A long-established brand manufacturer with 380 employees in Münsterland was taken over by a European group in 2016 when the HR manager unexpectedly resigned. During this phase, the management did not want to rush into filling the position, but also did not want to leave it unfilled. The HR interim manager was therefore given the task of interim HR manager.
Complex initial situation with insecure employees and managers
The HR interim manager found herself in a very complex situation. The company was coming out of a very turbulent and financially difficult situation. A collective wage restructuring agreement had been in place for more than ten years. A young management team had only recently replaced the company's long-standing management with great commitment. The new management complained about the state of the HR department in the company and wanted more concrete support in the current phase.
The workforce was unsettled by the takeover. There were uncertainties about the future cooperation with the European and German headquarters. Silo thinking prevailed in some departments. In some areas, communication from top to bottom was just as poor as vice versa. The change process was also temporarily supported by an external organizational development team.
First, the HR interim manager held discussions to gain an overview of the current situation. To improve communication, she arranged regular meetings with the key players in the company and advised the management team.
Clarification of employment law when transferring to national companies
In the course of the integration process into the Group, she transferred the employees who were employed in other European countries to the national companies of the parent company and clarified the employment contract situations. Furthermore, the sales department was relocated to the German group headquarters in the Rhine-Main area. The interim manager developed a communication concept for this and successfully managed the process in close coordination with all parties involved.
Continuous coaching of HR employees
The 4 employees in the HR department had hardly received any guidance in the past. Here, the interim manager provided continuous coaching. Together with the HR employees, she also ensured the day-to-day operations.
She gradually optimized the internal HR processes and improved the department's service performance. In close coordination with the team, she introduced various HR software tools and processes from the parent company. In addition, the interim HR manager regularly coordinated with the contacts at the European and German headquarters.
Professional collaboration on HR and budget planning as well as recruitment
In addition to the requirements of day-to-day operations, the interim manager also prepared HR and budget planning. She recruited several specialists and managers to compensate for the fluctuation caused by the uncertain situation. In addition, she successfully organized the secondment of an employee to China with the support of an external service provider.
In the area of personnel development, the HR interim manager initiated employee appraisals to systematically promote and retain employees. She also organized team development seminars to improve communication and collaboration
Preparations made for the expiry of the collective wage restructuring agreement
The interim manager coordinated and supported initial exploratory talks between the union's interest group, the works council and management on the expiry of the collective wage restructuring agreement. The negotiations were continued by the newly recruited HR manager. At the end of the interim mandate, the interim manager familiarized him with his work and handed over her projects.
In the mandate, the interim manager was able to provide important impetus for the positioning and service orientation of the HR department. The management therefore extended the successful collaboration with new sub-projects from an initial four months to a one-year term.
