Staff learning and development is an investment in the future

Learning and development is an important issue for us to survive in a dynamic market in the long term: Special attention is therefore paid to vocational and continued education.

Our learning and development portfolio includes a variety of learning formats, such as topic-specific training, webinars and workshops, tailored to our employees’ field of work and activity. Hermes also offers numerous selected e-learning courses, for example within the framework of the ‘AcademyMaker’.

Our trainee programme also offers university graduates attractive entry opportunities. Diversity is also what makes our range of training opportunities so special: We offer training in more than 10 professions and three different work/study courses. This helps us meet the shortage of skilled workers and secure well-trained junior staff.

Since 2012, our commitment has been rewarded annually with the award of ‘Hamburg's Best Training Companies’. In order to identify and promote talented young managers at an early stage, we also support development programmes such as ‘Fit 4 Future’ and ‘Boost your Career’, a programme specifically designed for female talent.

Number of measures (workshops, coaching sessions, internal and external providers) Hermes Germany:

2015	2016	2017
636	243	314

As part of the continuous development of our learning and development programme, we focus on measures that best meet existing and future needs and challenges. In this way, we have reduced the number of measures. At the same time, the number of employees participating in the measures has increased.

Number of employees participating in the learning and development measures by gender, area and location:

	2015	2016	2017
Total number of employees:	718	867	1,520
Proportion of total number of employees in %:	15.1	17.3	27.4
Female (% share)	28.7	39.7	42.4
Male (% share)	71.3	60.3	57.6
Commercial (% share)	93.7	94.3	95.4
Operational (% share)	6.3	5.7	4.6
Managerial (% share)	23	31.7	13

We use employee surveys that follow our training courses to evaluate our training measures on a standard and continuous basis.

Flexible working time models help to reconcile work and family life

The issue of work-life balance is important for our employees. This is why, Hermes is drawing on specific measures to promote compatibility of work and other important life issues for our employees. We are responding to employee needs with flexible working time models based on company agreements, supporting them in all phases of their lives. One example of this is our FlexOffice, which enables employees to work more flexibly and from home. They can opt for a model that allocates a number of hours spread over a year, for instance, or choose a ‘Flex’ contract, agreeing a loose scheme of hours to be worked.

On top of this, we offer special support to parents. We have been paying a childcare allowance since 2010 and have been supporting the compatibility of family and career through our WE CARE programme since 2013: Through our cooperation partner ElternService AWO, we offer qualified advice as well as fast and professional support in the organisation of care for children and relatives in need of care.

Employees on parental leave during the reporting period and those who have returned (by gender):

	HG (as of December 2015)	HG (as of December 2016)	HG (as of December 2017)	HES (as of December 2015)	HES (as of December 2016)	HES (as of December 2017)
Total	116	145	144	9	10	11
Female	77	83	83	5	7	8
Male	39	62	61	4	3	3
Proportion of males in %	33.6	42.8	42.2	44.4	30.0	27.3
Total returnees	109	145	72	9	10	5
Female	70	83	41	5	3	3
Male	39	62	31	4	7	2