Karsten Giebe

Karsten, what are your tasks here at Hyva, and how long have you been working for the company?

My role here at Hyva in Olbersdorf is that of a production manager. I'm responsible for the plant's entire fabrication and my range of responsibilities includes personnel planning, manufacturing process management and control, resource and workload planning and training apprentices. I have been working in this position for 7 years now, and 27 years at Hyva all in all – time flies! The company was founded in 1991, when I joined it, and I have remained faithful to it to this day. For ten years from 1991 until 2001, the company was part of the Georg group, which is where our name, Georg Hydraulik GmbH, springs from.

Wow, you must be one of the longest-serving employees here!. What led you to a career at Hyva?

I started out as a lathe operator and deep-hole driller in 1991. At the same time, the company was founded as part of the Georg group. Fourteen years later, I was offered the position of deputy production manager, and since 2015, I have been senior production manager.

The company and I, we grew simultaneously. I know it inside out, a fact which has helped me tremendously, going from deep hole driller to production manager. Most of all, it's the trust I have been shown and the possibilities for personal development that have brought me to my current position.

After so many years at Hyva, I'm sure you can tell us what distinguishes it from other companies.

During my time here at Hyva, I have been met with trust, which gave me the possibility to take over a leading role in the company. I had the opportunity to grow personally, and I was given enough time to do so in my own right.

Besides trust shown its employees, the company is also distinguished by its excellent reputation in the global market and the high quality of our work, which makes us very proud. The product range has been growing steadily, and we can offer a wide array of hydraulic cylinders nowadays.

What's more, I appreciate and cultivate the familiar and friendly atmosphere we have here. For example, we are flexible enough to grant an employee spontaneous holidays, and we try to respond to other concerns in kind.

Is that the reason why you've been faithful to the company for so long? Do you see that with other employees as well?

After all these years, I am rooted in this company. I have seen it grow and expand from year to year. It is my prime concern to see this trend continue in the future. The numbers and forecasts all look pretty good!

The average period of employment at Hyva is ten years, something which we are very proud of. I believe that the positive atmosphere among colleagues is one of the main reasons for that.

What is the most challenging part of your role at Hyva?

I face (and deal with) multiple small challenges in my role every day. An ability to respond quickly to unforeseeable events is crucial. What matters most is to meet the customer's requirements, especially when it comes to on-time delivery of high-quality products. To meet this goal, we need qualified workers – another challenge we face in today's saturated job market.

Which attributes should applicants have in order to be able to succeed in your department?

They should delight in what they are doing. This is something that comes from within and cannot be learned, nor can we teach it. They should also like working with other people – as I've mentioned earlier, the friendly and familiar atmosphere here is one of the main reasons I like my job so much. Furthermore, our employees are often deployed in diverse positions because we, as a company, are geared to flexibility. We want to be able to react quickly to new situations, and to offer diversified tasks to our employees. So a potential for personal development is key.

If someone asked you “Why should I join Hyva?”, what would you say?

If you're looking for an employer who's flexible, entrepreneurial and appreciates a collegial working atmosphere with a culture where they call each other "du" you've come to the right company!