Project examples

Our client is the German branch of a globally active HR services company listed on the stock market, which is based in the Netherlands.

The company offers management and expert career tracks. To date, only managers have completed an external individual assessment as standard. HR and internal executives were responsible for checking experts’ suitability based on their expert presentations. In future, experts will also complete an external individual assessment. The challenge involves developing an adequate format for this in which the general, interdisciplinary competencies can be assessed while also taking the specialist context into account.

We began by determining the general, interdisciplinary requirements of the expert role together with the associated competencies. The latter reflect the company’s existing competency model in part, but also go beyond this. We consciously sought to no longer consider the experts exclusively in terms of their expertise, but to also take their personality into account.

The experts appreciated the opportunity to not only showcase their expertise, but also to present themselves as people and to receive specific tips for their personal and professional development. The expert career track has gained additional value, as the experts are now treated in the same way as managers and perceive their participation in the assessment as a sign of appreciation. The executives also find the assessment results conducive to the further development of their experts.

Our client is an international, owner-managed enterprise active in the automotive industry based in Germany.

The new head of operations planned to reorganize his department and restructure processes. New management positions were to be created for which existing managers and interested employees could apply. We supported the new head of operations in the selection of future managers capable of implementing the desired changes while retaining their employees’ support. Given the large number of positions and candidates, the procedure had to be streamlined.

Each candidate completed a compact individual assessment, which comprised tailored simulations that reflected the managers’ future work as realistically as possible. In addition to two consultants from Stübig & Mischer, the head of operations and head of organizational and people development were also involved as assessors. They were prepared for their role in advance during assessor training.

Critical examination of the candidates’ leadership skills enabled the clear identification of candidates suitable for a management role. Care was at the same time taken to ensure that all candidates experienced the assessment process as an appreciation of their commitment. Each candidate received verbal feedback as well as a written assessment report giving individual advice for their personal and professional development. The head of operations also received important insights for further development of his new management team and additionally learned what the new managers viewed critically and where he needed to make adjustments.

Our client is a division of a global, stock market-listed paper and packaging manufacturer based in Finland.

A company-wide employee survey is conducted every year. During the comparison of the results from the individual company sites, one German location was flagged due to critical deviations. Our client subsequently asked us to help determine the causes of the critical results. The challenges primarily lay in taking the interests of local and divisional management into account, getting the works council on board, and ensuring the employees’ willingness to cooperate.

We began by conducting structured one-on-one interviews with the local management team, followed by group interviews with representatives from all areas at the site to gain the broadest possible insights. Based on the qualitative results obtained, we prepared a customized questionnaire for all employees to complete online. The results were then shared during workshops and a town hall meeting format. Building on this, preliminary measures to improve the situation at the site were then developed together with the local management team during workshops.

Close collaboration allowed us to gain the acceptance and support of all parties involved in the process. Almost all employees completed the voluntary online questionnaire. The hypotheses developed during the individual and group discussions could thus be verified and quantified. Having clearly identified the organization’s “pain points”, we were able to encourage constructive concern and make concrete suggestions for next steps. Employees perceived that their opinions were being heard.

Our client is an international, stock market-listed company with a technology focus active in the financial sector with its headquarters in Germany.

The company’s recruiting teams are based on different continents and should now receive special training to help them standardize their hiring procedure, professionalize their interview skills, learn and practice interview techniques, enhance the candidate experience, and share best practices.

We adapted our existing training concept to the client’s content and methodological requirements. In light of the international target group and the COVID-19 pandemic, the training was conducted virtually in English. Beside imparting theoretical knowledge, the training included individual and group exercises, elements of self-reflection, mutual feedback, and an exchange of both experiences and practical tips.

The virtual format was well received, as it reflected the recruiters’ current daily working lives. Our training concept could be implemented virtually or in person at the company sites. The participants acknowledged how important it is to “dig deep” during interviews, but also to listen attentively. The relevance of close coordination with the specialist departments also became evident.

Our client is the global shared services company of a stock market-listed insurance provider headquartered in Germany.

The HR department wanted to completely revamp the internal selection process for promotion to the first management level and the content of the associated assessment center. The entire procedure — from nomination to final feedback meeting — was to be conceived as a “development journey” for participants. At the same time, the efficiency of the implementation process was to be increased.

The conception phase was characterized by an iterative co-creation approach. A regular exchange took place with the clients and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the different perspectives were taken into account at an early stage. We developed the methodological and content concept and the client then took care of parts of the elaboration and honing of individual building blocks themselves. The procedure was tested and any necessary adjustments made prior to the company-wide roll-out.

The entire selection procedure, including the half-day assessment center, has now successfully been rolled out worldwide. The simulations designed specifically for the business are well received among both the participants and the in-house assessors. Due to the large amount of self-reflection leading up to the assessment center, participants experience this as a positive opportunity to present themselves and their development.