Annual Report 2009/10 Excellence in Retailing - Douglas Holding

seminar at the Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen
during 2010, learning how best to develop strategies
and execute them within their teams. During a twoyear
period, every Thalia manager will be participating
in this ten-day seminar. Digitization – a process
that has specifically sparked fundamental changes in
the bookselling segment – numbers among the seminars’
key themes.
Diversified human resource marketing
For years, college marketing has formed the key
thrust in the classical “offline” efforts to secure qualified
young employees. By maintaining very close ties
to selected colleges – such as the traditional universities
of Münster and Cologne and the universities of
applied science in Bremen and Worms – HR managers
are able to engage with students personally and awaken
their interest in the DOUGLAS Group. Through
student placements, assessment center exercises,
workshops, talks on practical aspects of retailing,
seminars focusing on case studies and activities at
recruiting fairs, students learn a great deal about the
DOUGLAS Group and its benefits as an employer.
The redesigned career website is the hub of the
Group’s online marketing activities. The varied types
of employment and diversified career opportunities
available in the DOUGLAS Group are all detailed at
http://karriere.douglas-holding.com along with adverts
on open positions.
With its blogs, social networks like XING, Facebook
and SchülerVZ, and online platforms like YouTube,
Web 2.0 technology has ushered in a new and innovative
form of human resource marketing. And these
channels are being progressively integrated into the
Group’s personnel marketing activities. In an initial
step, a corporate profile was published on XING in
October 2010. Managers can also post want ads on
this site and, once registered, directly contact suitably
skilled subscribers. Plans to establish a brand page for
the Human Resources department on Facebook are
currently being evaluated with the goal of presenting
an authentic picture of working in the DOUGLAS
Group and highlighting the company’s attractions for
employees.
Preparations for blogs are already underway. Echoing
the theme of “Rock the Blog!” a new blog is being
DOUGLAS HOLDING AG 23
Mission Statement
Letter to the Shareholders
Executive Board
Corporate Governance
Report of the Supervisory Board
DOUGLAS Share
Impressions
Human Resources
launched in February 2011 – with 9 apprentices from
the holding company and subsidiaries posting reports
on their training. Schoolchildren interested in learning
about their experiences and contacting them online
can do so at www.azubi-blog.douglas-holding.de.
With heart and mind into the future
The new channels of communication are not the
only major challenges facing the Group’s Human Resources
department. Given shifting demographic patterns,
it needs to make detailed preparations now for
the employment markets in five and ten years’ time.
In this context, the DOUGLAS Group is remaining true
to its philosophy of offering abundant training opportunities.
Furthermore, older members of staff are
receiving additional support in the form of special
programs etc. For this reason, the Group is continuing
to contribute to “Experience 50+,” a project jointly
sponsored by the German Retail Federation (HDE)
and the country’s Ministry of Family Affairs which
runs special training courses keyed to the needs of the
over-fifties. A good mix between experienced older
and curious younger employees will remain a significant
key to success in the future. Blended perfectly,
they can make the ideal team.
Exploring the possibilities of multi-channel retailing,
and instilling enthusiasm for its potential, will be
one of the main tasks facing managers and human
resource development officers during 2011. One major
challenge in sales training will be sensitizing employees
to the idea of multi-channel retailing. This entails
increasing their awareness of the Internet and demonstrating
the mutual benefits of coordinating operations
at stationary and online stores. To this end, the
Human Resources department is providing courses
that enable store employees to give the best possible
advice to their customers. This might, for example, include
helping a customer order an out-of-stock product
from the company’s Internet shop.
With some 90 percent of the workforce female,
supporting women at work is naturally a key aspect
of the Group’s HR development activities. An array of
options reconciling work and family needs – such as
a “Parents’ Hotline” and flexible working schedules –
allow mothers to remain in their jobs and personally
configure their working hours to fit their individual
timetables. With the “Minifiliale” kindergarten at