Our turnkey contracts make us sexy

At DS Flexhal, they go the extra mile to attract the best interns. They work on many fronts, and everyone takes an active role in creating and promoting an excellent internship programme. EKKO invited internship coordinator Jonas Bang Eriksen for a brief chat about the strategy and initiatives aimed at young students.

Jonas Bang Eriksen is a bid manager and internship coordinator at DS Flexhal. He holds an MSc in Engineering, specialising in construction management. He joined the company in 2017 – immediately after completing his degree. In addition to his role as bid manager, he coordinates the efforts to attract interns and integrate them into DS Flexhal.

We offer the complete package

“DS Flexhal is a market leader. We are forging ahead, and our success essentially sells us. But we also have the backing of the DS Gruppen and, as a design-and-build contractor, can offer interns the complete package: production, factory, construction site, design office and structural engineering department – we offer a broader range than many of our industry peers.”

“We give interns as much responsibility as they can handle. The more they try, the better they become, but no one is thrown under the bus – we all have each other’s backs.”

– Jonas Bang Eriksen

“Engineering interns can gain an insight into structural engineering, while architectural technology interns can try their hand at design work. Many of our interns also like to ‘flirt’ with construction management. With us, they have every opportunity, and that is quite unique. So it is our ‘design-and-build contracts’ that make us attractive,” Jonas says with a smile.

We court the best

The usual recruitment route is through careers fairs, speed-dating events and information sessions at educational institutions, but Covid-19 has been a major obstacle.

“We have had to arrange online meetings with the students and promote ourselves through the institutions’ portals. We work continuously to ensure that we remain visible to potential interns. Our marketing department is very active in promoting our brand on Facebook, LinkedIn and various news portals, where films, posters, interns’ stories and job vacancies, for example, are posted according to a carefully planned schedule. All our colleagues support the strategy, and the project managers regularly contribute information and photos from ongoing construction projects.

The Intern Carriage is another marketing initiative which, in addition to being an attractive solution to young people’s transport challenges, is also intended to catch people’s attention and put the spotlight on DS Flexhal as a great place to undertake an internship,” Jonas explains.

Practice makes perfect

DS Flexhal always receives many applications from highly qualified candidates for its internships, and the fundamental principle is that both the young students and DS Flexhal should gain the maximum benefit from the experience. A programme is drawn up in collaboration with each intern, allowing them to explore the specialism and areas that match their studies and interests – while always being adapted to the company’s operations.

“We give the interns as much responsibility as they can handle. The more they try, the better they become, but no one is thrown under the bus; everyone has each other’s backs.”

“Things are going well at DS Flexhal. Many new colleagues have joined us in recent years, and we have a really strong team spirit. We are one team that looks out for and helps one another. I believe our customers can sense this, particularly our young interns. Internships are an excellent way to recruit talented employees, and many interns return to take on student jobs while completing their education. A very high percentage of them are later offered permanent positions,” concludes Jonas Bang Eriksen.

About the Author

Annemarie (Fie) Baumann

With her solid experience as both a graphic designer and art director, Fie sets the visual direction for communication across the companies in DS Gruppen. With a sharp eye for design, she ensures that the visuals support the message and capture attention. Fie also brings many years of experience as both a writer and photographer, including from her time working in publishing and running her own advertising agency. Her background also includes extensive experience with visual communication for both B2B and B2C audiences.