Baris Bekar and Carsten Reetz

Reetz: On the one hand, this is certainly a far-reaching change, after all the name of a company is the most important distinguishing feature. Especially as we have already made a name for ourselves with many customers and partners under our old company name. On the other hand, a lot remains the same: Wage cost optimization and its advantages for employers and employees will remain our core competence, our existing and perhaps customers in the future can rely on it. This enables us to save the employer an average of more than 1,000 euros per year and employee in terms of labor costs. With the renaming to Kloepfel HR Solutions we want to pay tribute to the increased demand of the market for integrated HR concepts. Last year, we also introduced further HR competencies and optimized processes at some customers, in addition to wage cost optimization. We now want to take this development into account by changing our company name to better reflect our broad portfolio.

Can you explain that in more detail?

Reetz: In our daily work, we have increasingly identified that there is a high demand for solution-oriented advice, especially in the area of HR digitization. A good example here is a digital solution regarding payroll processes. But in general, the entire HR administration can be digitized and thus made more efficient. In 2017, for example, we digitized time recording, travel cost topics and also complex areas such as applicant management for one of our customers. These issues are not yet treated up-to-date in many companies. As a consequence, we have been actively approached by customers on our projects if we can also help in these areas.

Bekar: But there is enormous potential for more than just digitalization. Even “offline” improvements in HR can be implemented at many companies, as we have noted. Thanks to optimized structures and processes, significant savings can also be achieved. That’s why holistic HR cost reduction is an additional field on which we continue to offer competent advice. In addition, we want to promote the topic of employer branding more on our customers’ agenda. Thereby, the focus should stay on our core competence in the area of wages and salary.

Where do you think does this demand come from?

Reetz: This is primarily due to the current disruptive changes in HR. Due to a lack of specialist and demographic change, it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to find suitable employees who fit to the mentality as well as to the skills of the company. In addition, studies repeatedly show that a change in employees’ interests can be observed, especially in generation Y. Desires for freedom and self-realization are playing an increasingly important role in the search for an employer.

Companies that want to keep up with the times have to focus more on the satisfaction of their employees. Kloepfel HR Solutions helps to increase employer attractiveness sustainably and as cost-effectively as possible. Because in addition to employee retention, controlling personnel costs is a decisive challenge for companies in the future. We can reconcile both approaches with the help of labor cost optimization by generating lower labor costs for the employer and a higher net salary for the employee using tax-privileged labor modules.

Bekar: The general data protection regulation, which will come into force in May, is another topic that our customers actively address. But only the fewest have the far-reaching changes fully in view. The new regulation affects many HR areas, such as candidate management. The correct handling of sensitive data, such as the storage of personal documents, is more important than ever. Even here we can prepare our customers for the challenges of the 21st century with professional expertise and experience.

What are your goals and visions for 2018 and the next years with Kloepfel HR Solutions?

Reetz: In the short term, the expansion of our products, in addition to wage cost optimization through efficient structures, is a main focus in order to be optimally prepared for the next steps. The next step is to push ahead with the networking of these products so that we can continue to actively support our customers. In the long term, of course, we are striving for further healthy growth so that Kloepfel Personalmanagement can continue on its successful path under the new name HR Solutions. Baris is supposed to play an important role in this, which is why I am glad that he has been supporting us since the beginning of this year.

Mr. Bekar, are you able to outline in just a few words your area of responsibility as well as your career and how you became aware of Kloepfel HR Solutions?

Bekar: I am responsible for procedural progress and project management issues. The aim is to set up Kloepfel HR Solutions in such a way that we can grow fast and healthy – with appropriate structures that promote and secure everything. I studied Business Administration with a specialization in Corporate Finance. My previous career took place mainly in the banking environment, where I was involved in migration processes of bought-up financial institutions, which helps me a lot in building up the new online and offline structures. The reason why I changed now to the management consultancy and especially to Kloepfel HR Solutions is that I like to get involved into new topics, I am convinced by the business model and I had the feeling to learn a lot and to be able to advance my career right from the beginning. The short decision paths also play into my hands and give me the feeling that I can really effect something.

What makes you optimistic that these goals can be achieved?

Bekar:I daily see how focused and motivated we are in working on these goals. This, combined with the high demand on the market for our services, makes us very positive. But no gain without pain, that is the basic structure, especially in consulting.

In January, Kloepfel HR Solutions also opened a new additional office in Berlin. What is the motivation behind this step?

Reetz:In the course of our planned growth, the question of spatial expansion also arose. With our new office in Berlin, we now have the opportunity to advise customers from this region even faster and more efficiently, which is also an advantage with regard to our new product range. We can also further expand our close partnership with our affiliate Kloepfel Recruiting through the proximity in the same building.

What is your first impression of the new office?

The new office building in Berlin at Stralauer Allee

Bekar: In addition, we are only 20 minutes away from the Federal Chancellery by taxi, so if Mrs. Merkel would like to have more net from the gross, we would be happy to help and advise her. (laughs)

Der Beitrag Interview: Kloepfel Personalmanagement is now called Kloepfel HR Solutions erschien zuerst auf Kloepfel HR Solutions.

The success story of Kloepfel Personalmanagement continues under a new name:
Since March 1, 2018, Kloepfel Personalmanagement GmbH has been appearing with a new company name and brand image. The change of name to Kloepfel HR Solutions GmbH is intended to express the diverse expertise in the field of HR consulting more succinctly. The core business of the company continues to be labor cost optimization, with which significant and sustainable savings in wages and salaries can be achieved. In the spirit of the Kloepfel Group, which has committed itself to the holistic cost reduction of its customers, the experts at Kloepfel HR Solutions can significantly relieve the salary budgets of its customers through individual solutions. But an optimized representation can also uncover potential on the employee side, which ultimately means cash for the employees.

The renaming to Kloepfel HR Solutions is intended to pay tribute to the increased market demand for integrated HR concepts. In addition to wage cost optimization, other HR competencies were already introduced and processes optimized at some customers last year. The name was changed in order to take more account of this development and so to emphasize the broadly set up portfolio better. Thus, the digitization of HR processes and structures is another business field in which Kloepfel HR Solutions supports its customers in word and deed. Human resources departments still have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to using digital opportunities, such as payroll accounting, recording working hours or applicant management. But many companies can also realize “offline” improvements in the HR area through optimized structures and processes, and the topics of employer branding and data protection are also to be increasingly put on the agenda of customers in the future.

Since the beginning of the year, Kloepfel HR Solutions can rely on the professional competence and know-how of Baris Bekar as the new Head of Operations in the implementation of these ambitious goals. From his previous career in the banking sector, the graduate economist has a sound knowledge of the structure and development of business processes and will thus contribute to the success story of Kloepfel HR Solutions as part of the management team.

In January, Kloepfel HR Solutions also opened a new additional office in the heart of Berlin. With the office at Stralauer Allee 2a, customers from this area can now be advised even faster and more efficiently.

Managing Director Carsten Reetz comments on the goals and visions for 2018 as follows: “In the short term, the expansion of our products, in addition to wage cost optimization through efficient structures, is a main focus in order to be optimally prepared for the next steps. The next step is to push ahead with the networking of these products so that we can continue to actively support our customers. In the long term, of course, we are striving for further healthy growth so that Kloepfel Personalmanagement can continue on its successful path under the new name HR Solutions. Baris is supposed to play an important role in this, which is why I am glad that he has been supporting us since the beginning of this year.”

Press contact:
Kloepfel HR Solutions GmbH
Pempelforter Str. 50
40211 Düsseldorf
P +49 211 601 053 70
F +49 211 882 594 20
[email protected]
www.kloepfel-hrs.com

Der Beitrag Name change of Kloepfel Personalmanagement GmbH to Kloepfel HR Solutions GmbH erschien zuerst auf Kloepfel HR Solutions.

Sector: Air and sea freight service, third party logistics, customs clearance services
Turnover: around € 110 million in Germany

Optimization measures:

• Optimization of an annual wage and salary review
• Further implementation in existing HR system
• Increase of employer attractiveness and employee retention
• Support for internal communication

Reference interview with Mr. Jürgen Erdt, Managing Director Germany at JAS Forwarding GmbH

Can you briefly describe in your own words what the aim of the project was?

Erdt: The aim of the project was initially to integrate all legal possibilities for tax benefits into an annual wage and salary round. Through this we can cover the annual wage adjustments – regardless of whether they are due to collective bargaining or inflation – with tax-free benefits. (The company JAS Forwarding is not bound by collective bargaining agreements, but is oriented towards tariffs usual in the industry, editor’s note.) The second step of the project was the further implementation of such tax-privileged modules in our existing wage and salary system, of course without net disadvantages for our employees.

Were you skeptical or rather open-minded at the beginning of the project?

Erdt: In general, we were a bit skeptical at first, as we have had no real experience with other tax options – apart from job tickets or petrol vouchers. However, due to Kloepfel Personalmanagement’s extensive information on the available tax options, the skepticism quickly subsided.

What were the biggest challenges at the beginning of the project?

Erdt: First of all, internal communication was a major challenge. At first, the training of the extended management team on the advantages of integrating the tax-free extras was very important in order to face the employees with a one-voice approach. In a second step, information had to be provided to the employees because of the fact that there was no fundamental rejection, but a certain basic skepticism, for example with regard to social contributions or pensions. That is why i believe that internal information and educational work was the biggest challenge.

What has been the feedback of your employees on the optimized net wage increase?

Erdt: The skepticism quickly disappeared when the employees saw that there were no personal disadvantages for them and that real examples were available. This gave people some confidence in the benefits this model offers.

How would you describe the operating principles of the Kloepfel project team?

Erdt: Right from the beginning a good cooperation was guaranteed. Kloepfel Personalmanagement received professional consulting from a tax expert who was able to clarify the tax issues. On the other hand, project management skills were imparted, like how such a project works, how the information was designed or what experience was gained from other projects. I perceive this as a very good combination and underlined the competent cooperation.

Joint project success is also always person-dependent. We are talking about being temporary colleagues in the projects. How was your feeling?

Erdt: We have always had the opportunity, whether in tax or organizational matters, to ask for help and advice. Also through the attempt to work off certain ‘milestones’ a very close contact arose.

What is your conclusion after the end of the project?

Erdt: We see this first cooperation as an introduction to the topic of wage cost optimization. By integrating the tax-privileged components, we were able to significantly reduce our wage costs in the first year and at the same time take our employees with us, which was very important in order to have acceptance for such benefits in the future. Therefore, this is more an intermediate step than the end of a project in order to further integrate the topic increasingly into wage adjustments in the future.

Would you recommend Kloepfel Personalmanagement?

Erdt: Due to the very professional and positive cooperation with Kloepfel Personalmanagement, I can definitely recommend a cooperation to others.

Der Beitrag Project interview JAS Forwarding GmbH erschien zuerst auf Kloepfel HR Solutions.

Sector: Liquors
Turnover:  around € 50 million

Optimization measures :

• Optimization of existing wages and implementation in the HR system
• Optimization of a special payment
• Increase of employer attractiveness and employee retention
• Support for internal communication

Reference interview with Mr. Andreas Wiedemann, Human Resources Manager and Head of Financial Accounting at Verpoorten GmbH & Co.KG

Can you briefly describe in your own words what the aim of the project was?

Wiedemann: First the information of all employees, then the generation of mutual savings, i.e. more net wages for the employees and savings in social security contributions for the employer. The next goal was to convince as many employees as possible in group and personal discussions and to implement the project quickly. In addition, Kloepfel Personalmanagement supported us in implementing an optimized special payment for our employees.

Were you skeptical or rather open-minded at the beginning of the project?

Wiedemann: I was rather open-minded because I had been interested in this topic for a long time. We have already collected information in the past and have also discussed such projects internally, but an implementation was only made by Kloepfel Personalmanagement. I always see it very positively when one can generate improvements for the employees.

What were the biggest challenges at the beginning of the project?

Wiedemann: First of all we had to make persuasion and eliminate initial rejections. When it comes to change, people are often a little skeptical, that was the main task in the beginning. You have to explain to your employees that you take something away from them at first, but in the end you get more net income for them. This was not so easy at the beginning, but worked out very well over time.

To what extent does the optimization have a lasting effect on your employer attractiveness and employee retention?

Wiedemann: Certainly very positive, as we as an employer show that our employees are very important to us and that the focus is not only on the other operational processes.

How would you describe the operating principles of the Kloepfel project team?

Wiedemann: Clear, structured, informative and very supportive.

Joint project success is also always person-dependent. We are talking about being temporary colleagues in the projects. How was your feeling?

Wiedemann: I can totally agree with that. I also have the feeling that despite the completed project we can continue to address Kloepfel Personalmanagement as a contact partner, which I can certainly imagine.

What is your conclusion after the end of the project?

Wiedemann: From start to finish, Kloepfel Personalmanagement’s contact persons and internal tax consultants provided perfect support. The positive aspects for both parties – employer and employee – must also be mentioned.

Would you recommend Kloepfel Personalmanagement?

Wiedemann: Unlimited yes!

Der Beitrag Project interview Verpoorten GmbH & Co. KG erschien zuerst auf Kloepfel HR Solutions.