From Apprentice to Team Leader

Anja Spilker leads the payroll team. Together with her nine colleagues, she takes care of the employees’ pay, as well as communication with the pension insurance, tax offices, or health insurance companies. She has spent her entire professional life at the Brüder Schlau group.

Anja Spilker’s journey with the group of companies began at the age of 16 in 1991 when she started as an office trainee in Minden-Dützen. “After the intermediate exam, I received a letter from the then personnel manager. It said, ‘Anja, there are still some deficiencies to be addressed,’ ” the 48-year-old recalls with a chuckle. After an intense period of learning, she successfully completed the training and joined the HR department. “I have loved working here ever since,” she says. At the beginning, she worked together with four other colleagues on all HR topics and even wrote contracts using a typewriter.

Today, Anja Spilker is a team leader. She regularly continues her education to stay up-to-date on social insurance and tax law topics. Not only has she herself evolved, but the team has also grown. Now, she leads a team of nine colleagues.

“We create our payrolls completely with the SAP R/3 system,” she reports. Her responsibilities also include coordinating new developments for the new year and working closely with the IT specialists from the IT department. Rentenversicherungen and tax office audits are also managed or communication with the employees’ health insurance companies is carried out.

Unity is important

“I especially like the contact with colleagues from
all over the company – that’s something special,”
Anja Spilker says happily about her role. Over the
years, she has learned about many employees
and their worries and life stories.

“With small things, you can often bring great joy to employees,” she has learned over the years.

“The atmosphere in our team is great. Of course, there are always small points that need to be discussed, but we also manage to resolve them. We also like to do things together as a team, such as a canoe trip on the Weser River or visits to Christmas markets.” With her long tenure with the company, she also often acts as a point of contact for all new colleagues and is always willing to help with questions.

Here, you're not just a number

The benefits of the group of companies, such as the in-house canteen or a job bike leasing, are important factors for the 48-year-old to feel comfortable at work. However, for Anja Spilker, the most important thing is that there is always an open ear here and freedoms can emerge from the trusting collaboration. For example, if someone needs to go to the doctor or pick up a child from school early, that is not a problem. “I feel very comfortable here, it’s like a second home,” she says.