Despite labour shortages, German businesses are hardly making it easier for international workers to enter the workforce, says Thomas Sattelberger, former top manager at Deutsche Telekom. “We act stubborn and insist on language skills.”
Survival set
In a podcast for expats, Sattelberger says he believes that attracting a diverse range of talent from all over the world would help raise the competitiveness of businesses in Germany. Therefore, he encourages expats to ‘please try’ applying for jobs in his country. He acknowledges that chances are slim for those who don’t speak German. “Language skills are a survival set,” he says. The ability to speak German is very important in the workplace, especially in small and medium sized companies and outside urban areas where English proficiency is generally limited, according to Sattelberger.
Acknowledge the importance
But even when applying to German multinationals, it is important to show that you are interested and willing to learn German to at least conversational level, he adds. Show them you are willing to bridge the gap and acknowledge the importance, he tells the listeners. After all, at the end of the day, the people in your team or the people you have lunch with will always revert back to German. Apart from language matters, expat jobseekers should also address the benefits of their international experience to the company, and give examples of where their international experience has added benefit before.
Contact the hiring manager
To further improve their chances, Sattelberger suggests expat jobseekers should try and contact hiring managers directly. As HR departments tend to be rigid in their approach – you have to fit the profile – a hiring manager may be more easily persuaded and willing to help point out the added value of you in the job, he explains. But bypassing HR is not advisable, he says. “Having a good relationship with HR is important for the integration within the company and for salary and career development.”
Source: immigrantspirit.de
Image: Florian Timm – Flickr
