The employees of the Cologne start-up TalentsConnect can decide for themselves how much they work – and can build something of their own at the same time. Support for the model comes from science.
The TalentsConnect office in the Nippes district of Cologne looks exactly how you would imagine a young start-up to look: young, casually dressed people in modern, open-plan offices. One of the lounges looks like a quaint pub. To be more precise: like the pub in which the founding idea came about. The idea of using software solutions and websites to help companies find new employees.
Everything here radiates: We are young, hip, modern. And in between, office dog Joun is running around. The little Parson Russell terrier lady greets everyone who enters the office.
Full-time team leader, part-time Fitness trainer
She actually belongs to Aylin Bruns. Bruns works four days a week as a team leader for TalentsConnect and moderates workshops for the company. If she wanted, she could work three days a week – or five. She can decide that every quarter.
What she does with the time she has gained is up to her: look after relatives, do more sport or simply relax. She appreciates the freedom her employer gives her. Bring a dog? No problem! Work from home office? How often you want! Also from abroad? Yes, sure!
In addition to her main job in the start-up, Aylin is building a second source of income as an independent fitness trainer. From her point of view, this only brings advantages: “I learn skills that my company will benefit from to the maximum. Plus, my motivation here is always at a really high level.”
Through her job as a fitness trainer, she learned a lot about how to appear confident. This helps her a lot in her role as a team leader or moderator.
Flexible companies motivate and retain their employees
What initially sounds like good corporate marketing also has a scientific basis: such flexible working time models can be a benefit for both employers and employees – or to put it more modernly: a win-win situation.
Sebastian Pioch, professor at Fresenius University, researches, among other things, innovation development and entrepreneurship. He says that many more companies should support their employees if they want to pursue a part-time job. “As a result, there is a significant increase in employee retention and motivation.”
Pioch compares the relationship with the employer to a love relationship: “If you want to lock your partner up, then maybe you can do that – but it won’t make him any happier. If he falls in love with someone else, he’s gone. Whether you want to or not .” As an employer, you should rather look at what profit you can make from your employees’ secondary activities.
“I benefit from them Secondary activities of my employees”
Robin Sudermann, boss and founder of TalentsConnect, also believes that his employees do noticeably better work when they do something else besides their main job. The input from outside is extremely valuable for his company. Aylin Bruns is just one of many examples.
He also doesn’t want to stand in the way of his employees if they want to build their own foothold. He himself still knows how hard it was: “All sorts of obstacles were put in my way when I started a company. I had to quit my job and pay back my student loan, so I had a very difficult start to my self-employment had.”
The job adapts to life – not the other way around
Because of the flexible working hours model, his employees could take the step into self-employment without giving up the security of a permanent position. “Four million workers will be missing by 2030. Anyone who is not prepared to give their employees a little more flexibility has not understood it.”
Sudermann is certain: The flexibility in his company means he has a much better chance of getting good employees. “The good people live everywhere. And they want to organize their own time. If you want them, then you have to you drive such a model.”