Godwin Maxime Arinaitwe came to the Ruhr area from Uganda in 2009. Anyone who speaks to him is left with the impression that the Volkswagen Group's software incubator is just a slightly smaller version of the melting pot that is the Ruhr area: "Have you ever ridden the 901 in Duisburg?" The line connects Duisburg-Marxloh, the main train station and the University of Duisburg-Essen and, for Maxime, it is exemplary for Maxime for the Ruhr area. "If you listen carefully on your journey, you can easily count ten different languages."
A similar jumble of languages would also be conceivable for employees from 42 nations in the Volkswagen canteen – if the company had not decided on two languages: German and English. “I was really surprised on my first day at work because I thought I had to speak German. But we all talk in English”, says Kofi Atta Nsiah (Ghana), who started working as a software developer in Bochum in May 2021. He has lived in Germany for three years and also completed German certificate courses during his master’s in communication engineering. He actually only needs the language of his new home in his free time. "All the important documents at Volkswagen Infotainment are bilingual, which really makes my life a lot easier."
“In Germany, engineering is really loved”
When Kofi decided to leave his home country to study, the choice quickly fell on Germany. In Ghana, Germany stands for good educational and development opportunities. “Germany is also a country where engineering is really loved,” says Kofi. For him, the decision for Volkswagen Infotainment, where he works on “Next Generation Connectivity Solutions”, was an easy one. On the one hand, his tasks match his training perfectly; on the other hand, Volkswagen is huge, describes Kofi: “Volkswagen unites twelve different brands under one roof. I am very motivated to develop software for these twelve brands."
It is these challenges that have lured Stevanus Budiyanto Burhan from Jakarta (Indonesia) to Germany. "I've always found it interesting that someone programs something and a machine executes this code." The software tester is part of the Volkswagen Infotainment team that works directly in Wolfsburg and not in Bochum. For him, the move was a great culture shock, Jakarta cannot be compared to any of the locations he has stayed in Germany. Even the metropolis of Hamburg is tiny compared to Jakarta; almost 34 million people live in the second-largest metropolitan region in the world. “It has everything,” says Stevanus. Wolfsburg only has 125,000 inhabitants and Stevanus sees real advantages here: “You can go into town, and you can be sure of running into a friend. That would be unthinkable in Jakarta."
The team counts: Nobody works alone at Volkswagen Infotainment
The culture shock in terms of corporate management was a bit less, but it still existed: While Indonesian employers are still extremely strict when it comes to employee management, at Volkswagen Infotainment he has real freedom. “The flexible working hours are a real advantage. If I have an important appointment, I can leave earlier and start working earlier on another day."
He was also won over by the working methods at Volkswagen Infotainment: “Two people always work on one task here. First, this means that we finish faster and second, nobody has to worry about not being able to cope with the task because you are always being supported." His colleagues Kofi and Maxime also value this support. "At Volkswagen Infotainment, you can ask pretty much anyone if you need help."
Gerardo Medina Monroy, born in Mexico and at home in Germany for almost 25 years because of love, has been with Volkswagen Infotainment since April 2021 and appreciates communication within the company. "Of course, COVID always makes everything more difficult, but it is always respectful and collegial." In the first training sessions during onboarding, everything is at eye level. “You didn't notice who is the managing director or who is the department head. We worked well and easily in a group."
Every employee has a buddy by their side
A lot of Volkswagen Infotainment's self-image can already be seen in the onboarding process. "Onboarding is very helpful and a good orientation tool to settle in", says Gerardo. These intensive training days are demanding, but just the right thing to integrate people from all over the world into a team. "Each of us has a 'buddy' at our side who really supports us in all respects, so that we can settle in well at Volkswagen Infotainment", says Stevanus. The support starts with simple things like setting up the software and is very well thought out. "Not many companies offer this to new employees."
The Employee Assistant Program helps in a straightforward manner and anonymously
And even after the boarding phase, the automotive company does not leave anyone alone. This includes a varied leisure program, from the VWIF bands to the dragon boat team, to the “Employee Assistant Program”: The external call centre is available to all employees and helps them and their families with (almost) any problem. The offering helps with family problems as well as with tax returns, appointments with authorities and the search for a specialist doctor. In other words, with all the challenges everyone faces after moving to a new city. The program is completely anonymous, Volkswagen Infotainment only receives a number-based evaluation that roughly outlines the type of assistance. The specific problem remains confidential.
Varied leisure program against homesickness
Travelling to Uganda and Ghana takes a good 9 hours, 10 hours to Mexico and even 16 hours to Jakarta – it is impossible to just "pop home" if you are homesick. Fortunately, the mentality in the Ruhr area makes it easier to settle in: Unless you run around with blinkers on, you actually have no other option than meeting people and making friends here – this applies to the company as well as to the Ruhr area. That is why, for Volkswagen Infotainment, corporate culture and responsibility does not end at 5 p.m. on the dot. For example, Godwin has joined the dragon boat team. "Volkswagen Infotainment supports us with everything we need, with the boat, of course, but also with fans and much more." In addition to numerous sports teams, there are also several bands that can rehearse in the company headquarters and perform at company parties, for example.
What if you get homesick? No problem, the technical communication options not only facilitate communication within the company, but also staying in touch with parents, friends and relatives who do not (yet) live in the Ruhr area.
After all, it is actually really nice here, even if many still think of the old cliché of steel and coal. Many colleagues would have earned pitying looks when it came to “their new home”. Despite this, the Ruhr area has long been home to exciting software companies such as Volkswagen Infotainment and is much greener than many think. Gerardo, who regularly has friends from the United States and Mexico visit him, knows this very well. He now has a well-established tourist program for his friends: Westfalenpark Dortmund, Zeche Zollverein, a bike tour on the ore railway line between Bochum and Gelsenkirchen. "When my friends are here, I show them the green side that Mexico just doesn't have."