From South Africa to Stuttgart

In January 2022, Ciske Berrington was sitting 38,000 kilometers in the air, in the middle of a 12-hour journey from South Africa to Stuttgart. A million thoughts were running through her head. She had been offered a job at Exyte a year earlier and now after months of wading through what seemed to be a never-ending pandemic, she was finally on her way. 

“I was working for a company in South Africa, and I really wanted some international experience,” she began. 

“I didn’t care where in the world I went but I really liked the idea of working in Germany. I love the German way of doing things because they’re very straightforward and to the point … I really appreciate that.” 

As a career orientated person Berrington began searching for EHS positions in Germany online but was hesitant to begin applying. She was unsure if her qualifications would be recognized or even relevant. It wasn’t until a position as EHS Manager for Exyte caught her attention on LinkedIn, so much so, it prompted her to reach out. 

“I sent a message to the EHS director and was straight to the point. I want to work for Exyte. I asked what I can do to be a successful candidate, what courses can I do, what can I do to enable myself to be recognized by this company,” she explained. 

“He got in touch, took a look at my CV and gave me some advice on how I could upskill, but more importantly he also said the Exyte model is not a one size fits all, and that they are open to considering people with different qualifications and backgrounds. 

Global Head of Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding, Sehnaz Gauer explained it’s all part of creating a more open hiring strategy, to look at the whole person not just their qualification on a piece of paper. That includes their shared values, ability, relevant experience or skills and willingness to learn.  

“Sometimes when we hire new people, we focus too much on what exactly they know and what exactly we want, but actually, we should be looking at their experience and what they can bring to the company and what they can also learn from the company,” said Gauer. “The great thing about social media is that it is helping Exyte connect with people with different skill sets from all over the world. This is why LinkedIn is used heavily to recruit new talent.” 

That is exactly how Ciske was recruited. She was asked to apply for the position, she did, she had the interview and then a month later got the job. A few months later she’s thriving at Exyte as an Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Manager. Her work is spread across 30 odd projects and spends her time split across different sites around Europe. Berrington is grateful for Exyte’s open hiring strategy, that considers people with different backgrounds from around the world, which she accredits in part to her finding and securing the job.  

“I love it here… The infrastructure, the way people are treated, there is a much bigger emphasis on equality here than back home in South Africa. I feel a lot more appreciated for what I do and who I am.” 

At Exyte, the talents and skills brought by every individual are highly valued. In the past years the number of employees within the company has increased significantly. There is stronger growth expected and the company continues to hire great talent worldwide in areas including project management, construction management and engineering. Exyte is also proud to offer existing employees, like Ciske Berrington, opportunities for ongoing personal development.