A positive experience overall, though there are areas for improvement regarding onboarding and feature opportunities.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
Usually, it is quite difficult to get a timely response from P&O, payroll, and GA. Fortunately, I have had very few issues with their topics, but I know colleagues who still face problems after years with salary calculations or find it very hard to book a pool car, as their tickets are often replied to very late.
Verbesserungsvorschläge
It would be helpful to provide more support to interns, such as a document outlining all the important steps needed to settle in Frankfurt and Germany. For example, a guide explaining the anmeldung process, health insurance registration, and similar topics. I know that other companies, including Hyundai Motor Europe, offer something similar. Additionally, it would be beneficial to connect new interns with current interns before their first day, so they can start building relationships and receive advice on finding housing or choosing a good area to live in and so on.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
I have really enjoyed working with everyone in my department since joining the company. Everyone is fair and there is trust among colleagues. After several months here, my initial expectations have been exceeded.
Kommunikation
Regular meetings with my team, as well as Town Halls and conferences, offer effective communication. I have always received enough information to complete my tasks and have consistently been informed about projects and company performance.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
In my department, the cohesion is very high. People from different areas continuously ask for support from others, and nobody has ever held back. Personally, I have asked for help several times, and everyone has always been kind and supportive to me.
Work-Life-Balance
In my team, the work-life balance is excellent. You can take vacation freely, there’s no pressure about working hours, and everyone is very supportive if you need help with personal matters. We also prioritize family, so we make sure to cover for each other whenever someone needs it.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
I have a very good relationship with my manager. He always explains all the information I need to perform tasks clearly, holds me accountable for my projects, and involves me in some project decisions. Additionally, we have a good personal relationship as we often have lunch and breaks together, he has helped me with some bureaucratic matters, and we enjoy joking with each other.
Interessante Aufgaben
Since I am currently an intern, I have limited influence over my tasks and mostly handle operational work. However, over time, I have gradually taken on more complex and critical tasks. Occasionally, my workload has been a bit light, which I believe is because the projects in my team are very follow-up driven. We have many stakeholders involved, so we need several confirmations before moving on to more operational activities.
Gleichberechtigung
I’m not familiar with it, so I’ll give it 3 out of 5 stars as a neutral rating.
Umgang mit älteren Kollegen
I’m not familiar with it, so I’ll give it 3 out of 5 stars as a neutral rating.
Arbeitsbedingungen
The Kia office is very welcoming. The lighting is nice, and the kitchen area is great for taking a quick break with colleagues. The desks are well set up, allowing people to focus on their work. However, there are very few meeting rooms and desks available. My computer, in particular, is no longer as fast as it used to be. When I run complex applications or Excel formulas, it often freezes, and I have to restart the app, risking losing any unsaved work. Sometimes, I even need to restart the computer because it becomes completely unusable due to lag and application freezes.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
I’m not familiar with it, so I’ll give it 3 out of 5 stars as a neutral rating.
Gehalt/Sozialleistungen
For an internship, especially compared to my home country, the salary is quite good. However, the benefits are generally quite limited. Hyundai Motor Europe provides significantly more to its employees, and it would be great to see Kia aim to match these offerings in the coming years.
Image
The atmosphere within the company doesn't always reflect the reality outside. For example, I spoke with a Kia manager who has extensive experience in the automotive industry, and they mentioned that the hiring and travel freeze could be seen as quite extreme, especially since our business performance is strong. Additionally, some employees have expressed concerns about limited benefit as well as salaries that don't always seem to match their responsibilities and the high pressure to deliver results, even when performance is already good.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
For interns, especially after the hiring freeze, there are basically no opportunities for careers within the company. I’ve seen many interns who wanted to stay but had to leave because there were no open positions, even though their work was very supportive to the team and showed the need for an additional person. Sometimes it seems like Hyundai Motor Group is advocating for retaining talent in the group, but then does nothing to make it happen. Every time a good intern leaves, it’s a problem for everyone, since a new recruitment process starts, the team has more work with onboarding, and the intern only becomes fully effective after a couple of months while they’re still getting up to speed. The education opportunities are good with the free LinkedIn Learning and training budget, but only if you have a permanent position.