Guest Lecturer Discusses Importance of HR Management During Crises

20.11.2024

Themis Anthrakidis Emphasises Values Including Trust, Empathy and Transparency

In 2015, Themis Anthrakidis was the General Director and Chairman of the Board at the General Hospital of Kilkis, in Greece, when he faced a challenging situation. The hospital had to respond to the refugee crisis caused by the war in Syria, all while being understaffed and underfunded. During this difficult period, Anthrakidis turned to the power of Human Resource (HR) Management to motivate and support his team.

On 6 November, a group of Wittenborg master’s students had the opportunity to hear about Anthrakidis' experience in an online guest lecture he delivered. He also shared insights from his time later as Secretary General at the Municipality of Paionia during the refugee crisis. Anthrakidis also has an extensive academic background, holding a PhD in Economics from the University of Macedonia, a Master’s in Economics from the University of Amsterdam, a BSc in Economic Science from the University of Macedonia and an LLB from Democritus University.

The guest lecturer emphasised that HR teams can inspire talent and create a high-value system for the people within an organisation. He added that to motivate stakeholders, it is crucial to lead with transparency and ethical values.

“HR plays a crucial role in supporting and motivating production. It keeps everything moving and connects people to organisations. For this reason, it should not be looked at exclusively through an economic lens; particularly in times of crisis, HR can impact the morale of the team by helping it adapt to changes and overcome difficulties,” he said.

According to Anthrakidis, leaders should build a culture of trust and find creative solutions for their teams. “There are several modes of administration; I’ve favoured the democratic and inclusive style, involving the nurses, the paramedical staff and the team in the decision making to foster trust. This collaborative style respects the professionals’ expertise and creates a more engaged and motivated team.”

Anthrakidis also underscored the importance of investing in strong retention policies to prevent workforce burnout and address brain drain. The latter is a challenge faced by many countries, particularly those undergoing economic crises.

“To address the problem of brain drain, the government needs to implement incentives to retain professionals, such as tax advantages and good salaries. But, on a micro level, you can deal with retention by making a better environment and empowering the professionals in your team. You can try to be collaborative and empathic, adopt more flexible schedules and more transparent decision-making processes. It is also important to invest in mental health support,” Anthrakidis pointed out.

For him, good leadership is, above all, a matter of ethics. “Ethical leadership is about leading with integrity to ensure that the staff is respected. When collaborators feel valued, they’re more likely to stay engaged with the company. This is crucial for resilience and retention during tough times.”

Anthrakidis thanked Wittenborg for the opportunity to share his insights with students. “Delivering this guest lecture was truly rewarding for me. It was an honour to connect with engaged students and share real-world experiences that, I hope, provide valuable lessons for their future careers.”

Bea Dietrich, a Master of Business Management (MBM) student from Germany who is doing her semester abroad at Wittenborg, commented that she really enjoyed attending the online lecture. “The content was a perfect fit with the topics we discussed previously. We could see practical examples of how efficient HR management is essential for organisations to continue functioning even in times of crisis. Furthermore, we learned how strong partnerships and collaborations between organisations and external parties are beneficial during crises,” she remarked.