Strategically Prepared
Employee Loyalty through Systematic Further Development of High Performers
Mr. Arbeiter, SAP is well known to invest heavily in personnel development. To what extent are you concerned by the currently much discussed topics such as skills shortages and war for talent? |
Christian Arbeiter |
What measures do you take to keep your high potentials and high performers in the company? How do you handle management succession?
Some years ago we already began to implement a systematic, company wide process for the identification of talents and top performers. At the beginning of every year we focus on reviewing the performance of our employees, and during the summer of the same year we take a closer look at high potentials in our company. In special manager meetings the key players and extraordinary talents in particular are being identified and suitable career development measures are discussed. We offer our top talents special company-wide programs, also to broaden their horizons regarding the career and development possibilities within the company. Such perspectives, along with a modern company culture, extensive further training possibilities, benefits, and a performance-based salary, contribute greatly to employee loyalty. A further annually conducted HR process is dedicated to succession management. Every manager suggests possible candidates as his/her potential successor. For key positions, the management also openly discusses such suggestions.
Within a company, effective talent management should be viewed as a cross-divisional task. What are your most important discoveries in this regard in practice?
Talent management is a very important, intrinsic management task, which – actively and purposefully carried out – can ensure that the management and their team can also be equal to the constantly growing challenges in the future. At SAP this important concept is consequently propounded and demanded by the management, as a result of which the topic is targetedly pursued on all management levels. The model set by the executives and the management team has, in my view, the largest influence on a lasting talent management and should not be underestimated.
SAP offers solutions for integrated talent management. What contribution is made by infrastructure and systems, what value does the company culture have in terms of employer branding?
Just as we constantly consider how we can create relevant value added and productivity benefits for our customers through appropriate software process support, we have also considered how important HR themes and processes can be implemented with software support in our own company. In particular this means delivering all HR relevant information to the responsible manager, in real time. Employer branding is a part of the SAP understanding and involves the constant cultivation and further development of the company and management culture: we place our employees according to their abilities and talents, constantly further develop them and thus prepare them for the challenges of the future.
What are your priorities for the coming years? What do you advise other companies to urgently undertake?
In the future SAP will place even more emphasis on strategic HR work and ensure that all HR processes are subordinate to the strategic company goals. Already today recruiting, strategic personnel development and compensation management make this increased orientation towards the corporate goals apparent. At the same time we will further increase the efficiency of the HR work. The outsourcing of not only transaction-oriented services in our HR service centre already today enables all employees a quick and uncomplicated processing of personal HR inquiries. Other (electronic self) services will follow and complete our HR services. Leadership and HR work is supported by modern work equipment and professional consulting by local HR business partners.
Depending on the current HR situation of the company, I would suggest a transitional development from simple personnel administration towards a strategic HR management, and thus an active contribution towards lasting company development can be made.
Many thanks for the discussion!
Company profile
SAP develops and sells, together with partners, business software for companies of all sizes and branches, and also offers related consultation and training. Founded in 1972, SAP is today the third largest independent software supplier worldwide, with branches in more than 50 countries. SAP applications are being used by over 47,800 customers in more than 120 countries. In the business year 2007 the company recorded a turnover of 10.2 billion euro. SAP currently possesses over 51,200 employees, of which around 500 in Austria.
Dr. Christian Arbeiter, law graduate, has been working at SAP since 1995 in the areas of sales and management of large-scale international project. In 2003 he took over the overall HR responsibility for SAP Austria as Director Human Resources. www.sap.com
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