Committed to diversity

Her passion for travelling and working in an international environment has taken Maria Stüwe as far as Manila in her position as HR Business Partner International. At Liebherr Rostock, she also builds cultural bridges between employees from 27 nations.

Manila, October 2023 - around 18 hours by plane and almost 10,000 kilometres away from Rostock. Right in the centre of the Philippine metropolis: Maria Stüwe.

As HR Business Partner International, she is travelling on behalf of Liebherr to recruit new specialists. ‘I thrive in an international working environment. I love working with different people, the variety of my tasks and I appreciate the fair, honest, and open interaction with my colleagues.

Being able to combine my passion for travelling with my job one day is a great privilege for me.

This development was not initially foreseeable. After a longer stay abroad, Maria wanted to return to her home in Rostock and applied for a job at Liebherr. Since May 2022, she and her colleagues have been supporting the 50 sales and service companies of Liebherr MCCtec GmbH in personnel matters. For example, in the recruitment of managers, the secondment of specialists from Rostock or the placement of personnel between the individual companies.

There are several reasons why international recruiting is now also part of Liebherr Rostock's work. Firstly, there is the shortage of skilled labour. “For some time now, we have not been able to adequately cover the growing demand for personnel, particularly in the industrial-technical sector. In addition, many of our long-serving employees will be retiring in the coming years. These factors make it necessary to focus on new target markets when recruiting staff,” says Guido Zimmermann, Head of Human Resources and Social Affairs, explaining the background.

That's why Maria and five other colleagues are on a plane to Manila. The commissioned cooperation partner Aureol Global Connections, which specialises in the placement of skilled workers from the Philippines, has been busy advertising for Liebherr Rostock in the run-up to the trip: Over 340 men and women travelled to the capital to recommend themselves for employment. In the first week, they were able to demonstrate their skills in pre-welding. Around 80 candidates proved to be qualified, 29 of whom made it through to the final selection process following an expert assessment. Maria conducts individual interviews and English tests and makes her recommendations for recruitment in Rostock for 2024.

Ricky de Chavez also works abroad as a service technician.

In the end, nine applicants receive an offer. At the same time, Maria liaises directly with the local institutions and takes care of clarifying complex issues. Thanks to her commitment and professional collaboration with the various institutions, the first five Filipino colleagues arrive at Hamburg Airport in April 2024. Here they are welcomed by Maria and her colleague.

A “Welcome Pack” with useful information about Germany was sent to everyone in their home country in advance. A language course at the Goethe-Institut was also on the programme before departure. In Rostock, Maria accompanies and supports the new colleagues when dealing with the authorities or visiting the doctor. “This is particularly important at the beginning so that the new colleagues can not only settle in at Liebherr, but also personally in a completely new environment,” explains Maria.

‘Maria was a great help to us and gave us a lot of support with many issues, such as applying for a visa, housing matters or getting a SIM card and Germany ticket’, says Ricky de Chavez, who arrived in Rostock in May 2024. The qualified electrical engineer is employed as an expatriate fitter and is very happy to have prevailed against many competitors. ‘Liebherr Rostock is huge and impressive. The working conditions are very good. During the culture course in the Philippines, it was said that Germans are rather serious and grumpy. But when I compare that with my experiences now, everyone is very approachable, funny and always reliable.’ What he loves most about Rostock is the food, such as kebabs and currywurst, and the good infrastructure. ‘Everything is good’, he summarises after the first few months.

The cultural diversity in the teams is incredibly enriching.

From the Philippines to the Baltic Sea: Welders Jeorvic Villafuerte, Irish P. Barker, Mark N. Estoque, Jeef Minimo, Thomas A. Carmelo (from left to right)

People from 27 nations are already working together successfully in various departments and positions at Liebherr's Rostock site. Maria wants to further promote intercultural cooperation. ‘Heterogeneous and international teams stimulate each other through different ways of thinking and cultural backgrounds, which often leads to new and innovative solutions’, Maria is convinced.

‘Four more colleagues from the Philippines will be joining us in winter 2025. Including the first female Filipino welder’, she says with visible anticipation.