Uniper Trainee Spotlight Project Changes the view and delivers insights

All the trainees who took part in the collaboration started their careers at Uniper in October or November 2022. They work in different areas, but the Trainee Spotlight Project brought them all together. As part of the program, the trainees worked together as trainee-intakes. The aim was to introduce Uniper as an attractive employer by showing the Düsseldorf office in a virtual tour. But the innovative journey through Uniper's headquarters shows much more than just the workplaces. It also gives an idea of the company's excellent corporate culture. 

Our virtual tour

"We wanted to show not only our attractive offices, but also other benefits to potential applicants and give them the opportunity to get to know some of our colleagues and the Uniper culture," says Celina Zirkel, one of the trainees who carried out the Trainee Spotlight Project. She is currently working in the Operational Excellence team in Sweden. Her focus is on HR, but the program gave her the opportunity to experience other areas, such as technology. "We got a 360° camera and were able to take pictures of different rooms. We went through the office, the canteen, the gym, the silent room, the kicker area, the cafe etc." These images were then combined to create a virtual tour. This allows future applicants to see what the offices look like and experience the culture.

Trainees benefit from network and culture

The VR tour also includes interviews with various Uniper employees. These interviews were the perfect situation to make use of the extensive network the seven trainees had already built up within the company. "We all work in different departments, so everyone in our team knew someone who could add something valuable," says Celina. "Everyone was very open to answer questions and support the project. They all liked the idea of a VR tour."

The program also brought up a very good and productive working culture within the Spotlight team. "We divided the team into different tasks," explains Jana Küppers. As a business controlling trainee in the accounting department, she was able to explore new creative skills: "My colleague and I took care of the interviews and texts." Shubham Vinchurkar, a procurement trainee who is currently working in Asset Development International in the Netherlands, was able to contribute some personal talents. "Photography is my hobby for more than 10 years now. I liked this creating process a lot," he says. Another trainee from London is a passionate drone pilot. So, the team decided to include a drone video of the Media Harbour in the tour to give a bird's eye view of the location. "It was cool to see how we all worked together in a virtual setup," says Celina, but also makes sure: "The project was really a collaborative effort."

Freedom and support led to new ideas

The project was sponsored and commissioned by Andy Fuchs (Employer Branding) and René Koch (IT). They provided the team with all the technical equipment they needed and helped with advices and ideas. "It was good to have a free creative space to try out new things. It helped to get everyone's opinion and then finalize things. Andy and René gave us the space we needed," says Shubham. "Andy was there for a regular exchange," adds Jana. 

The entire project was a process, the three trainees report. "We started taking pictures, without having fixed what the result had to look like. During the process we developed different ideas and were able to implement them into the tour. It was really nice to see the process and the result," Celina summarizes. Developing new skills and talents was fun to all of them. "Normally you have eight hours in front of your desk, doing computer work. It was really nice to explore some creative work," she says. Jana agrees: "Normally I am working in the finance departments. The project was something completely new, but it was really fun."

See Uniper from a different perspective

During the project, the seven trainees tried to see Uniper from the applicants' point of view. They asked themselves what Uniper was like before they started working there. "We could emphasize what is important to us and what we like most about working at Uniper. This could also be interesting for future colleagues," says Jana. "I didn't know what the office looked like when I started," recalls Celina. "Our assessment center was virtual. It would have been very helpful for me to have seen the office before." "For us, it was important for people to understand the culture and what the company has to offer," adds Shubham.

Internally, the tour is already accessible. "When we showed up at the offices with our camera, everyone was a bit surprised at what we were doing," says Celina with a laugh. "Now they have seen the results and we have received very positive feedback." Jana shared the tour with some colleagues from Sweden who will most likely be integrated into the Düsseldorf office VR Tour in the near future. "They were very happy."

The VR tour, the Trainee Spotlight team created, will be published on Unipers website, to address future applicants. It will also be shown at internal events and career fairs. "We have VR Google Glasses that can be used for the tour," says Celina. International colleagues who have never been to Düsseldorf can now explore the site.

The benefits and use of the innovative VR tour could also be of interest to other locations. "Düsseldorf is our headquarter, but I think the approach was to pilot this project. Now we hope that other locations will take up the concept," says Celina, summing up the experience of the Trainee Spotlight Project.

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