Trendsetting Human Capital Management

Ottobock has received the "BestPersAward 2010/2011" in recognition of its innovative, trendsetting human capital management activities. This employer competition is held every two years by the Institute for Management Competence at Saarbrücken University, recognising the best personnel concepts of SMEs.

Ottobock was able to convince the jury with a sophisticated overall concept: the harmonised measures were implemented in the last three years by Roland Hehn, Director of Personnel and his team. In the process, the HR department was developed from an HR administration to a business partner and closely linked to the company strategy. "This award confirms that we are on the right path, and simultaneously recognises the efforts of all the managers in our company who accompanied and supported us," said Roland Hehn, who accepted the award in Saarbrücken. Christian Scholz, Professor of Personnel Management at Saarland University and initiator of the BestPersAward, appeared pleased that human capital management is increasingly being professionalised: "SMEs have no reason to hide behind big companies here."

The medtech company Ottobock has its head office in Duderstadt, South Lower Saxony, with sales and service locations in 44 countries. In 2010, the global market leader in prosthetics with more than 4,500 employees generated annual sales of EUR 529 million. In addition to Ottobock, another 33 companies from across Germany competed for the "BestPersAward 2010/2011". Second and third place were taken by the medtech company Stryker Trauma GmbH and the financial service provider Union Asset Management Holding AG. In order to participate, the company answered questions and supplied data as a basis for conducting a scientific analysis of the professionalism and sustainability of personnel management.

Strict criteria were applied in the evaluation by the jury: only companies pursuing solid and modern human capital management activities for several years in a row receive the BestPersCertificate quality seal, which may be used for promotional purposes free of charge for two years. In the course of their participation, the companies also received brief confidential feedback with an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses in their human capital management activities. This feedback allows them to position their personnel activities in comparison to the other companies, deriving necessary actions where applicable.