Would you like to learn more about where a career in recruitment can take you and how to grow your career with SThree?
Then read this interview with Timo Lehne, Managing Director of SThree for the DACH region and be inspired.
Timo, what did you do before joining SThree?
In 2001, I completed my Abitur, the German equivalent of A-Levels, in Düsseldorf and then decided to study International Economics in the Netherlands, where I graduated in 2005. I travelled a lot during my studies, as the course had a highly international focus. I spent time in the USA, Ireland and Spain and wrote my thesis at Daimler AG in Berlin.
I then had to decide on the form my future career would take. During this phase, I took a job in Madrid as a telesales operator in a call centre and realised I was well-suited for a sales role and that I really enjoyed it.
I started to look elsewhere and quite by chance, stumbled upon the recruitment sector, which I had never regarded as a sales industry before. I then applied to some major companies, including SThree.
Why did you choose SThree?
I was looking for a company with ambitious goals, one that wanted to change things. SThree's plans very closely matched my own ideas and expectations. The human aspect was also important to me. I very much liked the person who mentored me back then, as well as the company culture.
The crucial decisive factors were opportunities for promotion, salary and, in particular, the fact that you can shape your own future at SThree. As a consultant, you are given your own market and customers to work with. In this all-round consultant role you can be your own boss - and I liked that.
SThree has a unique culture. What are the highlights of your career so far?
I love to think back to situations where we created something new as a team, such as when we opened a new office in Düsseldorf in 2010 with just 10 employees, a number which has now grown to 115. This gives me goose bumps as I know that we really made something happen.
The other thing that I love about SThree is that you can always make new friends. I’m very happy here. It's the little things that make me realise this. Every now and then, I will meet up with my colleagues after work, or attend SThree-funded outings. The last one was to Madrid. People from different teams are often thrown together, but it actually doesn't matter who comes along, it is great fun to spend time with every single person, given that we all share SThree's beliefs and culture.
What does it take to be successful as recruiter at SThree?
Obviously there are many values that an individual should bring to the table, but for me personally, I see three core values. You should have a healthy ambition and a passion for sales. Last but not least, you should have a generally positive outlook, always look ahead and be able to handle setbacks. You have to learn from your setbacks, be able to cope with any situation and take the positive from it in order to recognise and make good use of the opportunities that present themselves.
Here’s a personal tip: Keep looking forward!
What can SThree offer an applicant that other competitors can’t?
The sales industry is based primarily on performance. I assume that this is the same for every sales situation, not just our company. We stand out from the crowd because our main focus is the human aspect. Our employees are our most valuable asset. This is why SThree in Germany have heavily invested in employee benefits over the past few years, including providing appropriate support for parents, pensions, health, a mentoring scheme and a great deal more.
SThree DACH combines a traditional German culture, which embodies security and correctness, with international flair and in particular, an international infrastructure with exceptional individuals who all want to achieve something together.
We received confirmation yet again that this winning combination is a step in the right direction when we were presented with the Top Employer Award, for the second time running.
How can potential applicants apply?
They can apply via our website as well as by responding to our job advertisements on all social media platforms such as LinkedIn, XING and Facebook.
How would you summarise your career so far and what are your goals for the future and for the development of SThree?
Overall, I can say that my career has been progressing fairly well up to now. Of course, I have also had setbacks. Nevertheless, I am very happy and grateful that SThree has given me so much help and support. I have no plans for my future career; instead, I only have thoughts on how to manage the business successfully. If the company thrives and grows, then my career will follow.
For this reason, I want DACH to be successful and the same goes for SThree all over the world. I want us to continue to reach our ever-ambitious goals. Any transformation and growth should always focus on providing an even better service to our clients. And here, we definitely still have a lot in the pipeline!
Do you think you’d enjoy a career with SThree? Then get in touch with our German team or browse our current career opportunities in our six German locations here.