They spent a good three weeks puttering and tinkering in Hall 5: roughly 100 staffing experts from every one of Volkswagen AG’s locations. They transformed the empty space in the Wolfsburg plant into an extraordinary workshop, a think tank for the future of human resources work. Without hesitation, the participants in the “HR Lateral Thinking Factory” even created the agile working environment themselves: with furniture, made from euro pallets, for example — always useful when sprints or stand-up meetings weren’t the order of the day for the six agile teams.
Everything was focused on questions like these: how can the HR department’s work be improved? What services can the departments expect in the future? How do we reduce bureaucracy? What new tasks will the digital transformation bring for HR managers? Which tasks can or must be done away with? The self-imposed assignment for all the experts in Hall 5: brave lateral thinking!
Chief Human Resources Officer Gunnar Kilian praises the work of the “HR Lateral Thinking Factory,” saying, “The HR department aims to shape cultural change and drive transformation. The first step to renewing and gaining new punch is overcoming silos and breaking through familiar processes. That is what the colleagues here at the ‘Lateral Thinking Factory’ have done by approaching these topics in a very unconventional way. That makes me feel very confident. We will try to implement as many proposals as possible.”
Works Council member Daniela Cavallo is counting on new work techniques being used more in everyday office life. “They’re a good participatory tool and help us make even better use of the expertise within the company.”
“These colleagues have taken a very unconventional approach to the issues.”
Gunnar Kilian, Chief Human Resources Officer
And the suggestions from the “HR lateral thinkers?” They’re being tested for feasibility in the department – with the clear goal of making what was previously impossible possible.