What It Does: Volkswagen is into the design, production, and marketing of various types of cars, such as luxury cars, electric cars, hybrid cars, and commercial vans. The company also designs and develops auto-related technologies such as sat-nav systems.
Mission: Volkswagen's mission is to produce visually appealing, safe, and eco-friendly vehicles, which makes them very competitive in the market and in pace with world standards.
Size and Presence: Volkswagen employs more than 600 people in the UK. The head office is located in Milton Keynes.
Best Known For: Volkswagen was the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world in terms of worldwide sales in 2016 and 2017. The company is also renowned for its range of cars - Golf, ID. 4, Polo, Tiguan, T-Roc, and Commercial vehicles. Volkswagen is an award-winning automotive company. Volkswagen bagged the OEM of the Year at the 2022 edition of the EVIE Awards.
The Good Bits: The job is exciting. Volkswagen employees enjoy several benefits. The pay is attractive. There are flexible working arrangements. The company's culture is top-notch, and its employees enjoy job security.
The Not-So-Good Bits: N/A
Volkswagen came into existence in 1937. It was established by the German Labour Front at a time when cars were perceived as a luxury, and most people could only afford a motorcycle. Ferdinand Porsche, a famous designer for race and luxury cars, had been on the lookout for an automotive manufacturer that would be interested in his design of a small family car. In 1933, he took matters into his own hands, designing and manufacturing a car he named Volksauto. The beetle-shaped car had an air-cooled rear engine and torsion bar suspension.
In 1934, Adolf Hitler ordered the production of basic vehicles that could transport a family of five at a speed of 100km/h. When the private industry failed to produce this, Hitler funded a new state-owned factory and used Ferdinand's design. However, the project didn't achieve commercial success. In 1960, the company was rebranded as Volkswagenwerk AG, and the company sold massively in the 60s. By 1973, Volkswagen had sold more than 16 million units of its Type 1 vehicle. From 1974, Volkswagen expanded its product range to include other models. In 2017, Volkswagen announced that it would begin the production of electric cars. The company aims to introduce a minimum of 30 electric vehicles into the market by 2025.
The company's culture is premised on three values, namely tolerance, openness, and solidarity with one another. The company has a positive working environment where employees are acknowledged, respected, and valued. At Volkswagen, employees are encouraged to air their views through the opinion barometer. The company also has zero tolerance for discrimination against fellow employees based on race, religion, political affiliations, gender, sexuality, creed, nationality, and socioeconomic background. The inclusive environment makes Volkswagen the right home for enterprising fresh graduates and interns who may feel out of depth in a new company. The company's dress code is business casual.
Volkswagen offers several training and development opportunities to its freshers and interns to refine their raw potential and nurture them to be future industry leaders. Its Advanced Apprenticeship Program trains employees to keep up with the changes in industry technology and the high levels of customer service. These apprentices get to attain formal qualifications via product training while being fully employed. The interns are immersed in a 1-year undergraduate scheme designed to expose them to life at Volkswagen. These interns are placed in teams with more experienced colleagues to carry out a real project. Finally, the graduate scheme nurtures fresh graduates for a positive career trajectory in the company.
Volkswagen's hiring process includes the following:
Volkswagen pays its fresh graduates an annual average salary of £32,000.
Volkswagen is currently decarbonising its operations to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions into the environment.
Volkswagen paid millions in the Dieselgate settlement, which involved more than 90,000 legal cases.