The first coffee beans were given by the neighbor

Already at the beginning, the history of HRpepper is marked by a lot of passion, the desire for future and courage to do things differently.

 

The story of HRpepper begins on a cold winter’s day in 2012, with five men and women sitting in a 400 square meters of sparsely heated office space in a backyard in Kreuzberg. The furniture is from the insolvent mail order company Neckermann. There is no internet and telephone, a lot of unexplained, never-ending bureaucratic procedures, but also a lot of desire for the future. The first coffee beans were given by the neighbor of the restaurant “Wirtshaus am Ufer” from diagonally opposite. And the first prototypes of the new desks are stored in the garage of one of the founders, Matthias Meifert. Together with his team, he dares to set off on a new start, wants to make consulting different, fresher and more experience-oriented. They want to shed the traditional consulting business of the classic renowned consulting firms, which has shaped the career of the founding team for so long. Although small and medium-sized orders from clients arrive early, they are not an established consulting firm – and that is what they don’t want to be, they remain a real start-up that is looking for its own way. The DNA of a startup has remained the same despite all its growth. The more than 30 permanent employees think and act as entrepreneurs – some of them are de facto involved in an equity investment. Silo thinking and insistence on adhering to rigid processes do not exist. Our actions are characterized by customer focus and appreciative cooperation. That was the case in the beginning, and it is today.

 

From Human Resources to Human Relations

What has changed, however, is HRpepper’s alignment and customer structure. At that time, the five of them were still regarded as pure HR consulting, whereby the acronym HR stood for what most people probably see it as: Human Resources. Today Peppers have moved beyond human resources management, and customers are all those in companies who want to make a difference and are looking forward to the future – whether it’s business management, sales or human resources management. The customers are not primarily functions, but people, people who are courageous and want to change something. In any case, the borders have become more permeable. Today, HR stands for human relations rather than human resources. The management and the personnel function become relationship promoters and creators. The ultimate goal is that talented people work together effectively in the interests of corporate success. At least that’s how we at HRpepper see it. For us, HR is primarily about human relations.

The office in the Kreuzberg backyard is not just a commercial space, but true happiness and part of Pepper’s identity. The listed historical shed spreads a very special flair and hosts the now legendary HRpepper court festival once a year. Quite a few fall in love with the unique courtyard atmosphere at first glance.

 

The history of HRpepper in pictures

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