Isabel Schneider one: Melanie, Isabel, our topic is how career changers enrich our company as employees. Before we get started, how did you both come to REWE Group?

Melanie Günther: After graduating from high school, I enlisted in the German Armed Forces for twelve years and studied education as part of my officer training. After graduating, I didn't go back to the mountain troops, where I had completed my basic training, but became a platoon leader in a training unit responsible for 48 sergeant candidates and four group leaders. At the same time, I studied psychology part-time at the University of Hagen. in 2014, I had the desire and the opportunity to develop in the direction of personnel management: At the Federal Office of Personnel Management of the Bundeswehr in Cologne, I took care of the aptitude diagnostic selection of future officer candidates: inside. When my 12-year contract expired, I left the Bundeswehr with a lot of professional experience and two degrees in my pocket. And a former comrade, who had joined REWE Group a few years before me, gave me the idea to apply here

Isabel Schneider: After graduating from high school, I studied business administration in Cologne, completed various internships at the same time - and played competitive sport. First volleyball in the hall, then beach volleyball in the summer. I really enjoyed business studies - when I was at university. When you're passionate about two things like I was back then - competitive sport and studying - it's not so easy to juggle everything. i became a national player in 2017, completed my bachelor's degree and then concentrated fully on sport for a few years. As a result, I was accepted into the Bundeswehr's sports promotion group. So from 2017 to 2024, I was part of the Bundeswehr - the training schedule was also my duty rota - and represented Germany on various beaches around the world. I became U23 world champion and German champion and took part in several world and European championships.

After missing out on qualifying for the Olympics in 2023, I felt that I wouldn't be able to give 100 per cent again to achieve successful results. At the same time, I was looking forward to a new chapter in my life and decided to prepare for my career start. Of course there were uncertainties, as is the case for all athletes who give up their careers and venture into other realms. But I knew where I wanted to go, completed some further training and applied to REWE Group in summer 2024, more specifically to Melanie in Talent Sourcing.

one: Why did you apply to REWE Group?

Isabel Schneider: It was important to me to be able to identify with a company. REWE Group was pretty far ahead in that respect. When I found the job advert for Melanie's team, I just gave it a try.

one: Did the fact that you both had a similar "previous life", i.e. the German Armed Forces, help with your application?

Melanie Günther: Isabel's CV made me curious. I had done a lot of sport myself for a long time and had a completely different image of competitive athletes. It's very rare for them, like Isabel, to first complete a degree alongside sport and then go back into professional sport with full focus. She was really smart about it. But it wasn't just her timing. She had also gained experience through internships at various companies and completed further training. So I was keen to get to know her. She certainly didn't have the perfect talent sourcer profile, but after the second interview we realised that Isabel's personality and personal skills were exactly what we needed for the job.

one: What are the skills that qualify her as a Talent Sourcer?

Melanie Günther: She is communicative, extroverted and interested in people. And she has a real "sales gene", because we have to get the jobs to the talent out there.

one: How did you feel about this application phase, Isabel?

Isabel Schneider: I was delighted to receive the invitation - but I also gave it a lot of thought. After all, I didn't have much more to show than internships and my further training. My time in competitive sport is professional experience, but you need someone who recognises that. I am certainly a good example of skill-based recruiting, i.e. recruiting on the basis of personal skills, characteristics and a willingness to learn and develop. And fortunately, I met a team here who believed that I could learn anything.

one: In what skills and characteristics are you similar as career changers?

Melanie Günther: Team play, cohesion.

Isabel Schneider: We have clear communication.

Melanie Günther : What we both have in common is motivation and perseverance. The talent market is so unpredictable, you need staying power. And we both have the ability to deal with failure and remain positive.

Isabel Schneider: The ability to organise. To take an image from sport: We always have a lot of balls in the air at the same time. You have to be able to prioritise. With Melanie, I see how she keeps an eye on the issues and takes the right steps. That was certainly also a learning from her time in the army.

Melanie Günther : I'll pick up on that image. Isabel had the balls of sport and studying in the air at the same time. You need creative solutions and approaches to master the double burden. That's what I was looking for when we advertised the position, for fresh impetus. Nevertheless, I thought a little longer about whether to hire Isabel. After all, she had no practical experience in our specific professional field.

Melanie Günther one: You then decided in favour of the "soft skills" and Isabel acquired what was missing. How did that go?

Isabel Schneider: At the beginning, I spent a lot of time understanding the whole process, always accompanied by the team and my onboarding buddy. I liked this close familiarisation with the option of slowly starting out on my own. After two months, I was gradually given my own positions. I often hear at REWE Group: when mistakes happen, we want to learn from them. I think that's important, because it's a sign of trust. The trust my senior managers have in me.

Melanie Günther: You only recognise potential when you engage more intensively with a person. As senior managers, we have to be prepared to guide and train. And be patient until someone is able to fulfil their role. But it's worth investing this time.

Isabel Schneider: I would be delighted if our example could inspire people to think outside the box when it comes to recruitment.

one: And what advice do you have for career changers?

Isabel Schneider: Have confidence in what you bring to the table. Be willing to learn and be brave. I may be going out on a limb here, but I am convinced that you can learn a lot if you have the will to do so.