No superheroes, but strong profiles

At the NEXT recruiting event during the weekend of February 22-23, 2014, Allianz Deutschland will be scouting for up-and-coming management talents. Board of Management members are volunteering as mentors and will be picking out the mentee they want to guide into top management over the next few years, out of the 38 applicants. In an interview, Dr. Alexander Vollert, member of the Board of Management of Allianz Deutschland, describes his expectations and personal experience with mentorships.

 

You have set aside a full weekend for NEXT. What are your expectations?

 

I hope that this recruiting event will allow us to meet highly motivated and intelligent graduates and young professionals who are a good match for our Board members. We are offering these candidates extraordinary prospects for their careers.

 

What qualifications do participants need to have? Do you need an MBA as a future executive?

 

Two to three years of work experience wouldn't hurt, but we’ve invited people who have just graduated university as well. It is not really important whether the candidates have a master’s degree, a PhD or an MBA. The essential thing is that the candidate has high standards when it comes to his or her own personal excellence. But we’re looking for strong profiles, not superheroes.

 

You have taken a look at the applicants' résumés in advance. Do you already have one or two favorites?

 

Yes, it’s true that I've looked through about 100 résumés over the past few weeks. I must say that I'm impressed by such a high level of skill and experience in candidates who are still so young. Of course, there are a few résumés that stand out right away, but we want to get to know the candidates personally.

 

You’re a mentor in the program: what do you consider your role to be?

 

It would be too easy to say that my job is simply to "promote and challenge". Let's put it this way: I'll consider myself successful if, one day in the future, my mentee is my colleague.

 

What do you expect of the mentee on a personal level?

 

He or she should be open-minded and capable of genuine self-reflection. The candidates should enjoy working in a dynamic environment and show both entrepreneurial spirit and a real will to shape things. After all, we are constantly dealing with major changes like the issue of digitalization.

 

International experience - why does a German insurance company need that?

 

I would expect excellent communication skills and fresh ideas on a daily basis from my mentee. Candidates with an international background will be familiar with other cultures and other styles of communication and will have experience with different environments. In the end, this sort of diversity will help our company to come up with better solutions.

 

To what extent is Allianz Deutschland also competing in the race for international talents?

 

As the market leader, we are constantly on the lookout for the best people. This is why we are reaching out in all possible directions and have joined the race for international talents.

 

Was there a time when you yourself would have liked to have a mentor?

 

I've always had mentors - if not, I’ve actively looked for one. This was particularly important when it came to career decisions: Will I continue in my current position, do I accept a different offer? In situations like these, it is important to get honest feedback about my potential and what is best suited to me. A good mentor would also point out my weaknesses and explain what I have to work on.

 

Do you already have projects lined up for your new mentee?

 

There is no shortage of projects and tasks, and of course there is also a program structure with set development phases. In the end, we will develop an individual and specific career plan for each mentee.

Dr. Alexander Vollert, member of the Board of Management of Allianz Deutschland: "As the market leader, we are constantly on the lookout for the best people. This is why we are reaching out in all possible directions and have joined the race for international talents".
Dr. Alexander Vollert, member of the Board of Management of Allianz Deutschland: "As the market leader, we are constantly on the lookout for the best people. This is why we are reaching out in all possible directions and have joined the race for international talents".

As with all content published on this site, these statements are subject to our Forward Looking Statement disclaimer:


 

Petra Krüll
Allianz SE
Phone +49.89.3800-2628
Send e-mail

Ulrich Hartmann
Allianz Deutschland AG
Phone +49.89.3800-12943
Send e-mail