The services include bereavement help, legal advice, medical information and stress management counseling. Mercedes Benz is also concerned about the health of its employees and wants them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For this reason the company also offers a variety of voluntary discounts on health products.
It has been named as one of the 100 best companies to work for because of the variety of benefits that it offers its employees. Women at Mercedes-Benz are paid higher than most other companies. The company offers a great deal of flexibility to its workers so they can enjoy their family lives as well such as job-sharing, compressed workweeks and telecommuting.
In offices where child care centers are not available, Mercedes-Benz offers 10% discount to its employees so they can buy child care services anywhere they want. Several other benefits are also available.
There is a dress code which demands that all employees dress modestly and appropriately. Women are required to wear suitable attire and while casual is allowed in some cases, it cannot be inappropriate for a workplace.
The major competitors of Mercedes-Benz are BMW, Rolls Royce, Porsche and Audi. The company is more interested in competing with firms that have cars as luxurious as its own and thus it doesn't try to compete with other major automobile firms which do not cater to the same market. Mercedes-Benz still stands out from its competitors because when people think of German engineering, they think of Mercedes first. German engineering and Mercedes have become synonymous as Mantle (1995) writes: "Mercedes-Benz was the epitome of German engineering excellence at a time when Germany was driving Europe's postwar industrial recovery. Money was no object for the company and the customer. As long as the Berlin Wall remained up, the western investment remained in, and the Russians and East- Germans...
The Wirtschaftswunder and Mercedes-Benz were synonymous to the point that they were inseparable, unthinkable without each other. If Mercedes-Benz ever experienced difficulties, there could be only one explanation- Germany must be in trouble." (p. 59)
Mercedes-Benz brands itself as an engineering marvel even though it's basically a prestige car. The company however tries to stay subtle about its prestige and elite messages because it has also produced cheaper cars in A- class series. By focusing on engineering, it subtly sends the message to its customer that Mercedes-Benz is indeed a luxury car.
Mercedes-Benz is always seeking graduates with technical degrees. It clearly states that it prefers graduates with background in electrical engineering, engineering with management mechanical and engineering prices design etc. The company regularly conducts on-campus hiring to look for graduates who meet the selection criteria. There is an International Management Associate program which offers 12 to 16 months on-the-job training to young graduates and also sends them to a variety of seminars and personal coaching workshops to enhance their skills. (Turner, 2005)
Once hired, the company regularly offers further training to its employees and also supports their educational goals. Many employees are given an opportunity to study further on company time. The company also tries to maintain a good communal feel even though it's a multinational giant. Diversity is another strong point of this employer and one for which it has been often recognized and appreciated.
References
Tyya N. Turner. Vault Guide to the Top Manufacturing Employers. Vault Inc. 2005
Mantle Jonathan. Car Wars: Fifty Years of Greed, Treachery, & Skulduggery in the Global Marketplace. New York, NY Arcade Publishing. 1995
