Service-KVG Hansainvest from Hamburg is a new supporting member of Fondsfrauen. We talk to Stefanie Kruse, Head of Compliance, AML & Sustainability, about Hansainvest's diversity policy and how it is implemented.
Ms. Kruse, why is diversity an issue at your company?
For us, diversity means variety in the broadest sense and in every respect. At HANSAINVEST, we are colorful. On the one hand, this stands for a very heterogeneous workforce, which we respect and attach great importance to, in terms of, for example, length of service, age groups, working time models or gender, but absolutely also for different opinions, perspectives, talents, ways of working, training and professional experience. We firmly believe that only the mix of all these important elements leads to better work results overall and moves HANSAINVEST forward as a company. On the other hand, the term "colorful" stands for a respectful and conscious approach to diversity at HANSAINVEST. The goal of diversity in practice is to reduce discrimination and promote equal opportunities. At HANSAINVEST, for example, hiring and promotions are not based on gender, but purely on the principle of performance.
What do you expect from more diversity at HANSAINVEST?
As a company, we expect a lot from diversity and variety. For us, it also means creativity and more innovation, because many different minds and experiences as well as perspectives within a team, a department and in the company lead to better ideas and approaches to solutions. In the end, diversity also always brings a certain team spirit, because people who complement and help each other naturally stick together more.
Do you keep track in your company of how many women apply for management positions, how many women come back to the company after parental leave, or similar figures?
Currently, the proportion of female employees at HANSAINVEST is almost exactly 50 percent. Due to the manageable size of the company, we therefore have a good and transparent insight into the above questions. These points are therefore not yet asked and recorded separately.
How is diversity promoted in your company? Do you perhaps even have special programs to promote women?
This year, we established a women's network within HANSAINVEST and are already expanding it. Since this year, we have also been a supporting member of Fondsfrauen.
What does your company offer to enable flexible working - for parents of young children, for example?
The issue of flexible working is very important to us, as a number of recent developments make clear. For example, HANSAINVEST has recently concluded a company agreement on mobile working that allows all employees to work up to 50 percent of their working hours on their own responsibility, subject to a few conditions. The clear aim here is to enable employees to act even more flexibly in terms of work-life balance. Our goal, however, is not only to make this issue flexible for parents of young children in particular, but also to regulate it reliably in the long term.
Flexibility also includes the flexible working hours from 6:30 to 20:00. Overtime can be compensated by taking time off, and any special payments can also be converted into time off. Other services offered by HANSAINVEST include childcare during the holidays and the PME Family Service, which provides advice in times of crisis.
Last but not least, we have just implemented a new specialist career concept. The aim here is to provide opportunities for development and advancement beyond the assumption of personnel responsibility, including in the purely technical and specialized areas.
Do you perceive women as a separate customer group or do you even offer special women's or gender products?
As a pure service KVG, we do not actively offer any financial products of our own, but administer our partners' funds as a service provider. Within the framework of corresponding fund strategies, HANSAINVEST is also open and willing to implement products with a focus on women, men, or other gender products. For example, we have had the Fund Woman of the Year 2020, Edda Schröder, on board as a portfolio manager for many years, as well as other strong women in the industry. Of course, we are also happy to welcome even more.
What do you think women should do if they want to pursue a career in the fund industry? What should they keep in mind?
Women should approach the matter with courage and self-confidence and simply get started. In doing so, they should become aware of their own strengths and trust in them. In the end, self-marketing also plays a role. You have to sell your own strengths accordingly and make your own performance visible with self-confidence. It should always be kept in mind that there are many different career paths! The right path for oneself may not always be straight ahead. The decisive factor is to "keep at it" seriously and steadily.
We are happy to support our female colleagues in advancing, discussing and communicating these topics. Just last week, one of our colleagues discussed online with the fund women smart, confident and sympathetic the perspective important issues, such as: What makes the Finanzbranche interesting for young women? What are companies doing to find and promote talented women? Does that really help? As HANSAINVEST, we are proud of this commitment and have shared this example with our followers on LinkedIn and XING. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6826802113507655680
Anke Dembowski is a financial journalist and author of various investment fund-related and other financial books. She is also a co-founder of the "Fondsfrauen" network.