Α new member in our Worldplaces Network, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center!

We welcome Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center to our Network “Worldplaces-Workplaces Working with Migrant Women“.

Dr. Panagiotis Minogiannis, (PhD/, MPH), General Director at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, has provided answers to our questions on the topics of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace:

• Why is the promotion of inclusion in the workplace important for you and your organisation? 

Promoting inclusion in the work environment for the Onasseio Cardiac Surgery Centre is a key parameter of our value system and ensures:

1. Enhancing collaboration and bringing out innovative ideas: When all employees feel that they are an equal part of an organisation and that their views are valued, they are more likely to share ideas, collaborate effectively and contribute to innovation.

1. Increased performance: An inclusive work environment creates conditions in which employees feel safe and therefore engaged and productive, leading to holistically improved performance.

1. Diversity of ideas and perspectives: When employees come from different backgrounds bringing different experiences, the organisation can access a wider range of ideas and solutions that might not have emerged through the usual process.

1. A unified corporate culture: Inclusion leads to a work environment that promotes respect, equity, and not just equality and mutual support, improving the psychological wellbeing of employees.

1. Attractiveness to talent: The new generation of employees, based on statistics, consciously chooses organisations that do good and not organisations that do less harm in all sectors. With this in mind, organisations that promote inclusion become more attractive to talent seeking work environments where they feel valued and can develop further their skills.

• Does your organisation follow inclusion practices?

At Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center there are in place a number of practices that promote inclusion, as we aim at creating a fair and open work environment. Some of these practices include:

• Diversity and inclusion training programmes in employee induction training: We train employees on topics such as anti-discrimination, unconscious bias and the importance of inclusion to foster sensitivity and respect.

• Strengthening diverse voices: We promote equal opportunities to participate in decision-making and encourage the expression of different views and experiences in meetings and work processes.

• Flexible working conditions: We offer flexible working hours, recognising that employees’ personal and family needs may differ.

• Transparent recruitment and promotion procedures: We implement procedures that ensure all candidates and employees are treated equally, ensuring that decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and performance, without bias.

• What motivated you to join Worldplaces?

The goal of Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center is to gain access to further information in order to provide better trainings to our employees, through this initiative and the broader Worldplaces Network of organisations. At the same time, the exchange of international good practices will breed the ground for the exchange of ideas and the strengthening of existing ideas, and the adoption of new practices in order to strengthen our Social Footprint by including new areas.

Until the end of 2024, all Network member-companies have exclusive access to tools based on the findings and best practices of the “Worldplaces – Workplaces Working with Migrant Women” pilot phase, combined with good practices and literature on the topic of inclusion.  This project is implemented by the Employability Service of Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality & Diversity and aims to support companies and organisations in the process of inclusion of women of migrant background in the workplace. For further information, please email [email protected] or call the Diversity Network Officer at 213 088 4499.

*The project “Worldplaces-Workplaces Working with Migrant Women” is co-funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.