Understanding The German Recruitment Culture For A Better Hiring Experience

Germany has emerged as a major hotspot for organizations seeking great expansion opportunities. With an increasing number of internationally based ventures are setting up operations within the country there has been a natural surge in the demand for high quality candidates across different niches. However, in order for an international headhunting company to ensure the success of its recruitment campaign in Germany, it is essential to gain a better understanding of the local recruitment culture. This includes learning about the various processes, routines and protocols that are generally followed during the recruitment process and how these are used for hiring the most suitable candidates.

 

Assessing Candidate Quality And Competence

The German recruiters tend to study the resumes of the potential candidates in great detail. They try to analyse every small aspect of the career profile of the candidate even before the interview Hence, it is important for the candidates to make sure that they offer accurate and valid information in the resume and know the document inside out before appearing for an interview.

The interview process in Germany is more focused on the gaining an understanding about what motivates the candidates. Thus the questions asked are more related to the steps taken by the candidates to handle specific situations. It is also not unusual for the German recruiters to pose questions based on hypothetical situations to the candidates. The candidates’ responses to these questions help them to assess their skills and competence level.

 

Generation Of Job Offer

It is not uncommon for the hiring process in Germany to comprise of 2-3 rounds of interviews with the candidates. In addition to a face-to-face interview, the candidates are also expected to attend a trail day with the company. It is normal for the hiring organizations to keep the candidates waiting for 1-2 months before they are provided with a job offer. This is because German people in general are known to take their time for making vital decisions. Since hiring an executive level candidate is not a minor decision, it is not unusual for the recruitment process to be completed within a period of 1.5-2 months.

 

General Approach To Recruitment

The hiring culture followed by a recruitment agency Germany is significantly different from the culture followed in other countries. The key highlights of this unique culture are listed as follows.

·         The German recruiters do not have the habit of beating around the bush. They prefer the direct approach and hence if they want to know something they will ask about in an extremely straightforward manner.

·         Germans value efficiency above everything else which makes them extremely focused on their work. This also minimizes the chances of error as they make great efforts to understand the tasks being assigned to them to accomplish them with utmost efficiency.

·         The German people in general are extremely serious about meeting deadlines and being punctual. They do not think twice about putting in some extra time to avoid unnecessary delays.

·         Germans in general tend to follow rules and regulations in a stringent manner. They have a very poor sense of humour especially with respect to their professional roles and responsibilities.