Why German companies can keep people
Zhongshan Seekyo Lighting CO., Ltd. , https://www.seekyomodernlamp.com
At the Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany, I asked Robert Frederick Veit, President and CEO of Daimler Bus China Ltd., why German employees are very loyal to their bosses. The tall, fast-speaking, sharp-sounding Daimler "Veteran" patted his chest and said, "Look at me and I know. I worked at Daimler for 22 years, starting with apprentices, and then I am very fortunate to have participated in management training, step by step to today's position, isn't that a good example?"
It’s hard to change the club for 22 years? Robert Frederick Veit explained: "The company's development is very stable; the degree of internationalization is high; giving employees a lot of opportunities - I naturally won't change jobs."
German enterprises have a tradition of attaching importance to manpower. After internationalization, they will also move “German-style HR†to overseas companies or factories, and capture the hearts of employees everywhere. Dr. Wolfgang Hapke, President of Human Resources at BASF Group, a German chemical manufacturing company, confirmed in an interview with Sina Finance: Globally, the average percentage of BASF employees who left the company voluntarily in the first three years after joining the company was 1.3%. The turnover rate in Europe is 0.6%, 1.5% in North America and 3.6% in Asia Pacific.
For “German-style HRâ€, Roland Berger, founder of Roland Berger Strategic Consulting and chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented that German companies, or European companies, have respected their employees and have become a European feature. Caring for the physical and mental health of ordinary employees. But in the eyes of American companies, shareholder value may be more important. To the scale of today, how Chinese entrepreneurs should go next may need to find the most reasonable way. It may not be the European model, nor may it copy the American model.
Where is the high labor cost of German companies?
Although the German federal government is very focused on maintaining employment growth and increasing productivity, the first prerequisite is that the actual income of citizens must increase. This principle has always been very clear. The Harvard Business Review commented that the German salary and benefits were 66% higher than the United States. More importantly, the growing income gap in the United States is very controversial in American society.
At the beginning of the new year, the German government began to issue benefits, one of which is that the minimum wage is set at about 11,000 yuan.
If you make a comparison in Western European countries, Germany's wages are not too high. From January 1st, the minimum wage standard of 8.5 euros per hour before tax (about RMB 62) will be gradually implemented. This is lower than Luxembourg's lowest hourly wage of 11.1 euros (RMB 81); France 9.53 euros (RMB 69.6); slightly higher than the UK (6.5 pounds, about 61.38 yuan).
But in fact, in the actual operation, the German industrial vehicle is not even safe for the protection of citizens. The German economy is defined as the most sound economy in the world. Whether it is "the most sound" is hard to say, but German-style welfare does have a lot to offer. For example, if a German worker does not want to separate between the two places, the labor bureau can pay the baggage handling fee. For example, if both parents have to bring their children, two people can apply for a paid leave at home and the salary is 65% of the original salary. If one party is unemployed, you can apply for a subsidy of 300 euros per month. This welfare is called "parental gold" and many countries have never heard of it.
In the past decade, the German government has carried out a number of reforms for the labor market. In addition to many special policies for families with children or single parents, the government has also spawned a lot of “mini-work†– that is, in the form of short-term work. Work, low wages but employers pay social insurance. This small work-time work with flexible working hours enriches the German job market, guarantees the employment rate and reduces the burden on many companies. Before France, officials publicly accused Germany of the existence of a large number of "mini jobs" that had a bad influence on the French job market. This is all afterwards.
Not to mention the attitude of the federal government, from the enterprise level, compared with the minimum wage of shabby, most German companies are actually generous when they pay workers.
EM Motive Chairman Alex Humpert admits that their first-line workers at the Hildesheim plant in Germany are paid hourly, with an hourly wage of between €36 and €40. Working hours are about 40 hours a week. In this way, a skilled technician has a monthly salary of about 6,400 euros.
In the interview, the management of the German company privately said that Sina’s production line may be worth several million euros or more, and the workers on these production lines are also well-paid. The price of German products is high, and the labor cost behind it is really not to be underestimated.
Dr. Wolfgang Hapke, President of Human Resources at BASF Group, a German chemical manufacturer, explained: “In addition to setting wages according to market levels, BASF promises benefits, personal development opportunities and a comfortable office environment. In many countries, employees Enjoy pensions, supplemental health insurance, and shareholding projects, which are the benefits of investing in company shares – all to encourage employees to be BASF's 'veterans'."
“Those companies that make employees feel that they don’t have a sense of belonging, I think the company’s money is too heavy and not good enough for employees. A company’s long-term focus should be on the company’s long-term goals rather than staring at it. Short-term profit. When a company develops to the scale of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people, the so-called 'centralized' formula of the enterprise has been difficult to work. Every employee must be able to get the driving force, salary, welfare and The company atmosphere is equally important." A senior executive of the German company, who did not want to be named, said frankly to Sina Finance.
New employee care in the era of Industry 4.0
In an interview with BMW, I learned a new English word called "Ergonomics." BMW’s factory has always had a reputation for caring for workers. At the Dingolfing plant in BMW, Germany, it is intimate for some older workers, from plant settings to medical care, and even physical therapists have a one-stop service.
The term “ergonomics†appears frequently in BMW's production sector, mainly because they believe that the factory production line must be set up and installed to fit the human body structure. These parts and production lines that are ergonomically basic are reflected in the details. For example, a special wooden floor can display a larger font of the rotating frame display; a comfortable bench for preventing workers from standing too long; an adjustable height shelf for preventing employees from flashing to the waist; for employees with poor eyesight Enhance the illumination. In the gap between the shifts, the workers can even take a nap in the convenient bed provided in the rest room of the factory.
Saskia E?bauer, spokesperson for the production group of BMW Group, explained: "Automation can greatly liberate manpower. Some simple tasks that need to be repeated and consume physical strength can be handed over to the robots afterwards, and they will bear all the heavy labor. The characteristics of the factory in the future. Even so, manpower is still an important component of plant operations."
So BMW has been working hard to take care of employees.
70% of the BMW Group employees work in Germany. The employment principle and human resources plan of the BMW Group can basically match the situation in Germany. Their analysis shows that by 2020, the average age of German workers over 50 will increase from 15% to more than 35%. In 2004, the BMW Group launched a comprehensive “Today for Tomorrow†project to explore how to increase the creativity and productivity of workers while the workers are getting older.
“In short, we have to create a work environment suitable for all ages. There is no such thing as an 'elderly production line', and there is no 'lightweight workstation', only a production line suitable for all ages. Even young workers It is also important to ensure that they are healthy at the same time as they grow older and that they can maintain productivity for a long time,†Saskia E?bauer said.
“In the automotive industry, the supply chain is crucial. Our biggest attempt in the past few decades has been how to connect with each other to reduce inventory. Coincidentally, the German government proposed the concept of Industry 4.0, and then it was opened.†Bosch, Germany The board of directors of the group, Wolf-Henning Scheider, who will be the chairman of the board of directors of the new German Mahler, will accept an interview with Sina Finance.
How loyal to employees depends on how good the boss is.
Let's talk about the story of Franz Fehrenbach. When he graduated from university in 1975, he entered Bosch as a trainee. The reason was that Bosch workers were well treated and invested in R&D and equipment. After 28 years, Fehrenbach rose from the trainee to the chairman of Bosch. In July of the previous year, he was appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Company and became a partner of Bosch Industrial Trust (RBIK).
“Why I will always work in this company because the company’s internationalization is quite high: business operations in 350 countries, different business segments, means that you can learn a lot without changing companies, for everyone. The opportunity is huge. I used to work in the US for a while and have experience in different business sectors. So I never thought about leaving this company. The truth is, I can't find a reason to leave. For other loyalty. The employees, I think they are very satisfied with the mode of operation of our company." Feirunbach's reason for not changing jobs is similar to Daimler's Robert Frederick Veit.
I asked Fehrenbach: "Assume that a talented young man is applying for a position at Bosch, but he has changed three companies within three years. Will you hire him?"
Fehrenbach smiled: "He can't get an interview from me."
“'Continuity' is very important to our company. All commitments must be fulfilled and cannot be interrupted,†he said.
Stefan Albrecht, president of Daimler Truck's China joint venture project and executive vice president of Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., said frankly: "The loyalty of German companies is high because of the corporate culture: the company is willing to invest in employees. Let employees be happy. Employees will naturally pay more and be loyal to the boss. This is two-way."
Of course, the so-called "investment" is not just a simple salary. Giving employees the opportunity to learn and improve is a secret to many German companies.
Further training seems to encourage employees to “lifelong learningâ€. According to Wolfgang Hapke, president of BASF Group Human Resources, the opportunity to protect employees' lifelong learning is also a future investment for BASF. Continuous training for employees is guaranteed for future manpower needs.
Like many high-quality German companies, the BASF Group did not lay off employees during the financial crisis because they took many measures to overcome the difficulties, including reducing overtime work, controlling costs, and mobilizing personnel more flexibly. In Ludwigshafen, 600 employees were transferred to temporary positions or transferred to other positions.
“It turns out that it is entirely possible to avoid layoffs during the financial crisis,†Wolfgang Hapke said.