In the family-run company Drägerwerk AG with the main divisions of safety and medical technology and around 14,000 employees worldwide, a colleague was sent abroad as part of personnel development. The secondment was planned for 6 months. As the colleague decided to stay there for 3 years, the position was filled on a temporary basis. The HR interim manager stayed on until the new colleague had completed her extensive induction training.
In the meantime, the HR interim manager took over all of the operational tasks of the seconded HR manager - after an appropriate handover. This activity covered a support area with a total of around 500 employees at two locations in Lübeck.
As HR Manager, the HR Interim Manager was responsible for the entire portfolio, from recruitment (staff joining) to daily cooperation with the works council and a termination agreement (staff leaving). In particular, she was able to provide impetus for her area of responsibility in the area of conducting discussions between managers and their employees and resolving conflicts accordingly. In addition, the interim manager offered various employees company reintegration management - and was also able to support some employees during their reintegration. The previous HR manager had not yet done this. Due to her experience, the interim manager was also valued by her colleagues as a collegial advisor.
Reducing sickness rates through leadership behavior
In another focus of the interim mandate, the interim manager represented Human Resources in a "health project" for the entire production area. The project involved around 1,500 employees in Lübeck. Here she successfully contributed her many years of experience in reducing high sickness rates. She took on the leadership sub-project. This sub-project focused primarily on how leadership behavior can contribute to reducing the sickness rate.
The interim manager received feedback that the project would not have taken off so quickly without her. After the end of the interim mandate, she was booked again by the project manager for a workshop.
After a good 2 months, a successor was found for the position of the HR manager who had been sent abroad, so that the total project duration amounted to 9 months. The new colleague, who was recruited externally, was able to take over the role after 9 working days of very intensive training.
