DORMA: Five years one of Germany’s best SME employers
Wolfgang Clement confers ‘Top Job’ award for exemplary personnel management
 Ennepetal. Following the latest surveys carried out as part of the nationwide ‘Top Job’ multi-industry company comparison, DORMA has once again made it into the list of the best employers in Germany’s SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) sector. This year’s round of investigations for this renowned industrial benchmarking initiative found that SMEs particularly exhibited a largely crisis-proof and hence successful personnel management capability. DORMA personnel chief Michael Ecker received the coveted ‘Top Job’ award from former federal economics minister Wolfgang Clement at a ceremony held last Thursday evening at the Duisburg-North Landscape Park conference centre.
All DORMA’s German companies evaluated for the first time
Clement, mentor of the SME initiative, recognised the DORMA Group’s achievements in the categories ‘Management & Vision’, ‘Motivation & Dynamics’, ‘Culture & Communications’, ‘Employee Development & Prospects’, ‘Family Orientation & Demographics’ and ‘Internal Entrepreneurship’. This is the fifth year in a row that the company has been included in the top employer standings. For the first time, all the DORMA’s German companies were individually examined by the exacting jury of the University of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland. And the award applied not only to the whole DORMA Group but also to each of those individual companies, all now members of the elite circle of ‘Top Job’ enterprises. Founded in 1908, DORMA scored particularly high in the ‘Management & Vision’ category. The company grouping is the world market leader in door control equipment and glass fittings and accessories, and also in the field of movable walls. And the management principles of this rapidly expanding company have been developed and established through the active involvement of its national and international managerial staff.
Situational employee development focused on individual needs
The process involved around 100 managers from all the Group’s companies worldwide. Under the eight corporate values that make up the company’s guiding philosophy can be found not just a commitment to profitability and growth but also objectives such as quality, innovation and employee motivation. DORMA’s overall stewardship concept is aligned to situational management: “We have decided in favour of the situational approach because the individual differences that exist between our diverse employees also need to be taken into account in our management methodology,” explains head of personnel development Thomas Höll. “If you have a garden in which roses, cacti, orchids and palms all grow, you cannot give all those plants the same amount of water – some would blossom, some would dry out and others would drown. A similar approach can also be applied to people. Not everyone requires the same degree of personal support or technical input – and with a situational management mindset, we are able to respond to individual needs more effectively.”
The metal fabrication and engineering company successfully passed the tough two-stage examination performed by the Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management of St. Gallen University, with institute director Prof. Dr. Heike Bruch assessing both DORMA’s personnel management instruments and the results of a detailed employee survey. The company also renewed its undertaking to treat its employees fairly – even in economically difficult times – by signing the ‘Top Job’ code of honour. “This award recognising us as a top employer serves to re-affirm the direction that we have taken. It documents in black and white both how important our employees are to us and the appreciation felt by our workforce for our own engagement. Our commitment to the ‘Top Job’ code of honour is therefore just a logical consequence of this ongoing process. Even in difficult times, treating employees fairly still has to take the highest priority,’ emphasised DORMA’s head of HR Michael Ecker.
All the companies receiving the ‘Top Job’ accolade are presented on the website www.topjob.de and in the book published by Bruch and Clement entitled ‘TOP JOB – Germany’s best SME employers’. The benchmarking initiative was organised by SME management specialists compamedia GmbH (Überlingen, Germany). Companies interested in participating in next year’s event can apply at www.topjob.de, with the registration closure date set at April 30, 2010.
Mentor, collaboration partners and scientific leadership
Project mentor is former federal economics minister Dr. h. c. Wolfgang Clement. Among the partners involved are Akademie für Führungskräfte der Wirtschaft GmbH, Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH, meinestadt.de, Zukunft Personal and Süddeutsche Zeitung. Head of scientific analysis is Dr. Heike Bruch, professor and director of the Institute for Leadership and Personnel Management of the University of St. Gallen. She has earned a position of particular prominence in the fields of change management and leadership.
Ennepetal, January 29, 2010
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Named for the fifth time in a row as one of Germany’s best SME employers: DORMA personnel chief Michael Ecker receives the coveted ‘Top Job’ award from former federal economics minister Wolfgang Clement at a ceremony held last Thursday evening at the Duisburg-North Landscape Park conference centre.
Photo: DORMA (reprint free of charge)
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