The success of any company is directly dependent on the successful work of its employees. For its part, too, Hannover Re makes systematic efforts to support the professional development, personal growth and wellness of its staff, an approach that it enshrines in strategic principles governing human resources management. Just like other companies, however, we currently face a range of challenges. For some time now, for example, the shortage of skilled workers has been worsening – along with the competition to recruit the best people. This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that employees base their decision to join an employer not only on purely monetary aspects but also on other factors including, for example, the company's reputation, the availability of development opportunities and fringe benefits. Issues such as demographic change, the rapid transformation of the working world as well as digitalisation and automation are increasingly shaping human resources management.
Employing successful staff over the long term is one of ten concentrations defined in our Group strategy. We flesh out the specifics of our human resources management in an internal strategy document, in which we establish the orientation and strategic initiatives of our personnel policy for three-year cycles. For the period from 2018 to 2020 we are addressing, among other things, the aforementioned challenges as well as the potential-oriented development of our staff and managers and the timely filling of vacant positions with qualified candidates. We also define concrete measures as part of our Sustainability Strategy 2018-2020.
In the context of our materiality process we have identified topics in the areas of employee retention, development and advancement as well as diversity as material.
As a central interface function, Hannover Re's personnel management around the world is steered to a large extent from Hannover head office. The division reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, who is also responsible for implementation of the measures specified in the Sustainability Strategy. Responsibility for actioning the strategy rests with the Human Resources Management division. Furthermore, it serves as an innovator and driver of a cooperative corporate culture, develops and rolls out tools tailored to the needs and potentials of staff and managers, helps to shape organisational and corporate development and fulfils the role of service provider for all traditional HR matters such as recruitment, employee support and personnel development.
We employed a workforce of 3,317 (previous year: 3,251) Group-wide at the end of the year under review. The steady growth of our company necessitated a further increase in the headcount in the reporting period. In the year under review, therefore, as was also the case in past years, there were no compulsory redundancies.
Given our activities as a B2B service provider in the financial sector, there are no temporary fluctuations in the number of staff such as those that may occur in connection with seasonal employment.
Breakdown of the workforce by region, gender, activity level and employment contract | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 2017 | 20161 | 2015 | 2014 | ||||||||||||
Activity level and employment contract by region | + / - previous year | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | |||||
Number of employees | 3,317 | +2.0% | 1,558 | 1,759 | 3,251 | 1,535 | 1,716 | 2,893 | 1,403 | 1,490 | 2,568 | 1,255 | 1,313 | 2,534 | 1,231 | 1,303 |
Germany | 1,434 | +3.5% | 672 | 754 | 1,385 | 657 | 728 | 1,349 | 634 | 715 | 1,337 | 631 | 706 | 1,289 | 602 | 687 |
Europe excl. Germany | 702 | +1.3% | 385 | 317 | 693 | 381 | 312 | 532 | 259 | 273 | 371 | 180 | 191 | 407 | 207 | 200 |
United States | 293 | +1.0% | 151 | 142 | 290 | 150 | 140 | 312 | 173 | 139 | 283 | 149 | 134 | 285 | 146 | 139 |
South Africa | 479 | -1.8% | 139 | 340 | 488 | 143 | 345 | 276 | 119 | 157 | 156 | 68 | 88 | 164 | 71 | 93 |
Asia | 233 | +5.9% | 116 | 117 | 220 | 118 | 102 | 218 | 119 | 99 | 219 | 126 | 93 | 199 | 114 | 85 |
Americas excl. USA | 71 | +1.4% | 40 | 31 | 70 | 37 | 33 | 108 | 53 | 55 | 99 | 52 | 47 | 90 | 46 | 44 |
Australia | 113 | +7.6% | 55 | 58 | 105 | 49 | 56 | 98 | 46 | 52 | 103 | 49 | 54 | 100 | 45 | 55 |
Full-time positions | 2,931 | +2.7% | 1,516 | 1,415 | 2,854 | 1,489 | 1,365 | 2,547 | 1,369 | 1,178 | 2,252 | 1,134 | 1,027 | 2,233 | 1,199 | 1,034 |
Germany | 1,104 | +3.7% | 638 | 466 | 1,065 | 624 | 441 | 1,060 | 605 | 455 | 1,051 | 604 | 447 | 1,022 | 574 | 448 |
Europe excl. Germany | 662 | +2.8% | 378 | 284 | 644 | 373 | 271 | 491 | 255 | 236 | 353 | 179 | 174 | 386 | 206 | 180 |
United States | 291 | +1.0% | 151 | 140 | 288 | 150 | 138 | 310 | 173 | 137 | 282 | 149 | 133 | 281 | 145 | 138 |
South Africa | 471 | -0.6% | 138 | 333 | 474 | 138 | 336 | 273 | 118 | 155 | 155 | 67 | 88 | 162 | 70 | 92 |
Asia | 232 | +5.5% | 116 | 116 | 220 | 118 | 102 | 218 | 119 | 99 | 218 | 125 | 93 | 198 | 113 | 85 |
Americas excl. USA | 68 | -1.4% | 40 | 28 | 69 | 37 | 32 | 104 | 53 | 51 | 97 | 52 | 45 | 88 | 46 | 42 |
Australia | 103 | +9.6% | 55 | 48 | 94 | 49 | 45 | 91 | 46 | 45 | 96 | 49 | 47 | 94 | 45 | 49 |
Part-time positions | 386 | -2.8% | 42 | 344 | 397 | 46 | 351 | 346 | 35 | 311 | 316 | 30 | 286 | 301 | 32 | 269 |
Germany | 322 | +0.6% | 34 | 288 | 320 | 33 | 287 | 289 | 29 | 260 | 286 | 27 | 259 | 267 | 28 | 239 |
Europe excl. Germany | 40 | -18.4% | 7 | 33 | 49 | 8 | 41 | 41 | 5 | 36 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 21 | 1 | 20 |
United States | 2 | - | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
South Africa | 8 | -42.9% | 1 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Asia | 1 | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - |
Americas excl. USA | 3 | +200.0% | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | - | 2 | 2 | - | 2 |
Australia | 10 | -9.1% | 0 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | - | 7 | 6 | - | 6 |
Permanent positions | 3,175 | +3.4% | 1,501 | 1,674 | 3,071 | 1,473 | 1,598 | 2,728 | 1,353 | 1,375 | 2,420 | 1,191 | 1,229 | 2,385 | 1,171 | 1,214 |
Germany | 1,347 | +2.5% | 642 | 705 | 1,314 | 630 | 684 | 1,276 | 609 | 667 | 1,253 | 597 | 656 | 1,202 | 570 | 632 |
Europe excl. Germany | 683 | +5.7% | 376 | 307 | 646 | 368 | 278 | 491 | 252 | 239 | 349 | 170 | 179 | 386 | 198 | 188 |
United States | 292 | +1.4% | 150 | 142 | 288 | 148 | 140 | 305 | 169 | 136 | 278 | 146 | 132 | 283 | 145 | 138 |
South Africa | 470 | +0.2% | 133 | 337 | 469 | 136 | 333 | 273 | 118 | 155 | 154 | 67 | 87 | 161 | 71 | 90 |
Asia | 201 | +11.0% | 106 | 95 | 181 | 107 | 74 | 187 | 107 | 80 | 190 | 113 | 77 | 167 | 99 | 68 |
Americas excl. USA | 70 | +1.4% | 39 | 31 | 69 | 36 | 33 | 100 | 52 | 48 | 93 | 49 | 44 | 87 | 43 | 44 |
Australia | 112 | +7.7% | 55 | 57 | 104 | 48 | 56 | 96 | 46 | 50 | 103 | 49 | 54 | 99 | 45 | 54 |
Temporary positions | 142 | -21.1% | 57 | 85 | 180 | 82 | 98 | 165 | 76 | 89 | 148 | 64 | 84 | 149 | 60 | 89 |
Germany | 79 | +11.3% | 30 | 49 | 71 | 27 | 44 | 73 | 25 | 48 | 84 | 34 | 50 | 87 | 32 | 55 |
Europe excl. Germany | 19 | -59.6% | 9 | 10 | 47 | 35 | 12 | 41 | 33 | 8 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 9 | 12 |
United States | 1 | -50.0% | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
South Africa | 9 | -52.6% | 6 | 3 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | 3 |
Asia | 32 | -17.9% | 10 | 22 | 39 | 10 | 29 | 31 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 13 | 16 | 32 | 15 | 17 |
Americas excl. USA | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | - |
Australia | 1 | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
Trainees | 13 | -7.1 % | 6 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 5 | 15 |
1 From 2016 onwards the employees of all companies included in the financial statement of the Hannover Re Group are counted.
2 The key personnel indicators are calculated according to headcount. In this context, we consider the consolidated group in accordance with the requirements of IFRS 10 "Consolidated Financial Statements" on the basis of a consistent consolidation model for all companies that defines control without regard to whether it arises out of company law, contractual or economic circumstances. Group companies are consolidated with effect from the date on which Hannover Re gains control over them. The total number of employees also includes trainees at the Hannover location. |
Hannover Re is an internationally operating company. For us, it goes without saying that we respect and observe local laws and regulations as the legal foundation of our business activities in all the countries where we operate.
When it comes to the formulation of employee rights, it is the applicable laws in the various countries that are determinative for us. Along with these national statutory regulations, we are guided by the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Further human rights issues such as equal treatment and anti-discrimination or the right to protection of personal data are governed by the Code of Conduct and our information security and data privacy policies, which are applicable to all employees of our company. As a general principle, the risk of human rights violations in connection with our operations is extremely slight.
The participation of our employees in decision-making processes within the company is safeguarded by their right to have a say through the SE Employee Council, the joint German Employee Council of Hannover Rück SE and E+S Rückversicherung AG as well as by the three employee representatives on the Supervisory Board elected by this joint Employee Council. The employee-employer relationship is governed by the SE Employee Participation Act, our Articles of Association and the Agreements with the Employee Council. The SE Employee Council has the right to have a say in matters, whereas the German Employee Council has a right of co-determination.
Our employees Group-wide are informed of significant operational changes without delay and in accordance with legal requirements. The Supervisory Board must be advised immediately of matters that can have a material influence on the position of our company. An exact time limit has not been set for this purpose. In the context of their right to information, the Employee Council for the Hannover location and the SE Employee Council of Hannover Rück SE also duly receive all relevant information so as to be able to influence operational changes. All employees are free to contact the staff representatives, Human Resources Management or the relevant manager regarding any complaints that they may wish to raise.
In 2018 no instances are known of business operations that could impede the rights to freedom of association or collective bargaining at our company.