And Zidane sits next to you...Your workplace is located on a big green campus with a lake. In your lunch hour you play tennis on the company tennis court. Or you go jogging. Everyone speaks English, and Zinedine Zidane sits next to you in the staff restaurant. No, this is not an article about “Second Life”, but rather an insight into the world of adidas. Herzogenaurach, Franconia, Germany: Population 22,875, half-timbered houses, rural setting, forests and fields. In the middle: adidas corporate headquarters; annual sales above ten billion euros, 28,000 employees worldwide. CEO Herbert Hainer has his office here. Young people from over 53 countries work here. The “World of Sports”, as the heart of the company is known, is in fact a world of its own. 39 hectares of green space with modern architecture on the grounds of the former Herzo Military Base. Everyone wears sports shoes – adidas sports shoes, of course. Everyone speaks English – otherwise, it would be like the tower of Babel. adidas employees are international, young and athletic. Sports are a key theme on the Herzo Base: From basketball to tennis courts to its own stadium and fitness centre, the grounds offer everything an athlete’s heart could desire. “It’s contagious,” says sales trainee Fabian Aé. “For instance, I wasn’t into running – to be honest, I hated it. And now I run three or four times a week. It’s contagious, running in the lunch hour, for instance.” Running during the lunch break? “At adidas we have very flexible working hours,” explains recruiting manager Andreas Lämmlein, peering over his glasses and smiling. “That means we have specific targets and agreements and a 40-hour week, but how I schedule my time is up to me. I decide whether I want to go jogging or play tennis in my lunch break.” Fabian confirms: “Your performance on the job has to be top notch, but no one says anything if you take a longer break. I think it’s because management lives like that, too. They do the same thing.” Lämmlein und Aé both wear the obligatory adidas sports shoes and casual dress - something else that delights the 27-year-old trainee: “I don’t have to wear a suit and tie to be taken seriously, I really like that.” What else is special about working at adidas? Lämmlein smiles: “Well, you can even meet Zinedine Zidane in the staff restaurant. Other athletes, too. Then there is an email to all the staff. That gives your motivation an extra push.” Fabian nods: “Definitely.” 
Fabian studied business administration in Reutlingen. He spent two years in England during that time. After his graduation in 2004, he worked at a marketing agency in Frankfurt for a year and a half. However: “I wanted to work internationally. I’ve always had the travel bug a bit,” he reveals, grinning. Presumably that is because the 27-year-old has already lived in Asia for ten years: Born in Seoul, he then went to Jakarta, then Singapore. “My passion must fit in with my work, so adidas was exactly the right thing for me.” He has been a sales trainee at the “World of Sports” since May 2006. 
Internationality, in addition to flexibility, is an important aspect for the company. “When we talk of internationality, it’s not just an empty word, we really do live it,” stresses Andreas Lämmlein. “Of the 3,000 employees here, 35 percent are “internationals”. So you see: It isn’t just a matter of selling internationality; rather, the entire set-up of the value added chain at adidas is extremely international. Working together here really does extend beyond borders.” Fabian Aé adds: “The Trainee Program includes a Polish girl, a Scot, Germans with an international background, Dutch, Swedes, a real mix in fact. It’s great!” Currently, 22 trainees are employed at adidas in Germany, and this year the Trainee Program will be established in Asia and the USA. The Functional Trainee Program is directed at university graduates with some job experience through internships and generally lasts 18 months. “We are flexible in this, too,” says the recruiting manager. “If, after twelve months, we find the ideal placement for a participant, we don’t hesitate.” The program consists of six assignments lasting three months each. Each trainee has his or her own mentor from upper management. Together they draw up a so-called road map right at the beginning. Lämmlein: “Even before the first day, potential assignments are worked out from the trainee’s starting position. For instance, if the trainee will be in sales, it makes sense for them to experience fieldwork, with smaller customers, but also Key Account Management for major customers. Account Marketing might also be a possibility. As a rule, trainees have one assignment abroad, but if the mentor says that two assignments abroad would be better for the target function planned, then there may even be two assignments abroad.” Besides the assignments there is also the Action Learning Project. Lämmlein: “The idea is to have trainees from various areas work together on a project.” So marketing, design and sales trainees, for instance, would work together. The aim is to “change perspectives and become familiar with other aspects”. In addition, there are other training subjects, for instance project management, presentation techniques, and conflict management. One league above the Functional Trainee Program is the Business Management Program. The trainees must have several years of job experience and an MBA. The aim: To train tomorrow’s top management. “It is a general management program that is not focused on a single function, but rather covers multiple functions,” explains Andreas Lämmlein. “It is a two-year program and comprises four assignments in four different functions, two of which are abroad: Sales or Retail, Finance, Operations and Marketing. Its objective is to provide a good overview of the company.” Sanae Parra plays in that league. She is one of currently three trainees in the Business Management Program. The 31-year-old’s CV is already long enough for two lives. Born in New York City, she moved to Japan at the age of 3. Following her graduation from business studies in Japan plus one year at university in Seattle, Sanae got her first job at 23 in a small sales and marketing company in California. “But I couldn’t develop myself further there, so I decided to do my MBA in Spain.” After getting her degree, she was given the opportunity to take part in adidas’ Business Management Program, and took it. Now she lives in Nuremberg with her husband. What makes her particularly proud of the company? “The brand,” replies Sanae. “People like the brand, and we are a part of that brand – that makes me proud.” Interns are also welcome at adidas. Andreas Lämmlein: “In Germany last year there were around 400 interns. Typically, in connection with adidas we think of sales or marketing, but there are many other possibilities, for instance Logistics, Finance or IT.” If a student performs well during the internship, they have the opportunity to get into the adidas Rebound Program. “The idea is to stay in contact with good students and to offer them further opportunities at adidas,” says Lämmlein. “Those might be seminars, projects, workshops, even internships abroad or their thesis. Talent management is very important at adidas because, of course, we ideally want to identify talent at an early stage and recruit it for adidas. Of course, there’s a certain amount of competition for good students, so we want to provide interesting subjects in order to be looked on favourably.” Those wishing to participate in life at the ‘World of Sports’ must graduate with good marks and show interest in the company. Several internships and a good knowledge of English are also an asset. “Graduates in all sorts of fields may apply for a job.” Andreas Lämmlein adjusts his glasses. “We are looking for graduates in computer science, business administration, psychology, communication sciences... the idea is to prepare trainees well, then they start work and really take off. In the medium term, i.e. three, four, five years after the program, we see them in a management function, e.g. as team leader. Of the 59 trainees we have had in recent years, the majority have stayed with us and landed a good position.” And besides: Where else except in the adidas world do ordinary mortals get the chance to sit beside the great Zinedine Zidane in the staff restaurant? 
“WHETHER I GO JOGGING OR PLAY TENNIS AT LUNCHTIME IS UP TO ME. AT ADIDAS WE HAVE VERY FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS.” (ANDREAS LÄMMLEIN, HR EMERGING EMPLOYEES )
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