Fit for the Working World of Tomorrow

Know and experience the SAP community

For many companies, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the right personnel. One reason for this is the shortage of skilled workers. The STEM sector (mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology) is particularly affected by this, reports the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. But attracting new skilled workers is only one aspect. The fast pace of knowledge and changes in the world of work due to new technologies pose further challenges for companies. AI technologies such as ChatGPT could permanently change the way we work. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for the competitiveness of companies to invest in training concepts for new and veteran employees.

A question of mindset

It has long been known that (continuing) education is a decisive factor for many companies. Nevertheless, the importance of this topic currently seems to be accelerating due to various social trends. For Nagarro, it is therefore important to have a concerted concept that facilitates the onboarding of new employees and at the same time is suitable for in-house training and retraining.

The IT service provider already benefits from this concept when recruiting new employees. The extent to which the shortage of skilled workers affects a company is therefore also a question of the mindset of companies and applicants - in particular their willingness to try out new things and create or use learning spaces. Indeed, there are professions that are very close to specific training.

There is no question that open-heart surgery should be performed by a surgeon. In such cases, precisely trained experts are needed; lateral entry is neither possible nor sensible. In addition, there is a whole range of fields of activity in which, however, methodological skills and the work attitude of the applicant are decisive factors - for example, the ability to familiarize oneself with new topics, to make practical use of theoretical knowledge or to organize oneself independently.

"For Nagarro, completed vocational training or a successfully completed degree is very important when applying for a job. However, the exact course of training is often of secondary importance. Today, knowledge quickly becomes obsolete. But if you can prove that you have once successfully familiarized yourself with a subject area, you can also familiarize yourself with new ones. Our task is to make this possible. To do this, we provide an educational infrastructure for training and development," explains Torben Mauch, Organizational Change Management expert at Nagarro. 

“During onboarding, it is first important to understand the basic structure and language of SAP.”

Torben Mauch,
Expert for Organizational
Change Management, Nagarro

One example is Theresia Schätzle, who, after studying wine management and working in the wine trade for several years, finally got her start as an SAP consultant. "I quickly had the feeling that I could learn everything I needed to master for my future role - be it technical know-how or dealing with customers," says Theresia Schätzle. Employees with this mindset may not completely eliminate the shortage of skilled workers, but they significantly mitigate it.

Development prospects

In order to facilitate the entry into the professional world, Nagarro offers suitable trainee programs for career starters. In twelve months, newcomers get to know the company and gain SAP and project management skills. They also have the opportunity to work abroad for a time and develop their foreign language skills. For experienced professionals, there is also the option of direct lateral entry, for example as an SAP consultant. In this case, the necessary knowledge is imparted during the induction phase.

In addition to acquiring theoretical knowledge in seminars, learning on the job plays a central role. In this process, a "newcomer" is integrated into an experienced project team. In this way, theory and practice remain closely intertwined. There are also various promotion programs for experienced employees. The Glass Window program, for example, is designed to get more women into senior positions. "Participants are given the opportunity to look over the shoulders of top management when it comes to decision-making," reports Verana Holz, who is completing the program herself. There is also the LevelUp! program, in which successful employees can apply internally for senior positions.

SAP Learning Hub

In Germany and Central Europe in particular, the support of SAP projects is a focus of Nagarro's activities. The technical training of newcomers as well as the further training of existing employees is carried out via the SAP Learning Hub. This makes it easy for outsiders to get started in the SAP world, which may seem cumbersome and complex at first. It is mandatory for employees to stay on the ball regularly so that the SAP certificates remain valid - and Nagarro as a company also retains its status as a certified SAP partner.

The SAP learning environment allows different focal points to be set. "During onboarding, it is first important to understand the basic structure and language of SAP," says Torben Mauch from his professional experience with new employees. "After that, there is a whole range of scope for further technical development. Some tend to specialize in sectors - for example, retail or the automotive industry - and look at the process-related workflows there, while others are interested in individual modules and get very deep into them, possibly even learning programming with Abap." This diversity of training paths allows Nagarro to support its customers' business with industry expertise and software know-how.

Nagarro University

In addition to teaching SAP and project management skills, Nagarro also attaches great importance to offering employees individual training opportunities. In terms of organization, the IT service provider relies on Nagarro University, which either organizes the relevant courses itself or has suitable cooperation partners. The focus is often on soft skills - for example, rhetoric, presentation or resilience courses. Complementing these more formalized forms of learning, Nagarro organizes a series of workshops to reflect on the work and talk about future developments. This can be done remotely or on-site, depending on the needs and internal target group.

"In these formats, we talk, for example, about why we were successful with certain customers - or not. We also discuss how technology could change our everyday work. The other day, a software developer showed how he uses AI technologies to write better program code," reports Torben Mauch. These training sessions serve to make the experiences of individual employees available to a broad audience. They show that Nagarro as a company can only learn as a whole through the collective experience of its employees. 

“It is important for candidates to find a comprehensive range of further training opportunities with their new employer.”

Ellen Padilla,
Head of Talent Acquisition,
Nagarro

This infrastructure and the existing entry and advancement programs show what opportunities exist for companies if they place trust in their employees - and give them the chance to develop on their own initiative. The internal education system thus becomes a key competitive advantage. Ellen Padilla, Head of Talent Acquisition at Nagarro, is also convinced of this: "We are noticing more and more in the application processes how important it is for candidates to find a comprehensive range of training opportunities at their new employer in order to drive professional and personal development."