In this episode of the ‘Amtlich vorang’ podcast, I speak to Sven Heard, Head of Recruitment and HR Marketing at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Sven is responsible for strategic recruitment and employer branding for one of Europe’s largest applied research organisations. With 74 institutes and more than 30,000 employees, this is a particularly complex task. Incidentally, his journey to Fraunhofer began with a phone call from a former colleague who asked him if he’d like to be his boss again.
One quote from the conversation that sticks in the mind:
“The Fraunhofer name alone is no longer enough to attract the best talent.”
Among other things, we discuss:
- How recruitment works in a highly decentralised organisation
- The opportunities and limitations presented by the public policy framework
- Why AI and community building are shaping the future of recruitment
🔬 74 institutes, 74 processes – and a shared path
When Sven joined Fraunhofer, each institute operated with its own recruitment processes. You’ll learn how standards can be established without imposing centralised guidelines, and why community management plays a key role in this.
🤖 AI in recruitment: balancing innovation and responsibility
Fraunhofer develops its own AI solutions and aims to be at the forefront of technology. At the same time, the focus is on data protection, fairness and regulatory requirements. Sven offers fascinating insights into how they intend to strike this balance.
🚀 Purpose as a genuine competitive advantage
Whether it’s climate protection, medical technology or future technologies: at Fraunhofer, research is carried out that has a direct impact on society and the economy. You’ll learn why this very sense of purpose is a strong selling point in the competition for talent.
🔗 Further links
- Sven Heard on LinkedIn
- Fraunhofer Society careers website
- ‘amtlich voran’ website
- ‘amtlich voran’ Spotify playlist featuring all episodes to date
‘amtlich voran’ is an initiative by EMBRACE and the ZEIT Publishing Group.
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