Scalable Recruiting Services for Sustainable Growth
How NETZSCH has expanded recruiting capabilities across regions while reducing the operational burden on its HR organization.
Shared Services at NETZSCH: Reducing Workloads and Enabling Growth
Based in Bavaria, the midsize family-owned company NETZSCH is pursuing greater efficiency, streamlined processes, and a focused growth strategy. Active in machinery, plant engineering, and equipment manufacturing, the company employs more than 4,800 people at 210 locations and develops technical solutions across a wide range of industries. Despite challenging market conditions, the NETZSCH Group generated approximately EUR 825 million in revenue in the last fiscal year.
To advance innovation, digitalization, and its international presence, NETZSCH needs committed employees at various career levels. At the same time, a tight labor market, demographic shifts, and limited HR capacity are creating pressure. Around 41 positions were open in Germany and at international locations, including roles in production and assembly, IT and digitalization, service, engineering, and sales.
NETZSCH needed a solution that could provide hands-on recruiting support, reduce the workload for internal HR teams, and scale flexibly with the company’s needs. The right partner had to be ready to contribute at short notice, integrate quickly into existing structures, and establish a foundation for future growth. The company selected MHP to help build that capability.
“We needed a solution that could ease the pressure on our recruiting team right away while continuing to scale with our requirements over time. Our collaboration with MHP began with support for one business unit and gradually expanded to additional areas. We particularly valued how quickly the recruiters integrated into our processes and began taking ownership independently. By involving MHP in our international Innovation Talent Program for China, India, and Thailand, we also successfully extended the collaboration to international recruiting activities. Today, we benefit from flexible, scalable recruiting support that helps us remain responsive as demand increases.”
Enabling Growth Without Adding Pressure to HR
NETZSCH’s need for skilled workers and professionally qualified talent is increasing, while recruiting has become more difficult. The HR administration team has eight employees, four of whom focus primarily on recruiting and applicant management. Growing cost pressure made significant internal staffing increases difficult.
The company needed a solution that would integrate seamlessly into existing HR processes, absorb operational workload, and expand when required. Initially, the focus was on recruiting support, with the expectation that the model could later serve additional business units and international hiring initiatives.
The objective was clear: reduce the day-to-day workload for internal HR teams without creating parallel structures. Processes needed to remain consistent, responsibilities transparent, and additional support available wherever it was most needed.
A Shared Services Center Embedded in Existing Processes
After reviewing the situation, the project team selected a business services model delivered through a Shared Services Center. Routine and time-intensive HR activities were consolidated through an external partner, allowing internal teams to focus on higher-value work.
Implementation began in mid-2025 with a one-week on-site onboarding period in Selb, Germany. The operational transition then moved fully remote. During an overview phase, NETZSCH introduced the relevant HR processes. This was followed by a reverse-shadowing phase, during which MHP performed most activities independently with guidance from the HR team. In the lead phase, MHP took over full responsibility for the processes.
From the outset, the support was closely integrated into NETZSCH’s established and documented processes. During the first phase, one recruiter provided operational support to the Grinding & Dispersing business unit in close coordination with the HR Business Partners. By year-end, the role had expanded. An additional position covering recruiting, learning, and payroll was created, and the scope was extended to the Analyzing & Testing and Pumps & Systems business units.
A key milestone was the integration of MHP into NETZSCH’s international Innovation Talent Program for China, India, and Thailand. The 18-month program allows candidates to build capabilities through assignments in different business units before moving into technical or business roles. By taking responsibility for initial interviews, MHP became directly involved in the international recruiting process for the first time.
Support also expanded to selected learning processes. The collaboration grew because MHP integrated quickly, built trust over time, and remained flexible as requirements evolved. MHP took ownership of day-to-day activities, adjusted capacity to demand, and incorporated new responsibilities into existing workflows without adding organizational interfaces or parallel structures.
The main challenge was extending support to new areas and international requirements while maintaining a consistent way of working. NETZSCH and MHP established regular communication routines, including weekly check-ins between HR Business Partners and business-unit contacts, close coordination through Microsoft Teams, and additional meetings for the international Innovation Talent Program to accommodate different time zones.
“Companies are under growing pressure to expand while managing talent shortages and cost constraints. Scalable HR services are therefore becoming an increasingly important business capability. Together with NETZSCH, we have demonstrated how recruiting support can evolve step by step into an international service that scales with demand. The continued expansion of our collaboration shows how modern shared services models can improve efficiency and help companies execute international talent strategies over the long term.”
Tangible Relief for HR and Recruiting Support That Scales
MHP is now embedded within NETZSCH beyond individual business units, including a strategic role in the international talent program for recruiting graduates and young professionals. This has enabled NETZSCH to meet a central requirement: a recruiting solution that operates more efficiently, scales with demand, and keeps the company responsive despite talent shortages and cost pressure.
The operational impact is clear. Last year, the NETZSCH business units supported by MHP received 2,100 applications. The recruiter managed 68 open internal and external positions, coordinated 191 interviews, and supported 34 hires.
International support also expanded. The international program received 354 applications, and MHP handled pre-screening for 95 percent of them. MHP also conducted 23 of the 45 initial interviews.
For NETZSCH’s internal HR teams, this means a meaningful reduction in workload. They can devote more attention to strategic priorities, respond more flexibly when capacity is tight, and maintain sufficient hiring activity despite difficult labor market conditions. Looking ahead, the organizations plan to deepen the partnership, provide further support to the business units, and take on additional administrative activities.
“This success reflects the strong working relationship between NETZSCH and MHP. Together, we developed a future-ready SAP template that harmonizes processes and provides a solid foundation for future rollouts. I would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and open collaboration. That partnership is what makes the difference.”
Looking to Reduce the Workload Across Your HR Processes?
MHP helps companies consolidate recurring HR and recruiting processes efficiently, provide targeted relief for internal teams, and develop shared services models that can flex with changing needs, from operational support to international scale.
