How Porsche attracts and keeps employees

Tesla has a problem. The e-car manufacturer is looking for staff for its “Gigafactory Berlin Brandenburg” under high pressure. According to industry reports, 2,000 of the 12,000 positions across all areas are currently vacant at the Grünheide production facility. Although the responsible employment agency in Frankfurt (Oder) has already placed the US company with job seekers on a large scale since the factory opened a good year ago, there is a lack of skilled workers. Apparently also because employees often turn their backs on Tesla after a short time. Which doesn’t fit the self-image of company founder Elon Musk at all. He sees it as an honor to be part of his project. In return, they are expected to devote themselves to serving their cause, including overtime.

The Tesla case makes it clear that the appeal of a big name alone is no longer enough to attract employees – at least not in Germany. In times of a shortage of skilled workers, well-trained young people can sometimes choose their employer very carefully. Which makes many companies compete for the best employees. That is why it is important to increase your own attractiveness. In this context, the additional benefits for employees, such as those offered by the car manufacturer Porsche “with conviction”, are becoming increasingly important.

How seriously the topic of “benefits” is taken in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen is shown by the fact that it is divided into nine areas: remuneration, pensions, employee catering, mobility, health promotion, work and family, working time models, perks, purchase and leasing programs .

Offers for different phases of life

Porsche used to be able to help with the staff on its own bonus payments (9050 euros for 2022) and financial benefits in the obvious spectrum of everything to do with cars, other concessions are increasingly coming into focus today. “It takes more than fresh buttered pretzels in the office to attract employees to Porsche and retain them over the long term. In addition to a great team and exciting tasks, we offer a variety of benefits – for different phases of life and needs,” says Andreas Haffner, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Social Affairs at Porsche AG. This includes, for example, that the company organizes both the place in the day-care center and the accommodation of relatives in need of care.

For more than half of all employees, flexible working hours and the compatibility of job and family are now almost the most important points when evaluating the employer. This is the result of a current survey commissioned by Creditplus Bank. Porsche is responding to this wish, for example, with the offer of taking on a part-time management position in tandem. “Job sharing brings career and family into harmony,” says Lena Rachor, the Porsche spokeswoman responsible for the topic.

The working atmosphere and its great importance

Above all, however, is the working atmosphere for the employees, as all studies on job satisfaction consistently show. One of the ways in which Porsche aims to do this is with a mentoring program aimed at new employees. On request, they can be assigned an experienced manager for ten months, who should make it easier for the newcomer to get started and support the development of a junior manager. “But both sides benefit from this,” says Lena Rachor, “the mentors keep saying that this change of perspective is very helpful for them.” Last year, Porsche counted 240 of these special teams of two.

A clear trend can be seen especially among the under 40-year-olds. They no longer define themselves through their job to the same extent as generations before them. For them, self-realization takes place mainly after work. In a changed world of work, on the other hand, the desire for appreciation remains as great as ever. Today, employers also show this with the help of additional benefits. According to a study commissioned by Hewlett Packard, 69 percent of those surveyed would “strongly consider” these benefits when looking for a new job. It’s not just about personal gain, as Lena Rachor found out. “We use a portal that informs colleagues quickly and unbureaucratically about how and where they can get involved in a social commitment with remarkable frequency.”

The company

Story
the dr Ing. hc F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft emerged from a design office founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931 on Kronenstraße in Stuttgart-Mitte. In 1945 it became an automobile factory specializing in the construction of sports cars.

Present
Today, the company has around 37,000 employees and, in addition to the headquarters in Zuffenhausen, five other locations: Weissach (development), Ludwigsburg (international business), Leipzig (production), Sachsenheim (spare parts logistics), Bietigheim-Bissingen (financial services). Sales in 2022 amounted to 37.6 billion euros. CEO is Oliver Blume, Wolfgang Porsche heads the supervisory board. sto