Career blog
Personal insights into the world of DR. KADE
Here, you can find out at first-hand what is unique about working at DR. KADE. Join members of our team for a look behind the scenes at our mid-sized pharmaceutical company – with personal stories, fascinating insights and real experiences from people working and training at DR. KADE.
We hope you enjoy finding out more about us.
Between office and lecture hall: how DR. KADE facilitates personal and professional development.
Here at DR. KADE, we believe that development begins with trust – trust in people, in their potential and in common goals. Our colleague Chris talks from first-hand experience about how we encourage this and put it into practice in everyday working life.
Enabling our people to reach their full potential through personal and professional development is a high priority for us. To this end, we spoke to Chris, who is currently completing an MBA parallel to his regular job. Here, you can find out what motivated him to take this step, what his goals are and how DR. KADE is helping him to reach them.
Maybe you could start by introducing yourself and saying what you do at DR. KADE?
My name is Christopher, but most people call me Chris. I am 31 years old and have been working for five years at DR. KADE, currently as a Senior Controller. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Business Psychology and a master’s in Financial Management seven years ago, I held several finance and controlling positions in Berlin and London before coming to DR. KADE. In my current position, I am responsible for finances, processes, data and corporate management, which means that I actively monitor the company’s development. This year, I began studying for an MBA in Business Coaching and New Work Organisational Development as well.
What motivated you to study for an MBA parallel to your job and what personal and professional goals are you pursuing through this?
In my role as controller, I constantly see how vital it is not just to be very well versed in figures and processes but also to have the right soft skills in dealing with people. After all, the best concepts and changes in the company can only be developed and implemented together with people.
Ever since my bachelor’s studies, I have been interested in both business psychology and business administration. As the focus in recent years has been more on business administration, I would now like to devote more attention to the psychological dimensions as well. That’s why I decided to do the MBA. My aim is not just to build on my technical expertise but also to further my personal development. I want to build up an additional skill set that will allow me to play an active role in developing new work concepts and organisational structures – not just as a controller but also as a mentor and coach.
How did DR. KADE support your decision to study for an MBA? And in what way does the company help you cope with the challenges of studying parallel to your job?
Right from the outset, the company actively supported and encouraged my decision to study for an MBA while working. Even in the initial discussions with my direct manager and HR, I realised that DR. KADE is on my side and takes my personal development seriously. Another very positive point was how quickly the administrative side of things was implemented, especially before the course began. And I can still always depend on the understanding and support of my direct manager and the other people I deal with in my job.
Needless to say, the flexible working hours – especially our flexitime model – are a great help during my studies and allow me to strike the best possible balance between my work and my studies at all times.
As well as this, I always find it very encouraging that DR. KADE recognises the value of my personal and professional development – I see this as a very clear sign that I am appreciated.
All in all, the individual support I receive from DR. KADE in all areas is a major plus point for me.
June 2024
Flexibility on the job: Combining working and family life.
At DR. KADE, we have a new take on work – one that is flexible, human and takes people’s whole lives into account. Our colleague Iris explains how this works and what exactly flexibility means in our everyday working lives.
Flexibility on the job: At DR. KADE, this is how things really are. We aim to make working at DR. KADE as flexible as possible so that our people can strike a healthy balance between working and family life. Our colleague Iris explains what we mean by this.
Maybe you could start by introducing yourself and saying what you do at DR. KADE?
My name is Iris and I have been Head of People Development at DR. KADE for over three years. In this role, I am responsible – together with our managers – for the individual personal development of our employees and of entire teams. As well as this, my work includes implementing personnel development instruments such as our feedback and development meetings, selecting seminars for aKADEmie and Lunch & Learn, and overseeing employee surveys.
How does DR. KADE help its employees to combine family and working life more effectively?
Striking a healthy balance between working and family life is a high priority here. Our aim is to allow our employees to integrate their private lives as effectively as possible into their working day – for us, this is what quality of life means. At the same time, we understand this varies from one job to another. In view of this, we are particularly proud at having been awarded the “audit berufundfamilie” certificate, which confirms that we are on the right track with our personnel policy, which considers our employees’ family situations and current life stages.
Specifically, we at DR. KADE already make use of various measures to allow our employees to strike the best possible balance between working and family life. These include flexible work time models and, for many of our employees, the option of mobile working as well. As part of our “life stage” approach, we also try to accommodate anyone who wants to work part-time. As well as this, we offer a wide range of discipline-specific and interdisciplinary training, both internal and external.
Having a team culture based on mutual trust and appreciation is also very important for us here at DR. KADE. We actively encourage this, for example through joint learning activities and regular events.
I also have a particularly great appreciation for our Employee Assistance Programme, which provides valuable support to employees and managers – and their families – when they are faced with professional, private and personal challenges.
How do you benefit from DR. KADE’s flexible personnel policy in your everyday work?
I work four days a week because I devote the fifth day to projects that are very dear to my heart.
I also appreciate the very flexible mobile work options that allow me to combine my work with family obligations. At the same time, I always look forward to coming into our lovely office environment and working with my colleagues. The best of both worlds, you might say!
I also make use of some of our wide range of offers myself, such as the Employee Assistance Programme.
Iris is Head of People Development at DR. KADE.
March 2023
Onboarding at DR. KADE: From signing the contract to the first day at work.
A good start makes all the difference: this is why we at DR. KADE have designed our onboarding process to be personal, well-structured and welcoming – so that our new colleagues will soon feel at home, find their feet and allow their strengths to come to the fore. Our colleague Selina will explain exactly what this entails.
A good start is vital for integrating new colleagues effectively. Our colleague Selina talks about how the onboarding process works at DR. KADE.
First, how did you come to DR. KADE?
In my previous job, I worked for a personnel service provider. After a very interesting time working there, I decided to apply my passion for recruiting to an in-house position – for example, so that I could be involved in shaping the onboarding process. I have now been with DR. KADE for more than five years and we have made a lot of advances during this time – from rolling out applicant management software to developing learning paths for onboarding. It’s a lot of fun having leeway to shape things together with our team.
How important is onboarding at DR. KADE?
A well-thought-out onboarding programme is extremely relevant because it helps our new colleagues to settle into their respective roles quickly and to familiarise themselves with the KADE spirit and corporate culture. In the long term, this clearly leads to greater motivation and better performance and, in turn, also forges a more lasting bond with DR. KADE.
So how exactly does the onboarding programme at DR. KADE work?
Our aim is for all new colleagues to feel at home from the very beginning. This is why our structured onboarding programme begins as soon as the contract has been signed. This programme lasts for the entire orientation phase and covers both job-specific and social integration:
- Digital learning paths
- Personal buddy, Lunch Lottery and
- Welcome Day.
Digital learning paths
To make it easier for new colleagues to settle in, we have put together an overview of important and useful information to supplement their job-specific onboarding measures. This includes everything they need to know about the new job and can be called up at any time via their work or private mobile telephone.
Personal buddy and Lunch Lottery
When new colleagues join the team, an experienced “buddy” is assigned to them from their very first day. These buddies are at hand to help whenever new colleagues have questions, need information or want to have a chat in person. Our Lunch Lottery is another fun way for new colleagues to network beyond their own team.
Welcome Day
Another important part of the onboarding process is our Welcome Day. Here, all new employees are given an in-depth look into the KADE world, get acquainted with our products and meet members of the management team. The Welcome Day is yet another good opportunity to get to know new colleagues at DR. KADE.
If you would like to try out our onboarding programme, why not take a look at our current job vacancies?
As HR Manager at DR. KADE, Selina acts as a link between our units and Human Resources.
July 2023
Moving to a mid-sized company – Three questions for Petra, Operational Excellence Manager at DR. KADE.
Since 1886, we at DR. KADE have been developing and producing medicines and healthcare products in Berlin – with great passion and conviction. As a mid-sized company, we offer a special work environment with real benefits – and clear expectations. Our colleague Petra explains what exactly this means from her own personal perspective.
Moving to a mid-sized company like DR. KADE offers a series of attractive benefits. Our colleague Petra explains what these are and what you can expect from a stimulating working environment like ours.
Petra, maybe you could begin by saying a few words about yourself? How did you come to DR. KADE?
I happened to stumble upon a very fresh, modern job advert for DR. KADE on LinkedIn. Prior to this, I was an Operational Excellence Manager in a pharmaceutical company called AstraZeneca with 70,000 employees all over the world. My role there was not all that different from my work now – the same methods, principles and tools are used in both. However, AstraZeneca had a global team that was responsible for setting targets and for providing the necessary communication and training materials. This was then implemented locally. At DR. KADE, I am the expert responsible for the area in question and cover all aspects of the job. This is a welcome challenge and also gives me plenty of creative freedom.
In all honesty, what was it about DR. KADE that won you over? And what challenges did you encounter there?
What impressed me when I originally applied for the position and still impresses me today is the friendly, authentic colleagues I have here, and especially the level of expertise they have! I also love the fact that I can make almost all the decisions regarding my own work myself. And when this isn’t the case, the decision-makers are in the next office. As for the second part of your question, to be honest I haven’t encountered any challenges specific to mid-sized companies so far.
What would you recommend to job applicants with professional experience who are thinking about switching to a mid-sized company?
I would advise them to think about what is important for them from a career perspective and to ascertain early on if the mid-sized company they are considering can meet these needs. For example, I can’t imagine a career without professional development opportunities. Because of this, I was initially concerned that a smaller company would not be able to offer much in this regard. However, given that expertise and inspiration are essential at DR. KADE, it offers a very wide range of professional development opportunities. And because of the flat hierarchies, there are also demanding areas of work with lots of development potential. So that took care of any concerns I had! To all applicants who are currently faced with a decision, I would say that, if you prepare thoroughly and are willing to try something new, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have a successful career in a mid-sized company.
As Operational Excellence Manager in Technical Operations, Petra is responsible for planning and implementing process optimisation in production and related areas and for on-site project portfolio management.
März 2023
DR. KADE has female DNA – Interview with Katja on International Women’s Day.
Tradition meets emancipation: as a company specialising in women’s health, gender equality is firmly embedded in our everyday working life. In an interview, Katja – Chief People Officer at DR. KADE – explains exactly what this means.
As women’s health plays a central role at DR. KADE, it goes without saying that women and men have equal rights in the workplace as well. An interview with Katja, Chief People Officer at DR. KADE.
Katja, what connection do you see between women and DR. KADE?
There are lots of positive factors connecting DR. KADE with women and gender equality. From my own HR perspective, of course, the first thing that comes to mind is that women make up around 60 per cent of our in-house workforce. Many of our products are geared towards women as well. I have yet to meet a woman of any age who has never heard of KadeFungin®. So, I think it’s fair to say that DR. KADE has female DNA.
In your view, is gender equality still a major concern in today’s society?
I’m sorry to say that it is, yes. And to be honest, I find the discussions about gender pay gaps and gender board quotas nothing short of embarrassing. By this, I mean the very fact that we still need to have these discussions here in Germany today.
Is gender equality an issue at DR. KADE?
No, I’m very proud to say that it isn’t. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that DR. KADE has always been influenced by strong women from our owner family. So, it is traditional for women to play a central role in running our company. At present, almost half of all management positions are held by women – and, of course, half of our six-person management team are women as well.
Have you had any negative professional experiences as a woman outside DR. KADE?
Yes. I work in HR, an area in which there are traditionally a lot of women. Nonetheless, the environment I worked in before joining DR. KADE was very much dominated by men. As one of the few women at my hierarchy level, it was sometimes very strenuous to have to assert myself more than my male colleagues. I always found it unnecessarily energy-sapping to have to be constantly on the defence and protect my territory. I would much rather have used all this energy to do my actual work.
What advice can you give working women from your experience as CPO?
I am seeing that the younger generations of women have things easier. They have been brought up to be more self-confident and they are well educated and ambitious in a good way. But unfortunately, this is not enough to protect them from discrimination. My advice to all women would be: develop a thick skin, stick to your guns and don’t let yourself be intimidated!
Why should women apply to work at DR. KADE?
We are simply a great employer, where men and women are treated equally. And we understand at least half of all High Potentials are women. In our company, there are lots of women who understand and encourage other women. Insofar as possible, we also consider the needs of our employees relating to specific life stages and offer family-friendly work time models. And of course we value the typical female attributes: dedication, performance orientation and team spirit!
March 2023