Annual Report 2012 - Knorr-Bremse AG.
Annual Report 2012 - Knorr-Bremse AG.
Annual Report 2012 - Knorr-Bremse AG.
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<strong>Report</strong><br />
143<br />
Staffing levels also decreased in the Asia/Australia region. While the Group had 5,039 employees in<br />
the region at the end of 2011 (3,823 excl. leasing), on December 31, <strong>2012</strong> it had a workforce of 4,684<br />
(3,762 excl. leasing). This represents a reduction of 7.04%. The proportion of the Group workforce<br />
employed in the Asia/Australia region dropped to 24.5% (2011: 25.1%).<br />
<strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> works on becoming a more attractive employer<br />
A look at new jobs in the <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> Group reveals a significant increase in the number of white-collar<br />
jobs and engineering and service positions. This increase in qualified staff indicates the attractiveness<br />
of <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> as an employer. At the same time, it underscores the need to further intensify<br />
efforts to recruit engineering graduates. In Germany, <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> is pursuing this objective by partnering<br />
with universities, offering work-study programs, expanding marketing activities aimed at students<br />
and sharpening the focus of its employer branding.<br />
Positions for qualified professionals are not only created in <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong>’s central divisions, but at its<br />
various locations as well – in keeping with its commitment to sustainable local development in the<br />
regions where it does business. For example, a new <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> Technology Center is to open for<br />
business in Pune, India. By 2015 this joint product development center for the Rail Vehicles Systems<br />
and Commercial Vehicle Systems divisions is planning to employ a total of 200 development engineers,<br />
who will contribute their knowledge and expertise to the overall success of <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong>.<br />
Human resources planning and management optimized<br />
In <strong>2012</strong> most industrial enterprises saw an increase in their personnel costs due to collective bargaining<br />
agreements in several industrialized nations and in particular to wage increases in the BRIC nations.<br />
In addition, increasing competition for qualified professionals and managers have made it necessary<br />
to adapt to the prevailing market conditions. To reward good performance and stay abreast of<br />
the changing parameters of the labor market, in the year under review <strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> reviewed job<br />
classifications and pay grades for management positions around the world. In addition, human resources<br />
planning and management were optimized, with worldwide employee fluctuation recorded<br />
on a monthly basis, starting in February <strong>2012</strong>. This makes staffing levels more transparent and allows<br />
for more efficient management of future requirements.<br />
Human resources development<br />
Focus on professional and personal goals<br />
Shared success calls for dialogue – a trust-based exchange between supervisor and employee. Dialogue<br />
is essential not only for giving feedback and making certain that everyone is on the same page,<br />
but also for recognizing previously untapped potential, identifying new development opportunities<br />
and working together to achieve professional and personal goals. This is the objective of <strong>Knorr</strong>-<br />
<strong>Bremse</strong>’s Staff Dialogue, which provides a framework for an annual, comprehensive, one-on-one discussion<br />
between employees and their supervisors.<br />
<strong>Knorr</strong>-<strong>Bremse</strong> improves career development<br />
To better identify employee potential and support the career development of junior managers, in<br />
<strong>2012</strong> the Staff Dialogue was expanded to become a standardized Group-wide performance evaluation<br />
process. The employee perspective is brought into the dialogue in the form of a self-assessment<br />
as well as employee suggestions for setting targets. In the performance appraisal, performed by the