The power of the network: Kira and Stefanie on STAR’s growth in Germany

At STAR, we know the market well. That’s why we know exactly how to help our customers and specialists move forward. Kira Mörsch and Stefanie Weßel tell us how they do this in Germany, where STAR is growing rapidly. “During the pandemic, we put a lot of attention into our network.”

Building strong relationships
A couple of years ago, Kira Mörsch joined STAR as a junior recruitment consultant. Now, she is a senior consultant. “My disciplines are Project Management and Construction. I really enjoy providing our clients with the most suitable candidates.”

Stefanie Weßel has been working with STAR for more than 3,5 years now. After working as a consultant as well, she is now our sales manager in Germany. “The most important thing for us is to get to know our clients very well,” she says. “Not just what’s happening in terms of projects, but also on the personal side. What kind of mentality do they have, what do they care about? This enhances your collaboration a great deal.”

It takes time and effort, Stefanie emphasizes, but eventually it makes a serious difference. “We started working for a client in Gelsenkirchen by finding them one specialist. Now they have thirty STAR consultants working with them. It’s because we have developed a strong relationship together. We do the same with our specialists.”

Freedom

Similar strong connections are created within the STAR team. “We can share our opinions and openly discuss how we want to move forward together,” Stefanie says. “That’s a good position to be in as a team.”

Kira remembers how her adventure with STAR began. “When I met Stefanie and Lars for the first time, the atmosphere was very laid-back, and the communication was open and direct. I thought, this is a company I would like to work for. What interested me was to help people find the right project.”

“The way of working also appeals to me. What I like is that you have the STAR model, and within this framework, you can do your job the way you want to. That’s how you can give it a personal touch. The most interesting thing is to build relationships with different specialists.”

Word of mouth

At the start of 2022, about 100 specialists were on the job via STAR. “That means our external staff in Germany increased by around 50% in 12 months,” says Kira.

“The best thing is to build your own network and make it known that you really pay attention to their expertise and their wishes,” she elaborates. “Recently we heard that specialists are telling other specialists about STAR when they are on site. That’s wonderful.”

“Our network works for us on the client side and the specialist side,” says Stefanie. “We know exactly when the best specialists are available and so we can connect them to interesting projects very quickly.”

Further growth

“Recently, we have been doing 25 interviews a week,” Kira says. “A good indication of how the rest of the year might go.”

“We are happy to be a part of the STAR team in Germany in this specific phase,” Stefanie says. “We are now laying a solid foundation for success and getting ready for further growth.” How did they make it happen? “By working closely together, applying the STAR model better and better, as a group with The Netherlands and Belgium.”

Of course, a new team also has its growing pains, especially with the rapid growth that has been seen in Germany over the last period. How did they experience that? “When you have smooth internal processes and you have built a good team, you can focus more on your business outside. During the pandemic, we put a lot of attention into our network, growing and developing it. Now we can see the results this approach has brought us. We intend to keep going on the same foot. For instance, right now, big projects are coming up for a leading energy company in Berlin.”