OPINION! Dr. Stefan Kannewischer, Kannewischer Management AG: “The integration of refugees into work also helps companies!”

Dr. In an interview, Stefan Kannewischer explains why he hired refugees for entrepreneurial reasons, how successful integration can succeed - and what could work even better.

Dr. Stefan Kannewischer is Managing Director of Kannewischer Management AG and the Kannewischer Collection, which includes 6 thermal baths throughout Germany. After his business administrationStudy in St. Gallen he worked as a Adviser at Bain and Company in London, Frankfurt and Munich before joining the family business. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the privatization of public leisure infrastructure using the example of swimming pools. He is also President of IAKS International and a member of two specialist commissions of the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

Mr. Dr. Kannewischer, at the moment the discussion of refugees is in full swing, right now we see the pictures from Chemnitz in the news. You yourself employ refugees in your company. Are you an idealist?

Yes, I already call myself an ambitious idealist. But the attitude of refugees is not based on idealistic motives.

A look at politics suggests otherwise. Where are your motives?

When the front pages were dominated by the refugee discussion for the first time in September 2015, we thought about whether we could do something and what. After that it took another half a year until we got a first one job interview could lead with a refugee.

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At the time, however, he had already been in Germany for four years. Today I have to learn from experience clear say: Integrating refugees into work also helps Companys!

Please explain something in more detail.

The main reason is for surethat there have been no workers in Germany for some time - at least we can for ours Industry say so.

The German job market has been swept clean and so is the quality of those who work with us apply, is often very bad or even unwilling to work. Alternatively, the wage demands are unrealistic.

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How many refugees did you hire?

A total of six.

In which positions do they work?

Four people work as kitchen assistants in the restaurant, one as a trainee as a restaurant specialist and one as a guest supervisor in the spa landscape and sauna park

In your opinion, can refugees close the shortage of skilled workers in Germany?

We tended to employ the refugees in auxiliary positions. This gap can be closed very well in some cases. Also one Vocational Training is conceivable in some positions.

However, many refugees are no longer there jung, some have one Family and then no longer want to be with one salary have to live for an apprentice. As a result, they only want to or are only able to gain further qualifications to a limited extent.

It is often criticized that the refugees are not sufficiently qualified: how much extra work did you have to raise to integrate the employees?

At our Employees The effort was greatest in the ThermenLandschaft and SaunaPark. Our employees there have permanent contact with guests and have to be good German speak, which was not possible with him at the beginning.

Therefore, we let him run for four months in addition and then divided like all other employees. For this we got a salary subsidy from the employment office. For the kitchen help, it worked faster and was comparable to teaching a new employee.

Which were the biggest hurdles?

The language is the biggest handicap. Someone who does not speak German can not start working with us either.

Another issue may be different values ​​and world views: For example, one of our employees did not understand that there are women in leading position are to which he had to submit as a man. This sometimes led to discussions at the beginning.

And what, conversely, is necessary to ensure that the integration of refugees into working life works smoothly?

The most important thing for successful integration is certainly that the refugees have a job or a task that enables them to take part in life in Germany. Then learning the language also works very well and fast.

Also, it is important for everyone to have their own Money zu to earn and not to be dependent on the authorities. That creates self-confidence. We could observe this with all the refugees in our home.

What do you think should change to make it easier for companies to hire refugees?

Only one out of six refugees has been referred to us through the Employment Agency. All the others came about through an initiative of a private person who turned to us.

So we have no real contact person to whom we can offer our vacancies for refugees. At the moment there are no offers of applicants from refugees coming to us via the Employment Agency, no matter for which job.

There are now some internet platforms which refugees offer work. There you can present yourself as a company. However, this works only for large cities, not for rural areas where our spas are located.

From the point of view of the entrepreneur: is it worthwhile to invest in employees who may possibly be deported again?

It certainly makes more sense to hire recognized refugees in Germany.

How well did the integration into everyday work and workflows work in general?

We have only had good experiences with it. As they are surrounded by German-speaking employees all day, they learn the language very quickly and integrate quickly and well into everyday work. And also in that Team with whom you work.

How were the refugees received by the other employees?

This worked great for us! Some of the refugee employees are also doing something private with their German colleagues and are fully accepted, since they also do the same work as their colleagues.

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