Our IoT Heroes: Christin Riederer - Head of HR

What appealed to you to join a start-up after being with Bosch for over 6 years?

I have worked for Bosch as HR manager and supported Security and Safety Things from the very beginning in building their team. Then one day I was asked to find an HR Business Partner for Security and Safety Things. This is the position I hold now. At that time I was already very enthusiastic about what was happening here. So it was only natural for me to join myself. I've been doing this for half a year now and it's great fun.

What’s the biggest and most exciting challenge you’re working on right now?

Security and Safety Things is growing very fast because we need specialized and motivated people to bring our vision to life quickly.

With my team, I have to make sure that Security and Safety Things not only develops fast but is also healthy. My aim is to get every new employee on board in the best possible way and to provide them with maximum individual support. This is quite challenging when you hire new people almost every week!

What superhero power can you draw on when you need it?

That's a good question I usually ask applicants. I think my strength is my ability for empathy, that enables me to build up trusted relationships with people. I can listen very closely and I’m trying to always be approachable for everyone in the team. This is especially important in on-boarding so that everyone in the team can fully develop their strengths and find their own path.

What is the secret behind your great team spirit?

We have a quite mixed team when it comes to our cultural and professional background and we bring together two worlds: the corporate and start-up world. That is not always easy but is essential when we talk about the unique team spirit. Each new employee brings new impulses and expectations, but what we all have in common is that we want to achieve great things together and have fun doing it.

What do you look for in people when they apply for a job at Security and Safety Things?

We are looking for people who want to be part of a real community, not just another start-up.

That's why we're seeking team players, even if this word is often overused by HR people. Real team players are emphatic and enjoy joint success. Anyone who is also curious, honest and persistent and, of course, has a lot to offer in terms of their expertise, belongs here.

Personally, what’s your motivation and goal for the near future?

What drives me is to experience every day how the team evolves, how our culture emerges in which we as a community can achieve great goals together. At our last Christmas party, we took a picture of our then small team. I'm looking forward to the next photo of a team that will be much bigger and more mature. With every great team member we bring on board, we lay one more cornerstone for our success.

Christin, thank you very much for the chat!