Stronger together: cross-location collaboration among HR departments is more important than ever
As companies grow and become increasingly interconnected within a corporate group, collaboration between human resources departments also becomes increasingly important. This is because many of the challenges HR teams face today are no longer limited to individual locations or companies. This makes it all the more valuable to share experiences, learn from one another, and work together to find solutions. Continue reading
This was precisely the focus of a recent discussion within our corporate group. HR staff from Radevormwald and Sörup came together to discuss current developments, share best practices, and gain new perspectives on common challenges.
A key topic was the recruitment of skilled workers. Many industrial professions have been suffering from declining apprenticeship enrollment for years. At the same time, the demand for qualified employees remains high – and is expected to continue rising in the coming years. The discussion made it clear that individual companies can only influence this trend to a limited extent. Together, however, we can identify successful approaches: from a stronger presence in schools to modern apprenticeship marketing campaigns to closer collaboration with educational institutions and regional networks.
It also became clear that, while the starting points at both locations share many similarities, they differ significantly in their specific characteristics – a fact attributable not least to their respective geographic locations. In Radevormwald, for example, the focus is more on the targeted recruitment of skilled workers from the external labor market, while Sörup relies more heavily on internal training and the recruitment of career changers with potential and motivation. Both approaches reflect not so much a fundamentally different philosophy as a pragmatic response to the respective regional circumstances – and demonstrate how different paths can lead to the same goal.
The open dialogue created space for new ideas, critical discussions, and a shared commitment to actively shaping the future. The discussion demonstrated once again how important it is to collaborate across company boundaries – especially within a group that, despite having different locations, deals with very similar issues. Shared challenges are easier to overcome when knowledge is shared, experiences are exchanged, and different perspectives are taken into account.
In the end, however, the question of all questions remains: What does it really take to achieve sustainable employee retention when salary is largely considered a given from an economic standpoint? Because the reality is: Not every company has the leeway to adjust all the variables at once. Our measures and ideas are diverse – ranging from a culture of appreciation and career development opportunities to a sense of community and a sense of purpose.