ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - Kuehne + Nagel

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Sustainability _ _ _ _ _ _ Human Resources
SUSTAINABILITY
Human resources
The human resources strategy of the Kuehne + Nagel Group
focuses on the sustained further development and training of its
staff and management in line with the company’s philosophy. It
is also dedicated to advancing organisational structures and
management principles.
Kuehne + Nagel's human resources department plays a key role
in the successful implementation of the global growth programme.
The year 2011 was marked by extensive activities to
recruit the necessary experts and managers, the integration of
seven acquired firms with a workforce of more than two thousand
employees, and the continuation of the various talent management
programmes.
The globally harmonised HR processes and systems, which were
introduced in the year 2011 supported the value proposition of
the human resources department to the success of the company.
Recruitment and development of talent
The objective is to ensure a harmonious and continuous development
process from induction training to the appointment to
senior managerial functions.
In 2011, major steps were made towards synchronising and
interlinking the various development programmes and levels all
over the world.
The global e-recruitment solution, which was developed in 2010,
was introduced in 51 countries and linked to 11 global job
portals. This enabled Kuehne + Nagel to reach a substantially
larger number of talented people as well as to significantly
speed up recruitment processes and, at the same time, reduce
costs.
Apprentices
Kuehne + Nagel has a strong apprenticeship programme in
place for which it received a number of awards in the year under
review. In Germany, for example, 887 young people are serving
an apprenticeship in 12 different fields of specialisation; this
represents an increase of 8.5 per cent over the previous year.
High Potentials
On the basis of local and regional young talent programmes, the
global High Potential programme, realigned in 2010, was
continued. A main focal point was the realisation of the next
development steps in the careers of the 80 participants. The candidates
classified as “ready to move” (around 30 per cent) were
assigned within four months to their next appropriate career
function.
Training and development
In 2011 as well, Kuehne + Nagel invested in staff training and
development. More than 12,000 training and further education
courses were held all over the world. In this connection the number
of computer-based training (CBT) courses increased by more
than 50 per cent with more than 60,000 participants.
Employee development at Kuehne + Nagel is based on the following
key elements:
— Early transfer of top performers to different functions and
regions,
— Early assumption of business responsibility,
— Filling of key positions primarily from the company's own ranks.
The career and further development opportunities offered by
the company contribute to the high attractiveness of Kuehne +
Nagel as an employer. This is also reflected in the low attrition
rate among top performers, which remains unchanged at
around 3 per cent.
Increasing productivity
The personnel-intensive services in the logistics industry offer a
potential for increases in productivity. In addition to targeted
selection, special attention is paid to the successful integration
of new staff by rapid and intensive training in all relevant work
processes.
A major part of the functional trainings is accounted for by
QSHE (Quality, Safety, Health and Environment). This underlines
the company's commitment to sustainability.