How does an application process work at EUROIMMUN? What matters for us in a job application and which candidates make for a good match? Denise is team leader in the Personnel and Applicant Management Department and will answer these and many more questions.
Hi Denise, what are your tasks in the Personnel and Applicant Management?
My team and I take care of all personnel matters from receipt of the application and the job interview, to the employment and until the point when an employee leaves the company. When we take new colleagues on board, we aim to keep them in the company until they retire. We are the first contact persons for them with all sorts of issues that come up during their professional life – ongoing training, change of departments, etc. We are always happy to assist our colleagues, whatever the issue might be.
We also assist the department directors with personnel issues and give them advice if required and select the new colleagues together.
What does that mean in the daily routine?
First of all, we want to further promote EUROIMMUN and find the best suited applicants for our vacancies in order for EUROIMMUN to keep growing so strongly. This task is mainly the responsibility of our colleagues from the Personnel Marketing with whom we cooperate very closely. Together we go to job and vocational training fairs and career events in order to gain potential new colleagues. Here, people who are interested in working with us can meet us and ask us anything.
People can also find further information about the diverse job opportunities at EUROIMMUN on our career site. Here you can also find my team – including photos and contact details. ;)
What happens after you have received an application?
We take our time to really look at every application in detail. Besides education and professional skills, we are very interested in the applicant’s personality. We are interested in the complete package, which is why we would like the job application to include everything that helps us get a complete picture. All that a candidate has done in their live gives us information on their way of thinking, their skills and talents. Basically, it makes people become what they are today.
In addition to the professional component, it is mainly the cultural fit that matters to us. That means, whether a candidate fits in with EUROIMMUN. This is a fundamental requirement for a long-term employment.
If the candidate seems suitable, we speak to the department which is looking to fill the vacancy. Ideally, we send out an invitation to a job interview afterwards.
If more candidates are possibly interesting for one vacancy, presentations, assessments, lectures or small role plays may be a part of the application process. Alternatively, it is also possible to work here for a day, especially in the laboratories or the production, in order to get an impression of everything. But don’t worry, the interview is mainly about getting to know each other. Just in the same way the applicant tells us about him or herself, we introduce the job, the department and EUROIMMUN in general. Moreover, both sides have the possibility of asking questions.
If we have convinced each other in the interview that we make a good match and everyone can imagine a cooperation, the contractual details are fixed and we are happy to welcome you at EUROIMMUN.
What do you look for in particular in applications?
Based on the application documents we can only see the professional potential of the applicant. However, we want to get to know the person behind the application. What experience does he or she contribute? How and where did they gain this? You can only really get an impression of someone if you meet them in person. Therefore, we do not hire anyone without first speaking to them face to face.
Depending on the vacancy, different criteria apply, since the teams differ as much as the individual jobs at EUROIMMUN. For example, the tasks in quality management require special diligence and correctness, while in production, you have to deal with very small parts, needing a steady hand and a great deal of dexterity. What I want to say: What matters most is that the applicant is making an effort and that we notice that. They should know their abilities, talents, and what they enjoy doing. And all that should become visible in the application. In this way we can more easily see which job could be the most suitable for them.
A gap in the CV is not an exclusion criterion. It always depends on what the candidate did in that time. Maybe someone took care of family member or went on a longer journey. All that makes a person. And all these experiences also find their way into the job.
Are there any possibilities for career changers?
Career changers and autodidacts are always welcome. In our Production Department, for example, there are many colleagues who are originally trained or have worked in a completely different profession, such as dental technicians, goldsmiths, etc. Nowadays, professions are so diverse and develop in such different ways, e.g. due to digitisation, that the typical training for the job is not always required anymore to be successful in that position.
And what about speculative applications?
We are always happy to receive speculative applications. Also in that case we are keen to know what the applicant enjoys doing and wants to do. That knowledge helps us to find suitable fields of work and vacancies. Our main focus of attention is the applicant – and to find them a matching position at EUROIMMUN.
Up to this point, all sounds very promising for the applicant. However, what happens when an applicant is refused? Sending out refusal letters is certainly not among your favourite tasks, is it?
That’s true. Sometimes it is actually really tough, especially when you have met the candidate in person. Even though it is a refusal, we make sure every applicant gets a feedback, because every application means great interest in EUROIMMUN and a lot of effort.
Moreover, if anyone gets refused for one vacancy, e.g. because we are looking for someone more or less experienced, there might be another chance of employment in another position. We screen every application individually and check with other departments for a suitable position. If we see any possibilities of cooperation in another area or at some point in the future, the candidate is included in our applicant pool and we come back to them later. Our message to all applicants is: Please don’t let yourself be put off by a refusal!
One more question, Denise. What should a candidate be like in order to get a job at EUROIMMUN?
Well, I think there is not one concrete answer to that question. There are so many different professions and jobs at EUROIMMUN requiring very different personalities and skills. Over the past years we have experienced great growth. For instance, only in 2018 we hired more than 350 new colleagues, and for 2019, more than 100 new positions shall be filled. Given that we are such a large company, we have comparably few rigid structures and processes. This allows us to work in a flexible and innovative manner.
Maybe that’s what we look for. People who are open-minded and flexible, who are passionate about what they do. We are happy about every colleague who wants to share and contribute their ideas and be a true part of EUROIMMUN. They will experience a friendly, almost familial atmosphere. We want everyone to get along well and to work together to reach our goals. Everyone who wants to get involved can make a difference.