Integration of international specialists: Employer network Onboarding@Münsterland in dialogue with BASF Coatings and Schmitz Cargobull
Arriving at a company and in the region is not always easy. Skilled workers from abroad in particular face bureaucratic, linguistic and social hurdles. To make their start easier, a total of 60 companies came together at the meeting of the Münsterland e.V. employer network Onboarding@Münsterland. On Wednesday, 2 April, BASF Coatings GmbH hosted the event at its Münster site to learn about strategies for successfully integrating international skilled workers.
"The recruitment and integration of skilled workers from abroad requires time and good preparation. Companies in the region can learn from each other. At the employer network meeting, dialogue is particularly important so that all participants can take away added value for their company," says Monika Leiking, Head of the Onboarding@Münsterland service. The service is the central initiative for a sustainable welcoming culture in the region. The "Company Welcome Guides" workshop series was launched in March with regional partners to sensitise companies to the employment of international skilled workers and to support them with practical approaches. A website for companies and skilled workers from abroad was recently launched with key information about life in Münsterland.
Lars Wermeling, Employer Branding Specialist at BASF Coatings, emphasised the importance of international specialists for BASF: "Diversity and cultural diversity enrich our company. Only with a strong international team can we maintain our position as one of the world's leading suppliers of surface solutions." BASF employee Silvar Ribeiro comes from Brazil and described his experience of arriving in Münster. Finding a flat in Münster without support was almost impossible and he referred to the help provided by the external relocation service @HomeAbroad by Sonja Schulze, which BASF uses. The service supports newcomers from abroad in dealing with the authorities, finding accommodation and everyday issues to make their arrival easier.
Heinz Deyen, Head of Business Transformation at Schmitz Cargobull, said: "In its HR strategy, Schmitz Cargobull AG places people at the centre of everything it does. The blue elephant stands for a performance culture in which enthusiastic employees from different cultures contribute to the company's success. It doesn't work without the right employees and culture."
The short presentations were followed by an exchange with the experts in interactive "World Café" rounds. Monika Leiking said: "It was exciting for the participants to take away approaches for their own company from the rather large companies in the region."
The Onboarding@Münsterland service is a regional initiative of employers and economic players in Münsterland and is implemented by Münsterland e.V. with the support of numerous institutions in Münsterland. The service is aimed at (new) skilled workers as well as employers. Skilled workers are supported in arriving and settling in Münsterland, while employers in the region are supported in recruiting skilled workers.
Further information on the topic of "International Employment" at Münsterland e.V. at www.muensterland.com/internationals and www.muensterland.com/welcome-internationals
