Entrepreneur Reimhold Würth avoids boastful applicants. Here he talks about his gut feeling in job interviews and the importance of HR managers.
Künzelsau (dpa/lsw) – When it comes to hiring, entrepreneur Reinhold Würth is primarily concerned with whether the applicants are down-to-earth. “That’s the most important thing for me,” said Würth of the German Press Agency. It’s about avoiding any kind of arrogance and cockiness. “I don’t want anything to do with people like that.” He expects employees to be friendly and courteous to one another.
In job interviews, he often relied on his gut feeling. “I think I have a certain talent for being able to assess people,” said Würth. He no longer makes settings himself. He has trustworthy staff for that. “The HR people are at least as important as the CEO of the company because they shape the style of the company for the next 50 years.” That’s why his company is very careful in appointing the people who hire applicants.
The Würth Group, known for its screws, achieved sales of around 17.1 billion euros and an operating result before taxes of around 1.3 billion euros in 2021. The group employs more than 83,000 people worldwide. At the age of 14, Reinhold Würth began an apprenticeship in his father’s then small business before taking it over after his father’s death in 1954 at the age of 19. Today he is Chairman of the Foundation’s Supervisory Board. The billionaire is one of the richest Germans.
