People story
The customer is king. Does that sound like a worn-out cliché? At Rohde & Schwarz, it is a principle we live by. Even more, it is the engine that powers our daily work. Every day we meet customers' expectations with passion, dedication and intelligence – and we deliver on our promises. To become even more proficient at this, the company supports its employees – from career starters to experienced professionals. In vocational training en route to qualifying as skilled specialists and when preparing for leadership roles, R&S supports its people in their technical, professional and personal development. This enables them to grow along with Rohde & Schwarz.
Of the more than 12,000 people working for Rohde & Schwarz worldwide, more than 4,000 work at our four plants. Each plant has its own focus. The Teisnach plant is the system and transmitter supplier. It produces our printed boards and is the home of our mechanical production. Memmingen is responsible for microelectronics, testing technology and final assembly of T&M instruments. Our Czech plant in Vimperk produces signal generators, oscilloscopes and cables. And Malaysia is responsible for making the majority of our Value Instruments.
Turning an idea into reality requires people with ambition and a passion for their profession. Dedication and intelligence are equally important. Rohde & Schwarz employees are honest, authentic, loyal and dependable. They roll up their sleeves and fully identify with customers' wishes. Our people are our assets. We invest in them. We train them, challenge them and foster their development – right from the start of their careers.
Our apprenticeship programs in Munich, Memmingen and Teisnach are exemplary. We have our own training facilities where our dedicated and passionate trainers teach the apprentices something new every day. In addition to providing solid professional training, we focus on teamwork and personal development. For the newcomers, we organize events such as an after-work "Grill & Chill" where they can get to know their colleagues. Our apprentices also get involved in projects at an early stage.
Elias Bernitz, a third-year apprentice electronics technician for instruments and systems in Memmingen, caught the Rohde & Schwarz bug early. His father also works in the Memmingen plant. Elias and his family even spent time abroad for Rohde & Schwarz. "Rohde & Schwarz is a focused and innovative company that gives me lots of opportunities to get an education, develop my talents and be creative," he comments. That's why Elias is determined to keep learning after he finishes his apprenticeship, either pursuing a degree or training as a technician. Rohde & Schwarz offers training options for both of those choices.
We invest in our employees. It's important to us to discover and promote people with potential. When Gudrun Engel joined the Rohde & Schwarz plant in Teisnach in 1997 at the age of 25, she had neither a school diploma nor vocational training. Today she works in technology development in printed board production, providing technical support on complex customer projects. She is also working towards a degree in technology management.
Gudrun Engel's work brings new challenges every day, and provides deep insights into printed circuit boards and their applications. For example, there are 60 boards in each of the Rohde & Schwarz security scanners used for security screening at many airports. Gudrun Engel feels at home in Teisnach: "Rohde & Schwarz is like home for me. My mother worked here for almost 30 years and my son is just completing his apprenticeship."
Our employees are experts in their fields. They find a solution for every problem. They value quality and pride themselves on their delivery reliability. If necessary, they are ready to roll up their sleeves and fine-tune already optimized processes to make them even better – so that the customer gets the perfect product.
Our test technicians play a special role in this process. Their job is to ensure that instruments are in perfect condition and working order – both electrically and mechanically. Daniel Votruba is responsible for service and calibration at the Vimperk plant. When faulty instruments arrive, he makes sure that defective modules are repaired or replaced. He then checks the functionality. His instruments – the Value Instruments family – are often used in laboratories, schools and universities. To make sure he can always find a solution to every problem, Daniel Votruba regularly attends training courses. He sees Rohde & Schwarz as a strong brand with an impressive history and he looks forward to the future with confidence. "I feel secure here."
There's no doubt that our colleagues in production make sure that our devices, instruments and systems are manufactured at the highest quality standards and delivered on time. But where would they be without Corporate Procurement? Or without Supply Chain Management (SCM)? Nicole Lim is responsible for SCM in the Malaysia plant. She takes care of material requirements planning (MRP) and procurement, manages all warehousing activities and works closely with customs authorities. This involves regular communications with colleagues at the other plants. Her goal is to improve processes and boost efficiency in order to serve customers a bit better every single day.
At Rohde & Schwarz she appreciates being able to balance her career and family life. "We are supported in every respect – no matter what your job is." She likes that the company respects its employees. And although her location in Malaysia is far away from the company's German headquarters, Nicole Lim feels that she is part of the Rohde & Schwarz family. "We're One Rohde & Schwarz," she says. "There's no difference between mindset and actions – regardless of where we work."
