkedin.com/company/atos/events/
Jacobien will be speaking in Amsterdam at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Europe which takes place in Zurich on 13th May, virtually on 14th May and in Amsterdam on 15th May. Further details on the Summit and tickets can be found here.
