Why is freedom from clichés important to Arineo?
Sarah Peters, HR Manager: Being stereotype-free is central for us, as it’s the only way we can live up to our own standards and maintain a respectful working environment. If gender stereotypes played a role for us, we would not be able to treat and evaluate colleagues fairly, equally, and justly, i.e., in line with one of our corporate values. Freedom from stereotypes enables us to engage with people who have very different talents and interests, to inspire them, and to keep them within the company.
What benefits does a partnership with the Klischeefrei initiative bring to Arineo?
Eileen Zimbal: We’ve found that diverse teams consistently achieve excellent results, whether they are comprised of trainees or experienced IT specialists. The Klischeefrei initiative offers a robust platform to demonstrate our commitment to diversity and equal opportunities. It also raises awareness of stereotypical thought patterns and offers practical ideas on how we can develop our culture to be even more inclusive and consistently free of clichés.
How do you manage HR without gender stereotypes?
Sarah Peters: For example, by creating equal opportunities regarding work-life balance and individual needs. Our employees can adjust their weekly working hours by arrangement. They can choose between working from home or in the office and have flexibility when organizing their daily schedules. Of course, project requirements and team coordination must be considered. However, this opens up a broad scope to balance professional and personal needs. This also applies to leadership roles. For example, some executives also work part-time.
“For me, stereotype-free means that everyone has the freedom to follow their own path, regardless of expectations based on gender, origin, or social background.”
Ralf Mackowiak, executive board member
What does freedom from stereotypes mean in the IT industry?
Eileen Zimbal: In IT, the pace of software and tools development and changing customer requirements is breakneck. AI tools alone are rapidly changing working processes and roles. This is why training and lifelong learning are so important to us. Freedom from clichés is central to this. Education and development should be accessible to everyone, regardless of gender, age, or origin, and free from prejudice. In IT, we need versatile, creative, and curious people to deliver high-quality work. Through targeted training programs, we’ve created individual development opportunities that appeal not only to IT specialists but also to career changers. We are convinced that stereotype-free recruiting strengthens our future viability and helps us reach talents who might not have considered IT careers before.
What goals did you set when joining the initiative, and what measures have you implemented?
Eileen Zimbal: We wanted to enhance existing activities, expand them, and also try new approaches. For example, in collaboration with Robotikfreunde Göttingen e.V., we conducted a workshop for elementary school girls to provide them with their first programming experience. We used Lego Spike Prime robots provided by the association. In the workshop, the girls built a robot and programmed it to “dance.”
With simple code “snippets.” They had an incredible amount of fun. Our colleagues too, by the way. The workshop was led by our trainees Helena Deiters and Nathalie Morenings together with their trainer, Steffen Engelhardt.
Sarah Peters: And here, we have achieved another goal; using role models. Girls need to see that women enjoy working in IT and that technical professions are exciting and require a diverse range of skills. Then they might consider an IT career or another STEM field.
We also provide opportunities for older students through Future Day participation and school internships, offering hands-on insight into our work. Nathalie also visits schools as an IHK training ambassador, sharing her experience as a trainee in application development.
Eileen Zimbal: In our recruiting work, at trade fairs, in job postings, or on our website, we always ensure balanced gender representation. We are convinced that stereotype-free recruiting enhances our future viability and attracts talented individuals who may not have previously considered careers in the IT sector.
What goals do you have for the near future?
Eileen Zimbal: We are reviewing how to improve existing offers and, if necessary, develop new initiatives to inspire young people to pursue IT careers. Generation Alpha will soon be choosing a career and is likely to be even more tech-savvy than Generation Z. New formats are needed to reach these students effectively.
Sarah Peters: The same applies to our IT and administration specialists. Here, for example, we have created a wide range of individual development opportunities through our own Arineo Academy, which we continually expand to meet new requirements.
Sarah Peters, HR Manager
