Work Life Balance

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

“If you’re looking for a work-life balance, the Hannover region is the right 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 have consistently confirmed 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 well-received. 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 and skilled-labor potential. “Skilled workers find numerous job and career opportunities in the Hanover region,” says Volker Schmidt, CEO of the Lower Saxony Metal Industry Association, with confidence. Between 2010 and 2018, companies in the district covered by the Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce created 150,000 jobs in the region.

© HMTG

It is not only the manufacturing sector, financial services, 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 Hanover. In addition to hearing, scientists there are conducting research on infectious diseases, optical devices, and measurement technologies.

The Hanover area is home to many companies from various industries that give 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 such as Bahlsen and Rossmann are represented in Hanover. In addition, major insurers such as Concordia, VHV, and HDI, as well as the financial services provider Swiss Life, have their headquarters in Hanover.

© Deutsche Messe AG

Hanover is home to the world’s largest exhibition center: In addition to the Hannover Messe, the world’s leading industrial trade fair, Hanover also hosts the IAA Commercial Vehicles, the leading trade fair for mobility and logistics, as well as 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 Expo 2000, we’ve had an extremely good infrastructure in the region, so more and more conferences and international events are coming to Hannover,” says Nolte.

Public transportation allows residents of Hanover to choose from a variety of living arrangements. Whether it’s a house with a garden in one of the towns and communities in the Hanover region or an apartment near the university, either can serve as your home base—and yet you’ll never have to travel far to get to work or to enjoy nature outside the city. “No matter which part of the city you live in, the nearest recreational area isn’t far away,” Nolte promises.

In the heart of Hannover, the Eilenriede City Forest stretches over 600 hectares. This makes the city one of the greenest in Germany. In addition, the Maschsee is a great place to go swimming and sailing after work. Water sports on the Steinhuder Meer, horseback riding in the Burgdorfer Land, or hiking in the Deister Hills—all of 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.