Anna Süster Volquardsen is the founder of DEAR WORK and she’s convinced that our working world will change not just in one direction, but in many. After four years in the HR department of a Hamburg-based IT company, she “stepped out” to start her magazine – and thus to show a variety of solutions for what “good work” can actually look like. It’s inspiring but also not trivial to generalize because “good work” can be so many things – and, most importantly, different for everyone.

Anna, if you could change one thing about the job market right away, what would that be?

I would create conditions for more people to express and realize the goals of their working lives, depending on individual needs and lifestyles.

What is your personal contribution to something going on right now?

More and more people and companies want to actively shape their working lives or those within their company. To do this, they are looking for examples, role models and inspiration.

DEAR WORK tells stories about the topic of work. With my magazine, I want to highlight people and companies who are concerned with shaping their own working lives or those within their company, who take their working lives into their own hands, who want work to be a good thing.

I believe that the more we make changes visible and show that something is happening, the sooner others will be inspired and the more norms will shift, driving forward the change in our work culture.

What do you think a company prepared for the “working world of tomorrow” looks like?

A company that puts people first. One that appreciates ​​the diversity of values, status symbols and lifestyles in our society. Such a company will always be willing to learn and will find agile ways to respond to a variety of individual needs.

These companies, in my opinion, are not only prepared for the “working world of tomorrow,” they also help make our world of work a reflection of our society. This positively influences our working environment. We would like to work for exactly these companies in the future.

Where is a “paradigm shift” necessary?

We should reconsider our perception of a “classic career.”

Thank you, Anna, for your time & thoughts!

In our #ChangeAgents section, we introduce people who encourage us to tackle and change things. Strong minds, who work with passion for a more humane working world, thus initiating a change in thinking and actively helping to shape change processes. Our #ChangeAgents are role models, lateral thinkers, multipliers and dissenters.