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Rainer, why did you decide to work in HR?
I once completed an internship in a hotel in Zurich. I experienced how badly employees were treated there. I was sure that there must be other ways of dealing with employees and asked myself: “Who is actually responsible for personnel here?” That was the foundation stone for my later career in HR.

Why did you choose PANTOPIX and how was your first few weeks?
Two factors played a decisive role for me here.

1) After 13 years in Berlin, I wanted a change – I wanted to move to one of the most beautiful regions in Germany. The Lake Constance region offers me absolute quality of life. I like to be active outdoors in my free time, and I can’t think of a better place.

2) PANTOPIX appealed to me because I can work here and contribute to the growth of the company through my work. I need a working environment where my opinion is valued and I can use my skills. I want to build things up and I need to be allowed to be creative.

The first few weeks were challenging, but also satisfying. At the beginning, it was important to establish contact with the team, but also to get an overview of the existing instruments, structures and documents and to define the resulting measures.

What are your tasks as Head of HR?
In my role, I am a generalist. I am responsible for the entire employee lifecycle. This starts with the application and ends when the employee leaves. I make sure that the employee receives their monthly payment, as well as their yearly performance review. I create the job advertisement and manage the applications. I write employment contracts and references and fill out forms for the authorities. I maintain contact with the vocational school, external payroll accounting, recruiters and authorities. I listen to the professional and personal needs of the team… and, if necessary, I make sure that wrongdoing is punished and good performance is honored…. The second is much more common and more fun.

What qualities do you think are important in this position?
Oh dear, the list would be very long. I’ll try to limit myself to the top 5:

• People skills
• Empathy / cultural understanding
• Assertiveness / “will do” mentality
• Analytical skills / strategic thinking
• Knowledge of labor law

PANTOPIX has grown significantly in the past and would like to expand further. How do we find new colleagues and how does the onboarding of new employees work?
The growth of a company like PANTOPIX presents exciting challenges, especially when it comes to finding new colleagues and successfully integrating them into the team.

We find new colleagues through:

• Job boards: We use our homepage, but also platforms such as: LinkedIn, or Indeed, to place job advertisements. This allows us to reach applicants who are actively looking for a job.
• Specialized recruiters: We get help and also commission external recruiters. These mainly address the “passive” applicants.
• Employer branding: “Rattling is part of the trade” and so we sell to the outside world what PANTOPIX is all about from the employees’ point of view. Because what we like could also arouse the interest of potential applicants. We do this via our website or targeted HR marketing on social media
• Talent development: We promote the further development of existing employees and fill open/new positions internally.
• Universities and colleges: We have relationships with educational institutions to recruit talent directly from their studies. We offer students the opportunity to gain work experience.
• Measure: Several times a year, we as PANTOPIX are on our own mission at measure and networking events. We always have one eye open to make contact with potential candidates and represent ourselves as an employer.

A structured onboarding program is essential to make it easier for new employees to get started and quickly become productive. For us, onboarding new employees starts before their first day at work. I write to new employees around two weeks before they start and tell them what preparations we are currently making for them and ask if they have any questions for me. On the first day of work, I make sure that all employees are informed about the new team member’s “start” and that all work equipment is available and working. The new employee should feel our excitement and get the feeling that “I was expected”. After his or her “check-in” at the HR office, the team takes over its new member. Everyone has the opportunity to introduce themselves and get to know each other better over lunch at the latest.
In terms of content, we have created an electronic induction plan for the employee to help them familiarize themselves with the location, the company, the rules of conduct, benefits and offers.

How do you collect and use feedback from employees to further strengthen our corporate culture and develop ourselves?
I collect information through simple observation or active listening. I do this by “taking a walk around the building”, over a coffee together or in a scheduled one-to-one meeting. The recently conducted employee survey was also an effective way of obtaining feedback. With a participation rate of 89%, we received very representative feedback. Even though 100% of respondents rated the working atmosphere at PANTOPIX as positive, we are not satisfied with this. Just as PANTOPIX is constantly improving its service, I will also work on further optimizing the working environment for employees. There are already concrete measures in place today.

What do you like most about PANTOPIX?
The team’s open mentality made it very easy for me to get started. I was able to establish a first personal contact quite quickly at the beginning, which became more and more intensive over time. It’s great to get to know the people behind the professionals. In addition, the working atmosphere is characterized by professionalism paired with “lightness” – a constellation that forms the perfect balance.