Munich Startup: The BARMER as Germany's second-largest health insurance company Everyone should be familiar with this. As a driver of innovation, perhaps less so. Let's introduce this part of Barmer in more detail!
Dieter Weber, Barmer: Many years ago, we established Barmer.i, a kind of think tank and hub for many of Barmer's digital projects. The mission of Barmer.i, based in Berlin, is to inspire Barmer employees for digital projects, optimize processes with a user-centric approach, and establish a culture of innovation throughout the company. Since October 1, 2021, I have been leading the Barmer Hub for Startups and Relocation in Munich. Due to my passion for innovative companies, I have been supporting the local startup scene for many years. As a team, we support rapidly growing companies, recruiters, and relocation agencies and specialize in their needs.
Munich Startup: And what exactly are you looking for?
Dieter Weber: At Barmer, we work closely with many startups to identify and capture important innovations and trends as early as possible. We are always looking for collaborations and network partners to offer our corporate clients and policyholders first-class service and outstanding benefits. This often results in win-win situations.
“It is important to be open to change”
Munich Startup: But you can do it much better yourself!
Dieter Weber: The needs of our corporate clients and insured persons have changed significantly in recent years – the pandemic has further accelerated many processes. Whether it's remote work or the digitalization of healthcare, it's important to be open to change and adapt quickly to new conditions. We are experts in all aspects of social security and consider ourselves part of Munich's strong startup ecosystem, from which we can also benefit in many areas.
Munich Startup: Which startups have you worked with so far?
Dieter Weber: We have already started in Munich with Westwing, Flixbus, Stylight, Proglove, Limehome, User lane, Magazine, Alasco, Talentry, Tado, Shore, Blickfeld, Inveox, Studysmarter, Voltstorage, Internationals, Presize, Wellabe and many others.
Munich Startup: And what does your collaboration with startups look like? What do you focus on?
Dieter Weber: At the Barmer Hub for Startups and Relocation in Munich, we support startups and scaleups with occupational health management and the relocation process for international newcomers. We offer a wide range of services to promote workplace health and thus add value to employer branding. For example, we support them with mental health workshops, health checkups, ergonomic consultations at the workplace, and many other services. When onboarding international newcomers, we support founders and HR managers with English-language brochures and videos and offer consultations in 10 languages. Our goal is to give international newcomers orientation in Germany and explain as simply as possible which steps need to be taken to be able to work in Germany. In the past, we have also conducted HR workshops on a wide range of topics together with Internations and Personio.
How Barmer cares for startup employees
Munich Startup: At what stage do startups ideally approach you?
Dieter Weber: There are health initiatives that can be implemented with a team of as few as 10 employees. Whether it's a startup, scaleup, medium-sized company, or corporation: We work with founders and HR managers to develop a concept tailored to the needs of our employees.
Munich Startup: What happens next with the startups after they have been with you?
Dieter Weber: After presenting the areas in which we can support, we often conduct short employee surveys. Using the online check, we can determine employee needs and, in consultation with HR managers and founders, discuss which targeted measures should be implemented to promote health. Our health management consultants are available to plan and implement the campaigns. They then book providers who carry out the campaigns in collaboration with Barmer. All of them are experts in their field, such as sports and health scientists, doctors, or psychologists.
Help in the “War for Talents”
Munich Startup: The best advice you can give a startup?
Dieter Weber: Customer journeys we've conducted show that it's incredibly important to provide new international hires with orientation in Germany, especially at the beginning. The bureaucratic hurdles should not be underestimated and can be a source of initial disappointment for newcomers. These negative experiences should be avoided at all costs in the "war for talent."
Munich Startup: What have you, as an established company, learned from the startups?
Dieter Weber: From the very beginning, we were impressed by the speed with which startups respond to changing conditions. We quickly learned that processes needed to be made more efficient in order to keep pace and provide first-class service.
Munich Startup: Last but not least: Who do startups approach when they want to talk to you?
Dieter Weber: You can find us on LinkedIn. Feel free to contact us directly if you are interested in our Feel-Good Management offerings or if we can support you in the onboarding of international newcomers. Alternatively, you can also reach me by email at dieter.weber@barmer.de.
