We have already helped several well-known companies to achieve greater success through professional recruiting.
adidas – „Strengthen the fibre of your future“
Briefing:
Recruitment of 50 technical experts within 6 months
Challenge:
limited number of experts worldwide, strong competition from other sports brands, many non-compete clauses
adidas needed 50 highly specialised technical experts within six months, including material developers for apparel and footwear, digital pattern makers and knitting machine developers.
This task was enormous, as there are only a few experts in these fields worldwide – especially among knitting machine developers, of which there were only around 25 worldwide. In addition, other major sports brands such as Nike, Lululemon and New Balance were also competing for the same talent and many of the experts had non-compete clauses in their contracts. The challenge was daunting, but we were determined to take it on.
We formed a small, highly competent team of three people and developed a precise strategy. We focussed on targeted employer branding and a global search for the best talent. One of our extraordinary measures was the identification and utilisation of a special radio station in the USA, which was aimed at knitting machine developers. We also placed great emphasis on our employee referral programme, which we even extended to our suppliers.
We searched for talent worldwide and recruited experts from countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam. We successfully circumvented special visa regulations by working closely with the legal department to release candidates from their non-compete clauses. adidas benefited enormously from this fast and effective talent acquisition.
adidas & zalando – Executive Search
Briefing:
Confidential search and recruitment for management positions
Challenge:
Focus on diversity, close involvement of the Executive Board, detailed candidate presentations and assessment tools.
For adidas and Zalando, I have conducted a large number of confidential searches and recruitments for leadership positions such as VP of Diversity, General Manager for Business Units and Regions, Chief Compliance Officer, VP Supply Chain and Chief Legal Officer. There was a particular focus on diversity, especially the recruitment of women into management positions.
The Executive Board was closely involved in these processes, which placed additional demands on communication and reporting.
Doreen Happatz’s strategy was to launch an extensive and targeted search, contacting over 200 potential candidates. We created very detailed and engaging dossiers on the position for the candidates. In some cases, we also worked with external firms to ensure we identified and approached the best talent.We utilised leadership assessment tools and were Hogan Assessment certified to fully assess the suitability of candidates.
Through process improvements and closer collaboration with clients, we were able to reduce the time-to-hire from an average of 120 days to 90 days. The diversity rate was increased to an impressive 30%.
Tesla – technicians in production and in the workshops
Briefing:
Besetzung von Kfz-Mechatronikerinnen-, Maschinen- und Anlagenbedienerinnen-, Elektroniker*innen- und SHK-Anlagenmechanikern
Challenge:
high shortage of skilled labour in the automotive industry (49,000 unfilled positions in 2023)
At Tesla, our team has transformed the landscape of talent acquisition in the EMEA region, pioneering programs that tap into diverse talent pools for essential business functions. Leveraging my expertise in talent strategy and my knack for establishing fruitful external partnerships, we’ve facilitated seamless talent transitions, including the successful integration of 300+ military professionals.
Our efforts have been focused on innovative reskilling initiatives, harnessing Germany’s “Qualifizierungschancengesetz” to develop Manufacturing and Car Technicians, enhancing Tesla’s technical capabilities. Through collaborative ideation, communication, and new business development skills, the recruitment strategies I’ve architected have scaled to meet ambitious hiring targets, contributing significantly to Tesla’s growth trajectory.
We look back with pride on these projects, which not only brought enormous benefits to our customers, but also opened up new career prospects for many people.