In conversations with
Human ressources

The mix of teams comprised of individuals with different characters and personalities from various countries and religious backgrounds and of different ages and sexual orientations is an asset to the company. This conviction guides the managing board, with Torsten Bard as Head of HR & Organization, in defining the company’s personnel development strategy. “The more diverse and varied our outlook on the world, the more successful we will be,” he says. “After all, life itself is diverse.” For this reason, GETEC’s management aims to make diversity one of the key elements of its employer branding.

However, Bard sees diversity as far more than just a corporate strategy. It is a social issue that has found its rightful place in public debate. He hopes that, in the medium term, society will accept diversity as normal. “My vision is that there will soon be no need for any discussion about diversity because we will have accepted it as the most natural thing in the world,” he says. This is in line with the commitment made by the company’s managing board.

However, not all of society has yet reached this stage, so Bard addresses diversity in his day-to-day work. He thinks GETEC is making good progress here. In particular, two factors are accelerating the Group’s diversity. The first of these is GETEC’s increasing internationalization. The company is expanding and utilizing opportunities for growth beyond Germany’s borders. Bard cites a few figures: “In 2016, almost all our revenue was generated in Germany. Now, more than half comes from other countries.” It’s therefore only logical that the company’s workforce is becoming more international and more diverse.

The second factor is the shortage of qualified labor. As an energy services provider with a reputation as a problem-solver that is actively shaping the energy transition, GETEC seeks to employ the best people who are capable of designing the smartest solutions for using energy efficiently and reducing carbon emissions. Nowadays, the best talent often comes from an international background. And, in a company that is driven by engineers, a growing number of women are working in areas that were formerly dominated by men. Bard is also very careful to ensure a mix of both young and experienced people.

THE GREATER THE DIVERSITY IN A TEAM, THE BETTER ITS ABILITY TO FOCUS ON NEW ISSUES.

“For some years now, the management approach at GETEC has been very strongly aligned with ESG aspects. We are better able to achieve these goals with teams that are more diverse and bring their varied perspectives to seeking new solutions,” Bard says. ESG stands for environment, social and governance, and Bard feels it is important to focus on these goals. He has observed that “the greater the diversity in a team, the better its ability to focus on new issues.” He doesn’t want a corporate policy that is just about checking boxes, and this applies to diversity in particular. “When I’m hiring someone new, it’s not about having one more nationality at the company or someone of a particular age at a site or a different skin color in a department. I’m not interested in external characteristics like this but in what each applicant can bring to our company. That’s how we can achieve maximum diversity.” However, diversity doesn’t happen by itself. It’s the result of many conscious decisions. The goal is to find the best AND the most diverse.