What it does: Air and sea freight, road logistics, contract logistics and integrated logistics.
Best known for: Kuehne + Nagel ranks among the world’s leading freight forwarders based on logistics gross revenue, turnover and freight forwarding volumes.
Staff stats: Approximately 82,000 employees.
The good bits: Interns can join the company as a full-time employee after six months based on their education, performance and availability of positions.
The not so good bits: A challenging work-life balance awaits prospective interns and employees at Kuehne + Nagel.
August Kuehne and Friedrich Nagel founded the company in 1890. KN has expanded its presence to 1,300 offices in more than 100 countries. The global freight forwarder’s business comprises five key areas: air freight, contract logistics, integrated logistics, overland and sea freight services.
KN’s clients come from several sectors including aerospace, automotive, fast-moving consumer goods, high tech, industrials, oil and gas logistics, pharma and healthcare, and retail industries. In 2010, Transport Intelligence named the company as the largest freight forwarder with an estimated 10 per cent market share of the global air and sea freight business.
KN said that online applications can take up to four weeks. You can apply for two or more jobs at the company, but you need to have a compelling reason to pursue more than one vacancy.
Aspiring trainees should expect to wait for more than four weeks to know the outcome of their applications. The screening process begins with an aptitude test followed by an HR interview. KN might schedule another interview with a C-suite officer depending on the role (eg CFO for finance trainees.)
Applications through employee referrals can only take a week. You might speak with a panel of interviewers from KN’s different business units.
You need to pass an IQ test before moving on to an HR interview. Be prepared to defend your motivation for joining KN and the logistics industry. Other questions include your ability to cope with stress.
An HR representative may contact you within two days after submitting an online application. Graduates should expect up to three rounds of interviews with different members of their prospective department.
KN offers internships for three to six months, while training programs can last up to 12 months. The company provides all of their apprentices, interns, trainees and working students with certificates of their assignments and duties. Interns can become a full-time employee depending on their education, skills and the availability of positions. Graduates and students can choose from 10 job categories:
The talent management program also allows employees to advance in their career paths over a 12- to 24-month development course. Annual performance reviews serve as another way to progress in a higher role at KN. You can even work in an international office as an apprentice, intern, trainee or entry-level employee.
KN pays a fixed salary per month to employees, but the actual compensation system varies based on your location. The company also provides annual bonus payments in cash for an employee’s performance, vacation and sick leave among other standard benefits.
Warehouse supervisors earn between AUD$48,000 and AUD52,000 per month on average. The average monthly salary of implementation project managers ranges from AUD$95,000 to AUD$103,000.
Interns earn between BDT7,000 and BDT8,000 per month on average.
The median monthly salary of management trainees ranges between INR24,000 and INR26,000. Some employees said that they receive yearly bonuses and training sponsorships.
KN provides interns with a monthly salary of S$1,000. Company associates earn S$3,000 per month on average.
KN’s business mostly relies on relationships with clients. The company’s ‘Challenge and Promote’ initiative guarantees that every employee receives an equal opportunity for development. You should expect to dedicate a lot of your time in exchange for professional growth.
The company’s work-life balance can be a problem because of the need to overlap with the operations in international or regional KN offices. Employees in the contract logistics, freight forwarding and customer service, and supply chain management departments are more likely to experience longer work hours.
KN’s biggest competitors are Agility, CEVA Logistics, Chain Solutions, DB Schenker Logistics, DHL Global Forwarding, DSV, Expeditors International, Sinotrans and UPS Supply Chain Solutions.
The company expects employees to comply with quality, safety and health, environment, security (QSHE) standards. These guidelines help them to improve quality requirements through a common language, constant business performance improvement with certification audits, reduced waste and resources, and product and process quality.
Some of KN’s certifications include the ISO 14001 certificate for environmental issues, OHSAS 18001 certificate for occupational health and safety and the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Certificate initiated by the World Customs Organization.
The European Commission imposed €169 million of fines on KN and several freight forwarders in 2012 for their alleged participation in an air cartel case from 2002 to 2007. The defendants supposedly agreed to fix prices and surcharges, which were described as anti-competitive industry practices.
An excellent academic record won’t be enough to join KN. The company describes its logistics services as ‘a people business’, which means students and graduates should have an inherent ability to serve customers. Students and graduates can still benefit from being part of KN’s workforce, especially with the opportunity to travel and work in the company’s international offices.