At Deutsche Telekom, women do not have to decide between having children or a career. In fact, the same even applies to a career in management. The Group has introduced the leadership tandem concept, which makes it possible for women to work part time as managers.
Deutsche Telekom continues to support and challenge its employees, including those who reduce their working hours. The tandem model is equally ideal for women and men who wish to spend the majority of their day being with the children, attending further training, volunteering, or any number of other activities. The tandem management teams work together closely and see their successes as a joint achievement. They share responsibility for the team and take pride in their joint achievements. Tandems share out their managerial duties very differently according to the individuals involved. For example, one person might take on the functional aspects of the role while the other assumes the disciplinary side. Alternatively, they might decide to divide responsibilities by topic or time.
Both applicants must attend a relevant assessment center before starting the tandem at a management level. The idea is to establish how they would tackle tasks and make decisions as a team. However, the center’s primary objective is to ensure that both have the same understanding of the management role.
Naturally, the option to become a part-time manager is not only available to women: Men can also choose to reduce their working hours and share a management position with a colleague.