Searching for talent with Kira

Beiersdorf is an attractive employer – Kira Steffens is convinced of that. Born in Neuss and raised in Oldenburg, she likes to try out new things, cooks a lot, and travels, had her own eye on the company early on and was able to really cheer a year ago: a permanent position as an expert for campus recruiting and university relations in the early-career team! Shortly before her successful graduation, she had completed an internship in this very team. She stayed on as a working student, but then first switched to a permanent position with a Hamburg-based insurance company. “The corporate culture couldn’t be more different,” grins the 28-year-old today. “For me, Beiersdorf is characterized by a strong sense of togetherness. Here, we live care beyond skin, employees can continuously develop themselves, and career paths are shown, which is very important, especially for the start of a career.” She was happy when the inquiry came from her old Beiersdorf team shortly thereafter. “A position became available and they asked me if I was interested – of course I didn’t hesitate for a second and jumped at the chance.”

Opportunities are what her current job is all about, too. “My job is to convince students of the possibilities and opportunities Beiersdorf offers them. What makes us stand out? What do we stand for? And what are the issues that concern us as a company?” To achieve this, Kira is on site at universities – not just in Germany, but internationally. “We want our employees to reflect the diversity of our consumers – to do that, we need a mix of people, also in international terms,” says the dedicated HR person. 

Internationality has always played a big role in Kira’s life, too: “When I was 12, my parents went to Barcelona with my brother and me for four years.” Not an easy step at first, as she had to cope in a new country with a new language, a new school, a foreign culture and without her friends. From today’s perspective, she assesses the experience differently: “It was an incredibly wonderful time! It made me more open-minded and made me want to go abroad again after graduating from high school.”

Kira first completed a three-month internship in Vietnam. “I was just 18 years old then and at first that was quite a culture shock for me, but I enjoyed the time a lot!” She then enrolled in the German-Chinese double bachelor’s program in business administration at Hannover University of Applied Sciences. “In the course of this, I spent two semesters in Hangzhou, China, and subsequently did another 6-month internship there in the e-commerce sector.” She then moved on to Groningen, the Netherlands, where she completed her master’s degree in human resource management. “Each step in itself has had an incredible impact on me. It’s all the more exciting when students tell me about their personal experiences today.”

In her job as Expert Campus Recruiting & University Relations, Kira goes all out: “I appreciate the contact and the encounters with students. And I have the impression that my still-young age is more of an advantage than a disadvantage: we talk on the same level, and since I was recently at university myself, I can relate to what the students want to know at this stage.”

Her recipe for success? “It’s important to take the time to listen and answer questions. But just as crucial is the mix of different measures we use to address the students. In addition to guest lectures and workshops at universities, these include our presence at career fairs and our diverse online events. For example, we provide application tips in webinars. In addition, once a year we hold our Virtual Open House Day, where we introduce ourselves to students together with our sister company tesa and go on a talent hunt.”

The personal highlight of her work are the workshops at the universities – also because, after a long Corona break, they are finally possible again. “For me, every workshop means expanding my horizon,” Kira speaks openly. “Because in these workshops we focus on a topic area that is often new to me myself.” She recently organized two sales workshops at the universities of Mannheim and Münster. Her joker here: colleagues from the departments who are themselves alumni of the respective university. “This creates proximity and shows students what is possible. In addition, it gives us an authentic picture of what the potential team looks like and what tasks await the talented people at our company.”

Whether in her job or in her private life – Kira always likes to try out new things. The next workshop concepts are already in the works. The goal is clear: to reach today’s talents. And to convince them of Beiersdorf.

The Early Career Team at Beiersdorf
University marketing, which Kira is in charge of, is only a small area of responsibility for Beiersdorf’s Early Career Team, because the team covers much more: It takes care of employer branding and also recruits trainees, apprentices, and interns.

Since autumn 2019, Diana has been responsible for corporate communication related to HR and inspiring people at Beiersdorf. These include the areas of Diversity, Learning & Development, Career, Leadership, and Health. Previously, she was in charge of R&D Communications and explored the exciting world of our research and development.