WTH Walter Thieme Handel GmbH • Beguinenstr.13 • 21682 Stade

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Welcome back to the workplace

Summer, sun, beach – and: substitute services

(mud) – Summer, sun, beach – and: substitute services. The gaze at the colleague’s workplace is vacant. The desk neighbor is on vacation. Now, substitute services are required. Office days have new, additional focal points. This applies to everyone at some point because eventually even those left behind go on vacation. Concentrated presence at the desk is then necessary for those who remain, says WTH CEO Gero Thieme: “There is hardly a chance to use flexible working hours for an earlier end of the workday…”

Because the colleague who would normally pick up the phone in such moments is somewhere where the lemons bloom. “Nevertheless, the day-to-day business usually continues smoothly and without problems,” the company’s CEO is pleased. The prerequisite, however, is that the vacationing colleagues have prepared their absence well. This includes informing important business partners, for example. Thieme is convinced: “Good collegial and partnership cooperation in the company takes care of this almost noiselessly for us.”

In companies with a manageable number of employees, it’s the same everywhere, as is the case with the Stader company. An employee puts it succinctly: “Sometimes, I have to know everything about window profiles in a conversation with my colleague’s customer, even though I’m usually more concerned with adhesives.”

Dealing with the subject areas of vacationing colleagues and then being a competent conversation partner in customer discussions is certainly not easy. However, one can definitely prepare for it. Managing Director Thieme: “For us, the principle applies that information is owed to others. Therefore, the knowledgeable person is obliged to communicate their findings within the circle of colleagues. Our versatile IT architecture also helps with this.”

In this way, knowledge or insight transfer at WTH functions not only throughout the year but also continuously. In the end, this benefits everyone, those who go on vacation, and also those who have to provide vacation coverage.

Nevertheless, everyone is probably relieved when the vacationers are back at their desks soon. Gero Thieme: “No matter how you look at it, when employees are absent, specialists with corresponding knowledge and contacts are also missing – potential competence gaps must then be confidently closed.” Conclusion: Vacationers: warmly welcome back to the workplace.

 

 

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