STIHL is the most attractive employer in the consumer durables sector in Germany according to the "Best Employer" survey conducted by Focus magazine this year. Overall, STIHL was ranked 37. In the engineering sector, STIHL took 2nd place. Dr. Michael Prochaska, executive board member for human resources, accepted the award on Monday evening in Berlin. He said: "STIHL is perceived as an attractive employer and is able to assert itself in the competition for the best talents across Germany. We will only maintain our innovative strength if we can recruit dedicated staff." Focus interviewed more than 19,000 employees in the survey. The rankings included in particular the willingness of employees to recommend their own employer as well as their assessment of other employers within the industry.
"We are proud of the fact that we manage to attract employees who fit in well with our corporate culture. As a result of targeted development, newcomers to the company are able to take on responsibility relatively quickly. The opportunity to be creative and having the freedom to develop one's own ideas are typical hallmarks of careers at STIHL. This approach has proven successful: anyone who recommends his or her employer to others is making a declaration of the highest trust in the company. That is a tribute and also an inspiration for our future progress," said Dr. Prochaska. STIHL is heavily committed to supporting young staff during their training and also in universities. For example, STIHL has been sponsoring six scholarship students since the beginning of the 2013/2014 winter semester at Stuttgart University and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Dr. Prochaska explained: "We build a relationship with potential STIHL staff at a very early stage. More than half of our young staff have had contact with the company at some point, either by way of an internship, a thesis or a job as a student employee." STIHL currently employs more than 13,000 men and women worldwide, of which over 4,000 work at the German founding company. Some 300 students are able to gather practical experience at STIHL in Germany every year.
STIHL offers its employees a comprehensive package of attractive conditions. Almost 70 percent of founding company employees take advantage of the participating rights scheme for which STIHL received the "AGP Stars 2013" award from the Association of Co-partnership in Business (AGP). The total capital of the participating rights holders has since climbed to €33.6 million. Those subscribing to participating rights receive a subsidy from the company amounting to two thirds of the purchase price. The interest paid on the participating rights capital was again 10 percent in fiscal year 2012. Dr. Prochaska said: "The company promotes a culture which puts people and teamwork foremost. The encouraging result is a high level of identification with the company: An employee survey held in autumn 2013 showed that 91 percent of our workforce are proud to be part of STIHL." Company social benefits have a long and time-proven tradition at STIHL. Apart from the employees' participating rights scheme, an annual merit bonus and the company pension scheme, which company founder Andreas Stihl introduced in 1939, are also part the benefits package offered by the company.