A drawer full of extra dreams

Nicole Cauers did not have the least intention of changing jobs when she received an advertisement for a position at the Zuckerhaus from a friend near Einbeck. At the time, Nicole had been working for 14 years in a private retirement home with 166 places in Northeim. As the housekeeping supervisor, she was responsible for the kitchen, cleaning, laundry and purchasing for these areas, as well as the personnel. She was also a qualified chef and hotel manager who also had many years of experience in accounting – so she checked all the boxes for the ad. “That’s not a job ad – it’s you to a tee!” said another friend.

Although Nicole had actually thought “that I would stay in this secure job until I retire,” she applied to succeed Petra Wollenweber, who had left her mark on KWS’ Zuckerhaus for 35 years since 1989. Yet despite all her professional qualifications, there was another argument: “I always wanted to run a small guest house, a boarding house or a bed and breakfast. But I don’t have my own money for that.”

Now she is realizing her desire for a place “where I can fulfill myself and let my ideas run riot.” She worked with Petra Wollenweber in the Zuckerhaus during a transitional period from January to June. “The handover was great - Petra knows all the pitfalls: where is the main water tap, how does the heating work, which companies does she work with, how does she calculate the quantities for breakfast, what does the landscaping company do and what does she do herself?”

Own ideas: Furnishings and offers

As soon as everything has settled into a normal routine and the mother of a 25-year-old daughter from a small village near Osterode has moved into her renovated private apartment in the Zuckerhaus, she would also like to put her own stamp on the vacation home. “I enjoy change.” The bathrooms (every room has one) were refurbished around 10 years ago. But Nicole would like to spruce up the interior. Perhaps the attic can also be converted if the budget allows that some time.

She also wants to enable seminars and training courses to be held there and has ideas for integrating the FIT@WORK health offering from KWS: for example, with a themed week on yoga, back training and – an issue dear to her heart as a chef – healthy nutrition. “And it’s in my blood to try out different extras for breakfast, too. I might offer a smoothie, bake my own bread or put out some cereals and oat milk. I like hosting guests.” The hobby mountain biker knows that none of this will happen overnight. “But when everything is running smoothly, then I can bring my extra dreams out of the drawer.”

Booking rooms at the Zuckerhaus

Another innovation for the near future: “Many people have asked for a booking calendar.” Direct booking will still not be possible – but you will be able to see when rooms are still available. In addition, a new company agreement regulates who is entitled to stay at the vacation home (see the info box).

In her first few weeks at KWS, Nicole has noticed how happy employees are to see the Zuckerhaus keep on going. But what has surprised her is that there are still many people who have not heard of it. She aims to change that too and beat the drum – with a campaign and its own intranet site. “It’s simply phenomenal for a company to offer its employees something like this.” |