OPINION! Jürgen Schwarz, Operations Manager at Kissel + Wolf GmbH on the shortage of skilled workers, googling applicants & the AGG: “Many applicants destroy their own job market”

Jürgen Schwarz is manager and member of the management of Kissel + Wolf GmbH in Wiesloch near Heidelberg. In an interview, he reports on the shortage of skilled workers in his Companys, of introductory talks for test purposes, like the wrong one eMailAddress can destroy careers - and why at Bachelor many employers do not think of an academic degree.
According to Jürgen Schwarz, he is the classic example of a poor school education: After graduating from secondary school, he first completed one Vocational Training became a chemical technician and worked in various companies, later he became an industrial foreman in chemistry and finally a technical business economist. He has also completed various further training courses with a focus on occupational safety and environmental protection and is, among other things, an environmental and eco-auditor. Since 1992 he has been a lecturer for various master craftsmen, business administration and specialist courses at various providers of measures, and since 1995 he has been a member of the IHK examination board for the chemical industry master craftsman.

In Germany, we are currently discussing very strongly whether we have skilled workers or not. What do you think?

We are a medium-sized chemical company with 85 employees here in Wiesloch - and can not fill all positions optimally. Above all, we are looking for chemical edges or chemical workers, as they used to be.

If you are Mr. Dr. Brenke from DIW follows, except in a few areas there is no shortage of skilled workers ...

You have to be strong by region and Industry differentiate. In Baden Württemberg, for example, the metal industry is very strong, which is why there are also many skilled metal workers. At a large corporation in Stuttgart, there are many master craftsmen and, of course, all skilled workers on the assembly line.

However, there are fewer skilled chemical workers. In addition, they often will fast Team- or department heads promoted, work in administration - and are then absent from the positions for which they were actually hired.

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If you lack the workforce: How many young people are you currently training?

Currently no

Why do not you make more people?

We have, for example, the right to offer every trainee a job afterwards. And we can not guarantee that every year.

In addition, we can not cover every area of ​​training, which is why we can offer training only in conjunction with BASF. The effort for it is simply huge and we have to afford it beside.

Where are the prospects better - in small and medium-sized enterprises or in large groups?

That depends on what you want: In smaller companies, things are more informal, you have to work with a wide range of people Tasks but you also have more variety – and more career opportunities.

On the other hand, fluctuation is lower in smaller companies Executives often sit in one place for decades, it can Ascent make more difficult. And of course it is a question of payment.

Do you pay so little?

We pay like the chemical industry, only they have it Employees often the feeling that the fringe benefits and security are better in large companies. However, when the large plants are then closed, this sometimes proves to be the wrong way to go.

Unfortunately, many would like to Candidatewho come from a large company (e.g. from the metal industry) can be hired by us on the same terms. That's often not possible, for example because we can't work three shifts. Unfortunately, applicants are destroying their job market themselves with something like this.

As the?

Well, I'm thinking of cases that have worked for years at a large corporation that is now bankrupt. A couple of applications are then written half-heartedly, one receives unemployment benefits, and demands are made that combine aspiration and reality clear diverge.

After two years, the people are suddenly ready to compromise, but then it no longer works with the job. Since I have seen some fall dramatically on the nose. Another topic is, of course, the applications.

Can you tell me more?

For the Rhein-Neckar vocational training center here in Wiesloch, for example, we carry out test applications for Further TrainingGraduates through having problems in the Application had.

People know, of course, that it's only for appearances. You apply to us as if it were normal, we run a completely normal one job interview and afterwards we enter the applicants Feedback.

Why are such test talks necessary at all?

Otherwise, applicants have no idea why they keep getting rejected. Nobody gives them honest feedback. Debt carries the General Equal Treatment Act, the desperate attempt to press decency into law.

The law forbids giving feedback to applicants?

No, but because of the law nobody dares to say why an applicant was really rejected. Many employers already have certain ideas about how they would fill the position - for example in terms of gender. You just can't say that, otherwise you have to fear a lawsuit.

In addition, we SME Of course, we don't have the time to thoroughly deal with all the new legal regulations: unlike the professional one HR In the group, we do human resources work on the side.

What do you experience in your test applications?

For example, applicants who don't care Competencies lacks, but on Appear. Recently, for example, a graphic designer who works at the Choice the clothes simply lacked the feeling for which clothes were suitable for their somewhat fuller weight.

And the portfolio with her work only after half an hour Conversation pulled out of my pocket when asked. Which was a shame because the work was great. You have to get out there right away!

Is not the clothes with such skills are not incidental

?
As far as I am concerned, it could Ms. walking around in the company as well. A certain form only has to be maintained during the interview. We would have really liked to hire her, but we couldn't offer her the full-time position she was looking for.

What would be absolute no-go's for you when applying?

Well, where I always ask in such tests: gaps in the Curriculum vitae. If people have done something completely different for 10 years, then they are completely out of the job.

Misogyny would be a Problem – you have to talk to your colleagues from time to time. But even those who are too delicate would be wrong with us, after all it is an industrial company and there is a certain tone among colleagues.

Finally, a third problem is racist remarks: If I ask for a test applicant in the Internet search and find something, that would be a knockout criterion. After all, we are an international company with a plant in the USA, for example - that wouldn't work at all.

So you google the test applicants - what do you think?

Right, I google. After all, I want to know what kind of person he is and whether he would fit into the company. I often find positive things, for example volunteer work Commitment or many years of board work in a club, which indicate that this person is good to organize and also able to lead a team. Many People actually don't put that on their resume because they Anxiety we think they have too much free time.

What scares me, however, are the eMailAddresses with which the applications arrive. And addresses like hoppelhase @ ... or darkshadow @ ... I google, of course - you don't want to know what to find there.

You should actually assume that a reasonable eMail-Address to the basics ...

Yes, you should, but in fact, in many test applications, this is the first mistake that becomes apparent almost immediately Eye stabs. Others send their application under a completely different name than it is on the application because they don't have a computer themselves. This is of course irritating.

Still others do not give eMailAddress even telephone number, although these are the standard contact details today. It is frightening how much is done wrong with such relatively simple things. There seem to be big differences between academics and non-academics.

Speaking of academics: Do you also employ engineers, for example?

We are currently not looking for engineers. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the only ones with their new qualifications. The graduate engineer is familiar with the personal experience, often with engineers.

But the bachelor many connect with this somewhat strange TV show. There is still a lot to be done in order for this degree to be established, but understanding is not yet available in all companies.

There are of course differences between SMEs and large corporations: the latter are simply better informed, also when it comes to degree programs. In addition, some of them are in trouble in the educational system.

Why?

The German education system works really badly: Money and origin decide still have career and advancement opportunities.

I say that very consciously from my own experience as a secondary school student, who has had a long and rocky road to Success has behind. More support is urgently needed here.

What are your tips for applicants?

Not to be let down. Even if the start conditions were bad, you can still achieve something.

But you always have to stay on the ball. If you only do your job and do not become active, you will be on the spot.

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