Altensteig, 27th June 2012 - According to the results of a study published in April by the Association of German Engineers (VDI), a lack of specialist employees is threatening the German business model. By contrast, in November 2010 the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) came to the conclusion that the lack of specialist employees is a mirage. According to the DIW, there was "no evidence" of a general scarcity of specialist employees. Although opinions seem to be diverging, the issue of a lack of specialist employees is still on the agenda.
This is certainly true for Friedrich Boysen GmbH & Co. KG in Altensteig, the largest industrial employer in the Calw district and one of the most important training companies in the region. But Boysen's human resources manager, Clemens Amann, thinks the issue is more complicated than is often portrayed in the media. "The public discussion involves too much inappropriate generalisation for my liking", says Amann. "That isn't helpful to us at an operational level. The fact is that as an automotive supplier and a specialist in exhaust technology based in the Northern Black Forest - quite an economically underdeveloped region - we have certain difficulties in recruiting qualified applicants from the region for some positions. But I do not think there is a genuine shortage of engineers or a general lack of specialist employees at present."
Mr Amann, how would you define the term "lack of specialist employees"?
Lack of specialist employees is a relative term, which is understood and used differently depending on individual viewpoints and interests. From a Boysen perspective, I would only talk about a lack of specialist employees if we were no longer able to fill available positions that require particular training or professional experience in a reasonable time frame without making additional efforts. Additional efforts would be things like advertising vacancies outside the region, the use of recruitment consultants and promising remuneration or offering benefits above the normal levels.
What are the annual requirements for specialist employees at Boysen?
Our basic requirement is a total of around 15 specialist staff, industrial management assistants, IT specialists and engineers. We cover this with trained employees from within the company. As well as a wide selection of traditional apprenticeships in business management and commercial or technical fields, for around 20 years we have offered the opportunity to complete a dual course of study, currently in subjects including mechanical engineering, IT and industrial engineering. Particularly in development, we currently have additional requirements for both specialist employees and for academic staff. Specifically, we expect to have a further ten to 15 jobs over the year for construction mechanics and engineers, for which we will recruit the appropriate people externally.
How many specialist positions in the company are currently not filled?
We currently have practically no unfilled qualified vacancies. There are a few unfilled positions but we have already recruited for them - contracts of employment have been signed. There is also a latent requirement, in other words a few jobs that are advertised where there is no time pressure to fill them and where we can take our time and wait for the right person.
To what do you attribute the low number of unfilled specialist vacancies?
The fact that we are so highly regarded, both in the region and among customers and industry experts, certainly plays a major role. In recent years and decades, Boysen has been an almost unprecedented success story with its rapid growth in turnover. This is something that the public and potential applicants are aware of.
Do you fear that the situation will deteriorate in the future and, if so, what will you do to counter the emergence of a lack of specialist employees in good time?
We have to expect that the situation will tend to deteriorate. Certainly, demographic trends point in that direction. As a company, we will have to be prepared for tougher competition for good applicants in the future. This means we will have to advertise for qualified people more widely and using more innovative methods. But all these measures will only be effective if there is substance behind them in the form of interesting positions with attractive job content and good career prospects. In addition to the hard facts - such as above average remuneration, company pension scheme and profit sharing, we need to create extra incentives, such as employee-based working time models, special benefits and additional services such as childcare, leisure activities, sabbaticals, study leave, excellent catering and the like.
Boysen develops and produces manifolds, catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, silencers and complete exhaust systems for cars, commercial vehicles and off-highway applications. The company's major customers include the German vehicle manufacturers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and VW, the English brands Bentley and Rolls Royce and the commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN.
The group of companies currently employs around 1900 people at ten domestic and international sites. In addition to the development and administration centre and a production plant in Altensteig, Boysen has production sites in Simmersfeld, Salching and Plauen, and also in France, Egypt, India, China and the USA. According to the latest reports, the exhaust technology specialist had a record turnover of 969 million Euro in the 2011 financial year (to 31st December).
In case of any queries, please contact:
Martin Stuka
Press and Public Relations
Friedrich Boysen GmbH & Co. KG
Friedrich-Boysen-Straße 14-17
72213 Altensteig
Tel. 07453/20-274
Fax 07453/20-4274
E-mail martin.stuka(at)boysen-online.de
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