Work Life Balance

Take a run through the nearby fields and meadows, walk the dog by the lake, tend to the horse in the stable at your own pace—and still arrive at the company headquarters in the city right on time at 9 a.m. This is what the start of a workday can look like for professionals, students, or apprentices in the Region Hannover. City and countryside, tradition and modernity, work and leisure: Hannover combines worlds that are considered incompatible elsewhere.

“If you’re looking for a good work-life balance, the Region Hannover is the place for you,” says Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG). “Here, you can not only study, start a business, and build a career, but also enjoy life at the same time.”

© HMTG / Patrick Graf

Studies consistently confirm this: In a survey conducted by the City of Hannover, nine out of ten residents rated their place of residence as “good” or “very good.” Public transportation, in particular, as well as the many parks and green spaces, are highly regarded. According to a Europe-wide ranking by the investment magazine “fDi,” Lower Saxony’s capital is among the most livable cities in Europe.

The study’s authors not only give Hanover top marks for quality of life, but also recognize its strong economic potential and pool of skilled workers. “Skilled workers in the Region Hannover have access to numerous job and career opportunities,” says Volker Schmidt, CEO of the Lower Saxony Metal Industry Association, with confidence. Between 2010 and 2018, companies in the district of the Hannover Chamber of Industry and Commerce created 150,000 jobs in the region.

© HMTG

It is not only the manufacturing sector and financial and insurance services that contribute to the region’s high gross value added. Various disciplines in the field of research also play a role. For example, companies such as Kind Hörgeräte and Sennheiser are considered drivers of innovation in the field of hearing. Recently, the federal and state governments have been funding four clusters of excellence at Leibniz University and the Medical University in Hannover. In addition to hearing, scientists here are researching infectious diseases, optical devices, and measurement technologies.

The Hannover area is home to many companies from various industries, giving the region international significance. “Our central geographic location and excellent transportation infrastructure attract companies of all sizes,” explains Schmidt. Technology leaders from the automotive industry, such as Volkswagen and Continental, have established themselves in the region. Well-known retail brands like Bahlsen and Rossmann are represented in Hannover. In addition, major insurers such as Concordia, VHV, and HDI, as well as the financial services provider Swiss Life, have their headquarters in Hannover.

© Deutsche Messe AG

Hanover is home to the world’s largest exhibition grounds: In addition to the Hannover Messe, the world’s leading industrial trade fair, the city also hosts the IAA Commercial Vehicles, the leading trade fair for mobility and logistics, and Agritechnica, the world’s largest agricultural technology exhibition. In the summer, the city hosts the IdeenExpo, Europe’s only hands-on trade fair for young researchers. This fall, a conference on the 5G mobile communications standard will be held at the exhibition grounds for the first time.

“Since we’ve had an excellent infrastructure in the region since Expo 2000, more and more conferences and international events are coming to Hannover,” says Nolte.

Public transportation allows residents of Hannover to choose from a variety of housing options. Whether you live in a house with a garden in one of the towns or communities in the Region Hannover or in an apartment near the university, you can make either your home base—and still never have to travel far to get to work or enjoy nature outside the city. “No matter which part of the city you live in, the nearest recreational area is never far away,” Nolte promises.

In the heart of Hannover, the Eilenriede City Forest stretches over 600 hectares, making the city one of the greenest in Germany. After work, the Maschsee is the perfect spot for swimming and sailing. Water sports on Lake Steinhude, horseback riding in the Burgdorf region, or hiking in the Deister hills—all these destinations are within a 30-minute drive.

This shows that the proximity between the city and the countryside offers Hanover’s residents a wide range of opportunities to balance work, leisure, and family life—and thus to find their own work-life balance.