H.-G. Wente, W. Meyer & H. Engel

"It certainly isn’t easy to exactly plan out one's career. You should, however, try to gather the right prerequisites"

Mr. Meyer, Mr. Engel, Mr. Wente, exactly how long have you been employed at Continental?
Engel: Mr. Meyer and I started our industrial management training on April 1, 1969.
Wente: I started two months later.

You got your training together at Continental. How did training back then differ from what it is like today?
Engel: A lot has changed. For example, in our time there were trainee field trips to reinforce the sense of community. Unfortunately, there were no assignments abroad. Nor were seminars (rhetoric, English) part of the training. The progress made here in the meantime is quite remarkable.
Meyer: Of course, we are living in much different times nowadays and what is needed for the job has changed greatly. Training reflects this. But Continental's image at the time was already very good. You were proud to be able to get your training at Continental.
Wente: I can only concur with that. With the image so good, the qualifications demanded were also very high at the time. A middle-school certificate was a basic prerequisite. At vocational school, as well, average performance was not acceptable. The pressure to perform was more grades-oriented than it is today. You needed a grade of B on the final exam—otherwise your chances of landing a decent position after training were rather poor.

Back then, would you have ever envisaged remaining at Continental for your entire career? 
Wente: I couldn't really imagine it at the time, but in retrospect I am very happy with my decision. Naturally, I would have liked to have gotten to know other corporate cultures, but as a result of all the companies acquired in the meantime, these cultures have come to me, so to speak. Continental has also always given me the opportunity in-house to pursue new paths. So, I have never seen a reason to move on.
Engel: I have asked myself on occasion whether it wouldn't have been good to get to know something different. But that doesn't mean that I was ever dissatisfied. I was constantly able to find new challenges with my various assignments.
Meyer: Unlike my colleagues, I was employed at other companies for several years before I returned to Conti.  So I'm in a relatively good position to assess the change. It's noticeable that the company has become much more decentralized as a result of the acquisitions.

Which talents should graduates have today for a career at Continental?
Wente: First and foremost, you have to exhibit convincing professional qualities. In addition, you should be performance-oriented and willing to assume responsibility and nurture teamwork.
Meyer: A healthy dose of self-confidence and assertiveness is desirable at Continental as well. It is also important to enjoy making decisions. This is an important and necessary quality.

Why should graduates decide in favor of Continental? What characterizes the company?
Engel: I think the great latitude granted to young people is very attractive. You're thrown in the deep end and have to sink or swim.
In addition numerous opportunities for development are available. At a young age, for example, you can take advantage of the opportunity to work abroad for the corporation. 
Meyer: The flat hierarchies are definitely attractive for young university graduates. You have the chance to work independently and autonomously.

How do you rate the career opportunities at Continental?
Meyer: Anyone who wants to continue pursuing personal development has tremendous opportunities here. As a full-range system supplier to the automobile industry, we are involved in all the megatrends.
Wente: ... and we are also active in other industries. Consequently, we are not dependent solely on the automobile industry—a circumstance that helps us particularly in times of crisis. 

Is job rotation a suitable instrument for retaining employees in the company?
Wente: Yes, but it has to be used sensibly. Everyone should remain in their position until they really understand it through and through. Both the company and the employee then stand to profit in equal measure.
Engel: The problem is that young colleagues are often too easily flustered. Change that is too fast advances neither the employee nor the company.
Meyer: I can only agree with what my colleagues have said. What we should also keep in mind is that not all our employees aspire to a different job every three to five years; they are looking for continuity and stability. We have to take this circumstance into account as well.

Do you think it was a good idea to switch to bachelor and master degrees so as to create greater comparability of degrees at the international level?
Wente: First, I must say that I am impressed by the achievements of our Conti Bachelor graduates. Especially the hands-on experience and experience abroad set them apart from the crowd.
Meyer: I am also in favor of the change, but I would like to point out that Bachelor students are sometimes lacking in the scientific/theoretical basics. That is the consequence of the abbreviated course of study and must on no account be understood as a criticism. Rather, companies have to themselves develop programs aimed at imparting the knowledge that is lacking.
Wente: We also shouldn’t forget that people's inclinations differ. For people who prefer hands-on activity, what they pick up in the Bachelor’s training is usually adequate. But for those with a more theoretical bent, it often makes sense to continue on to a Master's degree. The latter is frequently beneficial in broad areas of research and development—particularly when talking about future technologies.

Haven't the points that are important to Continental, such as experience abroad and internships, suffered as a result of the change?
Wente: Reconciling them has definitely become more difficult, but it is still possible to combine the two. There's no problem at all for our Conti Bachelors, since we send them abroad as part of their training.
In general though, the economy and the universities have to react as quickly as possible to the change and offer shorter internships, for example.

How do you manage to retain talented young people in the company for a long period? What repertoire of instruments does Continental have to accomplish this?
Engel: We constantly have to offer them new challenges and give them more room to make decisions on their own.
Meyer: The motivation factor is crucial. We have to make it possible for our employees to push processes ahead autonomously.
It's also necessary to school them in the basics and to point out new perspectives after a while. Job rotation can help in this. The annual personnel development reviews are a good and effective instrument. 
Wente: In addition to these undoubtedly important points, I would like to address the factor of fairness. Continental looks out for its employees and is extremely fair in how it treats them.  Good work has always paid off. This fact must remain the focus of attention.

What tips do you have to those starting a career? Is it possible to plan for success and a career?
Wente: It certainly isn’t easy to exactly plan out one's career. You should, however, try to gather the right prerequisites. Generally it helps if you develop a willingness to deal with things that are rather unpleasant.  
Engel: It's important that one doesn’t always just go for the money but remains focused as well on personal development. To gain experience abroad, a little sidestepping doesn’t hurt either.
Meyer: You should always stay focused on developing your own personality. In spite of outstanding professional performance, human weakness can result in a dip in your career. I think we have all experienced that.

Nowadays it is difficult to combine career and family. What can a company do to help young people balance the two, something that is not always easy?
Wente: I don't see that as a matter for the companies alone. The old separation of roles no longer works. Women also want to be fulfilled professionally and have a career and they have every right to do so. However, the compatibility of job and family is also something that all of us have to resolve for ourselves in the particular situation in which we live.
Meyer: That's exactly how I see it. You should ask yourself two questions and plan your career accordingly: What do I want and what am I prepared to sacrifice for it.
Engel: But generally, even as a company you should be responsive to human needs. I'm thinking, for example, of reintegration programs after maternity leave.

All three of you have a highly responsible and time-consuming job. How do you unwind?
Meyer: I try to reserve quality time for myself. I go swimming a lot, walk my dog and spend what little free time I have with my family.
Engel: It's difficult for me to unwind on work days. I try to spend a lot of time with my wife on weekends and I like going to the flea market. I unwind completely on vacation—no cell phone, no laptop – well, almost, anyway...
Wente: The job is part of my life. Fortunately, I don't need two hours after work to come down again.

You all started your training at Continental at the same time. Do you have any collective memories—perhaps even private ones—that you would be willing to share with us?
Meyer: There were some experiences we had together during our training that I like to think back to...
Engel: ...and some we would be better off keeping to ourselves. But seriously, we had a great time and experienced a lot. It would be unusual if that weren't the case.
Wente: Let me put it his way: After work, which wasn't so late back then, we used to get together for a beer now and then and even hash over things completely unrelated to work.