Training and Education

Objectives, Measures and Indicators

Traineeships

Vocational training is a key pillar of Vonovia’s recruitment strategy. We offer a wide range of vocational training programs. We adapt our training schemes to current developments in the world of work and systematically prepare junior employees for these changes, for instance with regard to digital technologies. This also includes developing the personal skills necessary for shaping and transforming work structures, such as applying more initiative when dealing with tasks.

We are currently offering training in 22 locations for 14 different occupations, as well as offering dual study programs. In addition, we offer part-time traineeships for young mothers and fathers, athletes and home carers.

Training rate in Germany (icon)

5.3%

Training rate in Germany (excl. BUWOG Germany)

(Group: 4.9%)

Vonovia employed a total of 470 trainees as of December 31, 2018 (Dec. 31, 2017: 462), of whom 137 were commercial trainees and 333 were technical trade trainees. This means that trainees account for 5.3% of the total workforce. Since our employee numbers are currently growing faster than our trainee numbers, the training rate declined by 0.1 percentage points against the previous year. Nevertheless, we remain one of the few companies in the DAX 30 increasing their training rate further.

We intend to focus on:

  • Training offers for skills and qualifications oriented toward our actual needs at Vonovia
  • Training schemes adapted to the changing needs of the future working world
  • Keeping our high training rate constant by creating training roles and filling vacant positions
  • Offering our trainees good prospects for the future and keeping the number of trainees we keep on high as part of our succession planning
  • Filling 10 percent of the training roles with the sons and daughters of our tenants (Aktion Mieterkind)

We are implementing various measures to help us achieve our targets, such as the expansion and strengthening of our employer brand (see chapter Challenges, Opportunities and Risks), as well as new innovative recruiting measures such as ‘trainee speed dating’. We are also actively encouraging women and girls to take an interest in the trade professions, for instance with our annual Girls’ Day.

Sustainability Issues in Traineeships

During their training, trainees at Vonovia complete a number of stations in various departments. This gives our trainees an insight into current issues, including sustainability issues, such as demographic change, energy efficiency and renewable energies.

Further Training

Our HR development tools are a main aspect of HR development. These tools include:

  • Annual employee appraisal with a manager: Discussing performance and assessing potential for further development; agreeing on specific development measures and targets 404-3
  • HR routines/meetings between managers and their supervisors/the Management Board: Discussing annual results and identifying sources of potential; agreeing individual development plans and planning succession guidelines
  • Summer employee appraisal with a manager: Confidential feedback sessions and discussing cooperation; deriving measures to improve cooperation where necessary 404-3

We organized special training sessions in 2018 in order to support our managers in conducting these appraisals with a view to raising awareness of their management responsibilities. Developing our managers’ skills is an important topic for Vonovia in general because our managers bear special responsibilities and serve as role models for our employees. We use current situation assessments to identify their strengths and the areas in need of development, and derive the necessary measures to be taken. We expanded our further training offers for managers in 2017 to reflect the area-specific needs.

In order to identify individuals with talent and potential, and expand our succession planning, we included more training courses in our further training program in 2018, focusing particularly on the needs of the technical service. In HR meetings and routine work we identified employees who would benefit from these training courses.

The fundamental aim of our HR development work is to offer employees target group-specific development opportunities. This includes communication training for our installers and gardeners, for example.

Our portfolio also contains training courses on cultural diversity amongst our tenants, communication, dealing with difficult situations and reducing stress.

Internal customer service training:

  • Internal trainers regularly conduct training and coaching sessions in the customer service department
  • The aim of the sessions is to help employees deal with issues in a more customer friendly and service oriented manner
  • The sessions include onboarding and basic training, department-specific specialist and communication training and training for specific systems
  • The aim of these measures is to provide our employees with the best support for their everyday work and to provide personal development on-the-job

2,176

employees

took part in further training in 2018.

€ 3.8

million

was invested in further training in 2018.

108

new trainees

started work at Vonovia in the technical trade area in 2018.

14

traineeships and study courses

are available at Vonovia.

Sustainability Issues in Further Training

Many sustainability issues are part of our employees’ daily work. We therefore offer further training to raise awareness of these issues among our employees and to offer them relevant certification.

Our certified real estate technician course, for example, covers building technology topics and aspects such as the causes of, preventing and eliminating mold and damp, heat insulation and the German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV).