Onboarding in Einbeck: Dennis Reckwell (standing) und Larissa Korzun (sitting next to him) are the contact persons today.
Local Ambassadors
Volunteering to welcome
When new colleagues join KWS, our Local Ambassadors volunteer to look after them for the first few months. That does not involve a lot of work, but the impact is huge – and not only for KWS as an employer.
In Berlin, the Ambassadors organize other events – such as the Thanksgiving party.
The mass of new information and faces can be overwhelming when someone starts working at KWS. However, Manon Fenzy Mpay from HR Admin and Payroll International department felt she was in very good hands during her own onboarding two years ago – and at the latest when she took part in a KWS summer party with a program extending across Berlin, she asked herself: Who actually supervises and organizes all of this? “When I found out that was done by Local Ambassadors, I wanted to pitch in” – to give other newcomers back the good feeling that she herself had experienced during her first days and weeks at KWS.
Employer Branding came up with the idea of Local Ambassadors. “We wanted to introduce globally standardized onboarding and at the same time link it to our corporate values,” says Sang-Kyun “Sanny” Park, Expert Global Employer Branding and Talent Attraction. “So in 2021, we came up with the concept of finding at least one person at each of our locations worldwide who identifies with KWS and personally conducts onboarding on site.”
At small locations with a small number of new hires per year, that has since been done by a single Ambassador as and when required; at large locations such as Einbeck and Berlin, there is a fixed day once a month with alternating Ambassadors. They are intended to be the contact person, the “buddy” to new employees right from the outset – and also after the first day of onboarding and for all concerns. Sanny notes: “Onboarding is important for newcomers to feel they are being looked after well.”
Maren Siewert endorses that. Before moving to the secretary’s office for the Executive Board, she organized onboarding as a Visitor Service employee in Einbeck, before this task was delegated to the HR department due to the rapidly growing number of new colleagues. “As I myself have felt very much at home at the company for almost 18 years now and feel a strong commitment to KWS as an employer and its values, I’d like to pass this spirit on to the new employees. It gives me great pleasure to convey the corporate culture and thus contribute to a positive feeling of welcome.”
Little time required
Dennis Reckwell was one of the first Ambassadors at Einbeck. The scientist works in the field of breeding technologies and signed up at the end of 2021 following an appeal on the intranet. The additional time he has invested in this role alongside his work does not bother him. It is not all that much anyhow: “Here in Einbeck, it takes up half a day once a month at the most.” And the small group of current volunteers at the location is looking for reinforcements: The number of Ambassadors is to rise from six to at least 10. Then the time each of them has to spend will be even less.
It is important that their managers agree to them taking on this duty. “At the end of the day, they themselves benefit from good onboarding – at the latest when they have a new hire in their own team,” says Sanny. Dennis Reckwell also sees advantages for his own department. “We Ambassadors gain a good overview of how the company works as a whole.” He gets to know people from different areas – and at the same time he can familiarize others with his work, even after onboarding is over. As he says: “We’ve built up a good network.”
“We’ve built up a good network.”
Dennis Reckwell
The tasks
The onboarding program shows exactly what the Ambassadors do. Its presentations are the same at all locations. They cover general topics such as values and the history of KWS, a part that is handled by the Ambassadors in Einbeck and Berlin. Then there are presentations from Compliance, IT, the Global Transaction Center, Human Resources, Occupational Health and Safety, and the Works Council. Another part focuses on helping new colleagues gain their bearings at the location: Where can I find what and who can I contact if I have any questions? And on the first onboarding day, the Ambassadors take care of the agenda, including lunch and a photo shoot.
With its more international team and currently more than 10 Ambassadors, Berlin goes even further. Some of them, for example, organize the summer parties that inspired Manon. Thanksgiving is also celebrated, and the Communications department sends out a monthly newsletter to introduce the newcomers. Here too, the overall workload is modest. “I’ve known for six months that it’s my turn to do the onboarding this Monday,” says Manon “And so does my department. It’s all a question of organization.” |
The current six Ambassadors in Einbeck are looking for reinforcements.
Info
Reinforcements wanted for Einbeck
Our Ambassadors in Einbeck want to expand their team. Anyone who has been employed by KWS for at least one year, appreciates the company as an employer and wants to exemplify its values can join in. Onboarding in Einbeck is conducted in German. If you are interested and have the approval of your manager, please contact: dennis.reckwell@kws.com |
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