Intercultural competence: Germany

Hiring international employees

When German culture becomes a stumbling block

Expats who come to Germany to live and work often struggle with German working culture. Culture therefore plays an important role in hiring international employees. Prepare your international managers for their responsibilities and new environment with Lilit’s Germany training, because cultural misunderstandings can cause deep-seated problems. On the one hand, Germany and its culture attract applicants from around the world. Modern Germany, an exporting and importing nation, is a key partner for many businesses worldwide. Berlin is hip and known as a vibrant metropolis. German politics are followed with keen interest well beyond the EU. On the other hand, Germany’s image is shaped by clichés and stereotypes: sausages, sauerkraut and humourlessness, as well as historical baggage and reports of xenophobic incidents. International employees face a confusing picture that they need to process, while being expected to integrate into the company immediately, perform well from day one and achieve their targets. Cultural differences in working methods, which can enrich an international team, can also become stumbling blocks. HR departments therefore often encounter major problems after hiring international employees. Flexible scheduling meets the German preference for punctuality and quality. Agile project management clashes with specifications and regulations. These and similar contrasts can lead to misunderstandings. They make project work harder and can ultimately cause a long-prepared overseas assignment to be cut short. A costly risk. Prevent this problem from the outset!

Intercultural training for Germany: for a successful start

Develop intercultural competence when hiring international employees and book our intercultural training for Germany for your international leaders. Lilit helps expats find their feet in Germany, navigate culture shock and become proactive themselves. International sales managers, HR professionals and managing directors alike can taste the apple of knowledge in Lilit’s Germany training. They gain an informed insight into German culture and ways of working. We show how intercultural collaboration can be productive without sacrificing the benefits of diversity. Participants develop an understanding of German values and mentality. They learn what makes German customers tick and how to use structures, rules and details actively to support your company strategy. With Lilit, they learn to handle differing understandings of time, hierarchy, direct communication and criticism. With Germany training in German or English makes the period after hiring international employees a complete success for the HR department of your international company and an entirely positive experience for employees from around the world. Lilit gives your leaders the opportunity to understand Germans better . You lead your employees to success and lay the foundation for good business relationships in and with Germany. Reach for the apple of knowledge and contact us today! German culture in Berlin: international and modern at once. Book now!