A new home

“For our colleagues from Spain, it's a big step into a new home and a different culture. They leave a lot behind and hope for a good new start,” reports Anja Weihmann, who oversees the project with her team. More than 450 Spanish colleagues now work at the hub, enriching the already very international team with their expertise and commitment.

However, the integration of these new employees is an ongoing process that requires a lot of attention and support. Support that the LEJ Hub is happy to provide. Anja and her colleagues from the “HR International Employee Retention” team travel to Spain at the beginning of a new training cycle, for example, to be available as contact persons during the on-site induction period.

To make integration at the hub even more successful, Anja has a clear appeal to all colleagues: “The be-all and end-all of good integration is communication. Listening, offering support, and above all, showing understanding for everyone involved. Everyone has their challenges—both national and international colleagues—we have to be there for each other and support each other, then many things work much more easily.”

Lydia is one of many Spaniards who came to Leipzig through the project. Her story shows the challenges of moving to a foreign country – but also how enriching this step can be.

Lydia, who previously lived in Palencia and worked as a pharmacist, says: "I had wanted to live outside Spain for a long time. So I was happy when I saw that they were looking for staff in Leipzig.“ However, the first few months in Germany were not easy for Lydia, mainly because of the language barrier. ”I could hardly speak any German at the time, so it was difficult to settle in. I felt lonely at times. It was only here in Leipzig that I started learning German." Lydia had three hours of German lessons every day – in addition to her work in the reload area in the sorting hall. Thanks to the support of DHL and her own determination, Lydia has now settled in well. “I think it's great how many cultures and nationalities come together here. For example, my team includes colleagues from Croatia and Syria, and we all speak German with each other and improve our language skills that way.”

And not just with international colleagues. “Since my German has improved, I've also become more and more friendly with my German colleagues,” Lydia says happily. However, she does have one wish regarding how to deal with potential language barriers: "Some colleagues think that we Spaniards don't speak German anyway, so they don't even try to talk to us. So my personal wish is: give it a try and talk to me. I'm happy when I can speak German. Some colleagues speak English to me because they think it's easier for me. But my German is now better than my English."

The integration of Spanish colleagues is a process that goes far beyond mere work integration. Anja Weihmann and her team do everything they can to make it easier for new employees to get started in Leipzig – from finding accommodation and dealing with the authorities to social integration.

Lydia is certain that the move to Leipzig was worth it: "I am grateful for the opportunity to work here. There are many opportunities for further development here. I have already obtained my forklift license. I have recently started driving a forklift myself – something I would never have dreamed of a few years ago."

The Spain project is more than just a successful recruitment measure. It shows how important it is to promote and value cultural diversity in the workplace.