WINTERSTEIGER continues to support the next generation

Ried i.I. At the start of May, Elisabeth Kriechbaumer assumed her new role as the head of HR at WINTERSTEIGER AG. The 37-year-old, who hails from Upper Austria and had previously been the HR manager at Fischer Sports, had a memorable start to her time at the Ried-based mechanical engineering group: “Since the beginning of April, more than 500 WINTERSTEIGER colleagues in Austria have been working reduced hours under the Austrian short-time working legislation. Implementing this scheme demanded a lot of time and effort from myself and my team,” reports the HR boss on her first weeks. Kriechbaumer is very familiar with labor conditions in the Innviertel region: “The fight for talent, especially for junior staff and specialists, is very tough around here.”

 

Fifteen new apprentices, more than 20 internships and holiday jobs

 

Despite the coronavirus crisis, WINTERSTEIGER will be recruiting 15 new apprentices this year, keeping the total number of trainees at the Ried site at almost 60 talented young people. Due to the coronavirus, it is difficult for polytechnic and college students to get places for their compulsory internships for the summer of 2020. This year, WINTERSTEIGER will again employ more than 20 interns as well as seasonal workers during the upcoming summer holidays. In order to continue to offer customers an attractive product and service portfolio, all relevant development projects are being consistently pursued despite the short-time working scheme.

 

In 2018, WINTERSTEIGER received an award for its modular management training program throughout Austria. “In July, we will start the third round of this program, so that in total, we can turn almost 50 managers and talented individuals into more skilled and highly trained colleagues, in terms of company-specific, commercial, and leadership skills,” says Kriechbaumer. Last but not least, the head of HR is pleased that she was not the only new female member of the WINTERSTEIGER management team this spring: Lawyer Victoria Schlosser (28) took over as head of the Legal Affairs and Projects department on June 1 after several eventful years including providing intensive support for the last four corporate acquisitions, making her WINTERSTEIGER's youngest head of department.

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