Area 4
Attractive Working Environment
- HOCHTIEF a top-ranking employer
- Ongoing professional development
- Moving early to win new talent
HOCHTIEF is an attractive employer—something that is borne out by the many applications we receive each year. HOCHTIEF’s central Applicant Management department took in over 34,000 applications from across Germany in 2008 alone. Some 35 percent of applications are unsolicited. Our American subsidiaries are similarly popular. Turner recorded 6,242 and Flatiron 8,654 applications in the same space of time.
We have streamlined the Job Opportunities section of our website with a clearer layout so applicants experience even better, faster service.
HOCHTIEF’s attractiveness as an employer also shows in labor market rankings. A 2008 study by Universum rated HOCHTIEF among the top German employers for construction engineers. The company scored similarly well in a 2008 study of top engineering employers by CRF. HOCHTIEF took first place in a survey by the Immobilienzeitung trade magazine asking students of real estate to name their preferred employer. In a global ranking by Fortune Magazine, HOCHTIEF came fifth among the most admired German companies.
Turner, too, has earned repeated accolades as an attractive employer. By way of example, Turner recently took 37th place in the Black Collegian magazine Top 100 Employers ranking for the class of 2009.
Within the Group, employees demonstrate their satisfaction with HOCHTIEF through loyalty and long service. The average length of an employment contract with us in Germany is 12.2 years. We do similarly well internationally, with 12.1 years at HOCHTIEF Luxembourg, 11 years at HOCHTIEF Polska, 10.8 years at HOCHTIEF CZ in the Czech Republic and 7.6 years at Turner.
Employee feedback is key
HOCHTIEF employees have regular opportunities to report on their experience and satisfaction with the company. Among these is the structured annual appraisal interview held between each employee and their superior. The purpose of the interview, which is divided into a review, an appraisal and an outlook section, is joint assessment and analysis of past performance along with the discussion of personal development measures. The interview provides a platform for open dialog between employee and superior. To give it binding effect and make sure the measures decided are put into action, we have introduced a monitoring arrangement under which the relevant human resources manager receives a document with the agreed targets each year.
Regular employee surveys deliver a company-wide view of mood, satisfaction and current workforce concerns as well as helping to pinpoint scope for improvement. One 2008 survey targeted the workforce of HOCHTIEF Property Management, where over 280 employees had been taken over from companies such as Allianz Immobilien under outsourcing projects. The survey aimed to measure progress on integration within HOCHTIEF. The People.Index benchmark used for the purpose was evaluated externally and served as a dialog and management tool. The survey earmarked distinct areas for improvement. Over 70 percent of HOCHTIEF Property Management staff took the survey and anonymously completed the 50 questions. The main finding: HOCHTIEF Property Management is an employer with whom much of the workforce would like to shape their career future. Alongside clear support and commitment to the company, the survey also identified potential for improvement, for example, as regards job content. Employees handed out especially good marks on team working atmosphere, mutual trust and dependability.
The Management Board of HOCHTIEF Property Management presented to the workforce both the survey findings and the action areas at seven nationwide events. The findings and action items were openly discussed and implemented accordingly.
