“Assessment centers are a matter of course for me”

Gaus Architekten is a planning office with headquarters in Göppingen and a think tank in Rotterdam. In addition to architects, Gaus Architekten also employs landscape architects and urban planners. Saskia Gaus-Mens from the Netherlands is responsible for HR and spoke to New Monday about assessment centers, office dogs and why first impressions count the most.

Ms. Gaus-Mens, what is more important to you: the cover letter and CV or the interview?
The interview – I still think the most important thing is the personal impression.

How does your office respond to the demands that generations Y and Z place on their workplace?

We take the next generation seriously and respond to their needs: We have an open-space office where we work together flexibly in small teams. We are always open to requirements such as part-time work, working from home or individual family requirements, as long as it fits in with the team and we are in dialog.

Who at your company has a say when it comes to new employees?

Our hierarchies are flat: It is a matter of course for us to involve the team in job interviews. We recently had an application from an architect. I invited two colleagues who work in the competition department to the interview. We conducted it together. Anything else would make little sense – ultimately, the two colleagues from the competition department and my husband Christian Gaus would be working with the applicant. When it comes to the final decision, my judgment and that of my husband are decisive. I don’t make any personnel decisions on my own.

How many application rounds do you have: one or several?

Definitely several. Some time ago, I introduced an assessment center to confirm first impressions. This takes place as part of the first interview. If the interpersonal and professional skills are right, the candidates come to us for one or two days for a trial period. This is the only way we can see whether there is a good fit between the colleagues, whether the requirements and qualifications are right and whether the candidates really feel comfortable with us. Many people don’t talk about everything in a job interview.

What do you mean by that?

For example, our office dog Five: some people don’t dare to say that they are afraid of dogs in the first interview.

After the assessment center at Gaus Architekten

An assessment center in a planning office. That’s rather unusual, isn’t it?

Yes, I think so. But since I come from the HR sector, assessment centers are a matter of course for me and an informative tool – also later for personnel development.

And what happens after the assessment center?

During the first interview, I look at the results together with the new team member and we talk about them. After the six-month probationary period has expired, we look at the results again and see where there is still potential for development. In conclusion, however, I can say that the assessment center is only one part of our corporate culture. One aspect that is crucial for us is working together and working in flexible teams.

Here you can find the interview with Eik Kammerl from kammerl + kammerl on the subject of CVs.

You can find more insights into planning offices at www.new-monday.de.