Should you join the workforce of another country, take some time to observe how locals go about their working day. And remember, no matter how strange you think some behaviour is, you’re the odd one out!
Driven or just disorganised?
An American expatriate lands an office job in Munich. With their first deadline looming, they’re staying late at the office, ‘busting it out’, ‘going the extra mile’, and surely impressing everyone in the process. But wait? All of their German colleagues have gone home, including the manager, who didn’t see a driven individual doing overtime, just a disorganised one stuck at the office.
Lunchtime drinking
Obviously, our cultures greatly influence how we work within organisations and how we behave with colleagues (in and out of the office). A Londoner might be used to enjoying a pint of beer over lunch with colleagues. But just over the Irish Sea in Dublin, his new Irish colleagues might well raise their eyebrows when he suggests going to the pub at 1pm (fear not: there would be few objections after 5pm).
An eye on the clock
If you come from a culture where employees are expected to be very punctual and meet deadlines, working in a country such as Mexico might come as a shock. Turning up late is no big deal and companies are much more flexible on deadlines. Someone from Denmark might be used to a 35-hour working week and an egalitarian structure. But if they moved to Beijing, they’d possibly see nobody likes to leave before the boss and everyone is expected to stay late when on deadline (possibly with no overtime).
Bloody oath!
In Australia, many expats might be struck by how the locals like to shoot the breeze and chat about sport or politics for 15 minutes before they actually begin a meeting. Down Under, the use of profanity in front of colleagues could also shock some expats unused to the Australian vernacular. Perhaps, an Australian could be equally surprised to see a Japanese colleague taking a nap after lunch – or walking around the office in slippers. Suffice to say, if you are an expat partner and seeking to enter the local workforce, it’s worth researching the working culture and office etiquette of your host country. Otherwise, you might find yourself making a social faux pas (while at work).
