Hidden champions or those who want to become those have introduced themselves at the career fair of Albstadt-Sigmaringen University.
And not hidden at all. Quite offensively and without frills, they faced the great competition for the young talents. The region around Sigmaringen was visible and present, whether through Bizerba from Balingen, Groz-Beckert from Albstadt-Ebingen or Walter from Tübingen, to name just a few.
At the Company Slam, there was a hint of Sarah Bosetti in the air like at a poetry slam. It was a real highlight last Wednesday at the career fair. The format premiered and will certainly continue to be used in the future.
And my role?
As a lecturer in business ethics and sustainability at the Faculty of Business Science and Management, I was looking for clues. How is the topic of sustainability received in the discussion here? From 2025, all companies with more than 250 employees and net sales of 40 million euros or more will be required to prepare a sustainability report in Germany.
And what did I perceive here?
✳ In fact, the topic of sustainability is on everyone’s lips. No surprise. It has arrived. For some, it’s still a big and costly challenge. For most of them, however, this is an important focus with a high level of attractiveness for the next generation of managers and leaders.
✳ And that’s what it’s all about. How can you attract the diverse and existing talents at the university, the students, to the company? On the other hand, companies become very creative with a wide range of entry opportunities during the studies: practical semesters, working student activities, final theses and even internships abroad are offered.
✳ And when you listen to students’ questions, there is a demand for flexible working hours, offers in health management and opportunities for workation. Welcome to the future.
The shortage of skilled workers is very visible. So is the demand for tomorrow’s managers. After all, this is one of the essential aspects that will be a decisive success factor for the competitiveness of the economy in an international comparison. And this realization was palpable.
And for me, the question is still on the table as to how we can bring more age diversity in the decision-making processes on the topic of sustainability to the executive level. And I’m talking about the participation process of the younger generation.
➡ Do you have an answer or ideas for this?
My name is Bernd Scharbert and my job as a mentor and companion for executives is to pass on my experiential knowledge after 30+ years of leadership experience in the corporate world. If you are interested, please feel free to follow me on LinkedIn, #prepare4landing or contact me directly.
