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The working world is changing. Thus, at tesa, successful careers advance not only vertically. Sidesteps move both employees and companies forward.

During times of scarcity companies emphasize recruiting and retaining top talent for as long as possible. However, recruiting is easier said than done. Today talented candidates desire more than just a competitive salary. Companies are challenged to evolve to fit the lifestyles and preferences many of todays top job-seekers desire.  Many top candidates, especially the younger candidates, desire a better balance of work and home life, more flexibility to operate remotely, new and challenging task and a flatter organizational structure. This is according to a recent suvey amoung HR managers in 27 European countries conducted by the European Association of Personnel Management (EAPM). Topics such as talent management, demographics, change management and cultural change represented the central challenges of HR work. 

From Purchaser to Salesman

tesa, a leader in adhesive solutions, offers career advancement throughout the organization. Keno Ahlrichs, a 36-year-old Key Account Manager within the Automotive Business Unit, saw an opportunity to move from purchasing to sales. “After seven years in technical purchasing, I wanted something new. Fortunately, at tesa there’s a culture where cross-functional exchanges are encouraged. That’s why I was able to rely on the support of the company,” explains Ahlrichs.

His case shows: A job “sidestep” may become a career kick instead of a career squeeze. That’s why the internationally operating group wants to motivate its employees to consider such careers. A horizontal path also holds the key to future success: “A complex company like tesa has many facets, and I’m convinced that we all can get even better at our jobs, the more we also understand the other sides of the business,” says Inken Klein, HR Manager and Division Head of Talent Management and Succession Planning.

Keno Ahlrichs has been working at tesa SE since 2014, initially in strategic purchasing, since 2017 in operative sales as a Key Account Manager within the Automotive Business Unit. The 36-year-old business graduate lives in Osnabrück, from where he supports tesa customers in the automotive supplier industry in the regions of southern Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse. After joining tesa, he launched the "tesa Young Connection" initiative. This initiative offers new employees numerous opportunities to network both within the company and externally during their first three years.

Keno
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After seven years in technical purchasing, I wanted something new.
Keno Ahlrichs

Key-Account Manager Automotive

A complex company like tesa has many facets, and I’m convinced that we all can get even better at our jobs, the more we understand also the other sides of the business.
Inken Klein

HR Manager and Division Head of Talent Management and Succession Planning

Willingness to further development

leadership, technical or project career: "At every beginning, there must be the willingness to develop – However, not in the sense of 'I need a change and an adventure,' but rather 'How can I get better?'" Nonetheless, it's not about change at all costs – After all, tesa also needs experienced specialists who are getting ever better in their jobs, emphasizes the HR manager. Metin Yazici, who has been working at tesa for 37 years, falls into this category. The process technology machine operator has already moved to the Chinese factory in Suzhou three times, the first time 14 years ago. "For me, a career means to always face challenges with great curiosity. They were offered to me and are still open for me at tesa. I learn something new every day. That's amazing," says 55-year-old Yazici.

315,000

workers are lacking in Germany in the so-called MINT areas (mathematics, IT, natural sciences, and technology) – twice as many as at the beginning of 2015.

Source: Association of the Chemical Industry

Metin Yazici

Metin Yazici has been working for tesa SE since 1982, currently as a process technician Cleanroom Unit Industry at the Hamburg plant. The 56-year-old comes from the Turkish city of Samsun on the Black Sea and has lived in Hamburg since the age of 17. He has visited tesa in China a total of three times to train colleagues on a machine at the production plant in Suzhou.

Faces and Stories

tesa offers not only vertical but also horizontal career paths. Who are the employees that have successfully moved forward on alternative paths? What motivated them? What tips do they have for others? These and other questions will be answered in an article series on tesa.insights. In loose sequence, we’ll portray protagonists from the diverse job world at tesa – including Keno Ahlrichs and Metin Yazici. The series will kick off on December 12. General information about tesa as an employer:

 

career opportunities
Last updated on May 29, 2024