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Quick filling despite low number of applicants with Riverstate.
2.8 billion liters. That’s how much water flows through Hesse’s pipes every day. After use, it must be discharged back into the environment as wastewater via sewage treatment plants. To prevent our streets from becoming flooded with sewage and rainwater, we rely on a sophisticated water cycle in which nothing can go wrong, day in, day out. Every child knows how important water is as a staple food and a source of hygiene in our daily lives. However, the effort involved in drainage is insignificant for our everyday lives – as long as it works. And that it works is thanks to companies like BGS Wasser in Darmstadt, Hesse. As a consulting engineering firm for water management, BGS Wasser ensures that municipalities can successfully manage tasks such as urban drainage and flood protection. “We conduct flood calculations and develop flood protection concepts using our own models, which we not only prepare for construction but also implement,” explains Thomas Schönrich, Co-Managing Director and Head of the Construction Department. “In the areas of flood protection, urban drainage, and watercourse development, we develop sustainable water management solutions, which we support from conception to implementation.” Because flooding is causing billions of dollars in damage across Germany, and climate change is accelerating the flooding trend, BGS Wasser is also knee-deep in contracts. “We can’t complain about a lack of work—quite the opposite,” says Thomas Schönrich. “The challenge is actually finding suitable personnel. We repeatedly have to turn down contracts because we simply don’t have enough staff. And that affects every sector, from engineers to draftsmen.”
When it came to finding a draftsman, BGS Wasser had been running out of resources for years. Part-time workers and students helped out where possible, but all attempts to fill the position long-term were unsuccessful.
“For years, we tried to fill our vacancies conventionally through job advertisements and online portals, but the response rate was almost zero,” says Thomas Schönrich. “That’s why we turned to a recruitment agency for the first time in our company’s history in 2020 , and finally found Riverstate in just two and a half months.”
The main reason BGS Wasser had previously avoided using a recruitment agency was the cost factor. However, even the money spent on “conventional” job advertisements added up over time.
“Even without recruitment consulting , each online job posting costs us approximately one thousand,” says Thomas Schönrich. “The time involved is added to that, from the copywriting to the interviews and everything else. Over the years, we’ve also invested the costs incurred for Riverstate in regular job postings – with far less success. So, Riverstate was a sensible decision from a financial perspective as well.”
Recruiting companies had already contacted Thomas Schönrich and his team repeatedly in the past. The decision to conduct their first professional recruitment with Riverstate was initially a matter of mutual understanding: “Even for the initial meeting, someone from Riverstate personally visited our company and explained the entire recruiting process to us in detail in advance,” says Thomas Schönrich. “This openness, combined with the personal advice, really appealed to us. We felt in good hands right from the start.”
After the initial introduction, the decision-makers at BGS Wasser were able to precisely define the draftsman profile they were seeking on the setup day. In a several-hour workshop with lead recruiter Yasmin Hoffmann, they developed the most important qualities of their ideal candidates – both professional and personal.
“Due to our specialization in the water industry and the software we use, we have very specific expectations of potential applicants,” says Thomas Schönrich. “That’s why we particularly appreciated Riverstate’s setup tag, tailoring the search process to our company’s needs.”
Some of the company’s needs only came to light on the setup day. Thomas Schönrich and his team received valuable tips, particularly regarding external image and application processes, that could also simplify future searches without the help of a recruitment consultant . “We are especially grateful for the employer brochure that Riverstate created for us,” says Thomas Schönrich. “We will be able to rely on it for a long time to come.”
The draftsman whom BGS Wasser was ultimately able to recruit with the help of Riverstate is also future-proof. The second candidate presented was already convincing: Although he came from a structural engineering background, his profile and personality nonetheless reassured Thomas Schönrich and the BGS team. This compatibility is due to the precision with which lead recruiter Yasmin Hoffmann had previously assessed the company’s character.
“The entire collaboration with Riverstate recruiter Yasmin Hoffmann was truly excellent,” says Thomas Schönrich. “She contacted us regularly to keep us updated, was always available for questions, and never lost sight of the goal.”
The fact that a targeted investment in recruiting paid off so immediately after years of unsuccessful searches has led to a rethink within the company regarding future appointments. A return to conventional job advertisements, which have had little impact at BGS Wasser in the past, would therefore be a step backwards for Thomas Schönrich: “We had concerns about the costs of a recruitment consultancy for a long time, but the results speak for themselves. We would therefore be happy to work with Riverstate again for future positions.”
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