Family, children, leisure time, professional success - it is no easy task to harmonise these things. Because of individual needs, there is no standard timetable to follow. As a company that is predominantly made up of young people, the compatibility of leisure, family and career is an integral part of our corporate culture. With this practical experience, we know, for example, about the wishes and challenges of (expectant) parents and thus provide security in life and family planning.
Father-of-two Matthias tells us how CONCETO supports him in balancing leisure time, family life and his career as Team Coordinator and Senior Consultant, which is why he has been a reliable member of our team for over 7 years.
Hello Matthias! Please tell us briefly about your work at CONCETO.
I started as a consultant here at CONCETO in the SEEBURGER division 7 years ago. In addition to my further development as a Senior Consultant, a lot has happened in terms of technology and within the company during this time. Among other things, I have been actively involved in the reorganisation of the SEEBURGER team and have taken on the role of Team Coordinator. As such, I am responsible for the division of labour and order management within the team, for example.
Since joining CONCETO, you have also become a father twice. How has that affected you?
I don't even remember why I thought I didn't have time sometimes before I had my two children. It has led to more stress. You have to plan your day better. It's even more challenging, especially with two children. Priorities shift and I try to spend as much time as possible with my family. As my partner also works, we have to organise our time wisely. This balancing act requires a lot of organisation and coordination. Being a father has also made me more patient and resilient. These are qualities that can definitely be an advantage in my professional life as a consultant.
What kind of support did CONCETO provide? Did superiors and team members react positively, or were there problems in reorganising your daily work routine?
Basically, the support worked well. Personally, however, I need to work on cutting back a bit and saying "no" more often when it comes to additional tasks. We are flexible in terms of our working hours, which suits me particularly well with the children. For example, if a child needs to be picked up early from daycare, I can take care of it and then continue working. I briefly discuss the absence with my colleagues, which works without any problems. No one has ever complained when I or another colleague has had to leave. On the contrary: my team members are collegial in the best sense of the word and actively offer their help.
After the birth of my first child, I took the first month of parental leave and also the 13th to 14th month of parental leave plus. During this time, I worked around 20 to 30 hours a week. As I was already working from home a lot when my daughter was born, I first took leave and then took care of the child from home. It's practical that we can use our company car privately - of course, as the father of a family, I chose a spacious estate car. But because I live in the city and the children are getting older, I'm toying with the idea of switching to a job ticket/cargo bike model when the current company car runs out.
In addition to your activities as Team Coordinator and Senior Consultant, you are also the contact person for "Family & Job". What exactly are your tasks and why have you made yourself available for this position?
Becoming a mum or dad for the first time is an exciting time that raises many questions. I know from experience that fathers in particular are often looking for someone at work with whom they can talk about it. When I became a father, this role did not yet exist in the company, but I learnt a lot from my colleagues through discussions, which helped me a lot. That was a personal motivation for me to become active. CONCETO is now also a member of the "Success Factor Family" network and we have many employees who have become parents in recent years and benefit from these developments.
As a contact person, I am the first port of call for my colleagues on all topics relating to parenthood and work - from applying for parental allowance to help with tax returns after parental leave. More general topics, such as useful baby gadgets or experiences with second-hand clothes, are also part of the discussions. It's all about sharing experiences and I often learn something new in the process.
"The opportunity to work flexibly and be there for the family in between is invaluable."
While you were already working as a consultant at CONCETO, you completed your Master of Science in Business Information Systems. By this time, your first child had already been born. How were you able to cope with this triple burden?
The degree programme was structured in such a way that there was a full-day classroom course every fortnight on Saturdays, usually 8 hours at a time. The rest of the programme took the form of distance learning and self-study. As a result, I often had to study after working and looking after my family. Instead of relaxing on the sofa at the end of the day, I spent many evenings writing homework or preparing for exams. The most stressful phase was the Master's thesis, which left almost no time for leisure activities. This triple burden was a huge challenge. Whether I would do it again in this form is questionable. However, the degree programme itself was great. With the Master's programme, I wanted to expand my knowledge of (business) informatics and deepen it where my Bachelor's degree as an industrial engineer fell short. In fact, the Master's programme has brought me a lot; I can now understand customer decisions in IT management much better and take them into account in my consulting work.
From a social point of view, the compatibility of child and job is often still seen as an issue for women. But why are fathers at least as important on the road to more family friendliness?
For me, it is natural to share the responsibility of bringing up children. I consciously became a father and I enjoy being one. That's why I don't want my role to be limited to a quick "hello" in the evening, as was perhaps still common in the 1950s. For me, childcare and active involvement in raising children are part of being a parent. That's why my partner and I share the tasks and responsibilities. She has just as much right to work and pursue a career as I do. Together we have found a model in which we alternate tasks on a daily basis. Nowadays, career and family are relevant for both parents, and I notice in my environment that more and more fathers are not only recognising their family role, but are demanding it and actively living it.
If you could give (expectant) parents one piece of advice on balancing family and career, what would it be?
There is a lot of good advice out there, but in my privileged situation I can say that working from home is enormously helpful in balancing family and career, especially when the children are no longer very young. The ability to work flexibly and be there for the family in between is invaluable. My advice to all those with desk jobs: look for an employer who supports and enables working from home.
Thank you very much for taking the time to give us an insight into your everyday life. We wish you and your family all the best for the future!
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