No.5 / December 2007 - Messer Group

14 : Messer World
E
A basis of trust extending
beyond the workplace:
Marlen Schäfer (right), with
her temporary Hungarian
colleagues Krisztina Lovas
and Tibor Déry.
More than a mere
training exercise
Hungary: Messer’s very popular offer to participate in an international
job-swapping programme fosters better communication, a greater
understanding of common values and friendly cooperation. And best of all:
it is open to everyone!
YOUR CONTACT PERSON:
Dr. Jürgen Herrmann
Head of Human Resources
Messer Group GmbH
+49 (0) 6196 7760-351
juergen.herrmann@messergroup.com
Languages:
“My main task is to build up the Hungarian Intranet.
As I don’t speak the language that sounds a little crazy,
doesn’t it? But everything is working out brilliantly!
Thanks to this assignment I am getting a better feel
for the language. For example, I’ve learned that news
is ‘Hírek' in Hungarian and brochures are called ‘Prospektusok'.”
This and other interesting facts and news
can now be read by Messer staff on the Group’s Intranet
blog. In the summer of 2007, Marlen Schäfer (49),
in charge of Marketing Services in the Corporate Communications
Department, swapped jobs with a Hungarian
colleague for two months and wrote an in-house
blog on her experiences. First launched in 2006, the
international job-swap scheme is proving increasingly
popular, and not merely because of the interest aroused
by these first-hand reports. And clearly Messer’s focus
extends beyond the ranks of the company’s junior
management, as the offer is open to all staff members.
Reinforcing corporate values
In launching the exchange programme, the company
hopes to achieve more than just enhancing the skills
and qualifications of their employees: forging a greater
understanding of the cultural and social differences
and cross-border communications is one declared
objective. “The international staff-exchange scheme
supports the implementation of other values from
within our corporate philosophy,” explains Dr. Jürgen
Herrmann, Head of Human Resources, “such as fostering
and deploying our own talent, and cross-border
team building. All our companies throughout Europe
and in China are participating in the exchange.” The
subsidiaries and the departments at head office have
advertised potential jobs, but the demand among staff
has exceeded supply. “Our flat hierarchy has helped us
with the speedy implementation of job rotating,” adds
Herrmann. And it is also to the benefit of the company:
it is not only the staff who benefit from the
opportunity of getting to know a new country and a
new working environment. Since her temporary placement
at Messer Budapest, Marlen Schäfer has established
a mutual bond of trust with her Hungarian
colleagues which extends far beyond the workplace.
And she has retained a smattering of Hungarian. For
example, she signs off her report in her blog with the
words: “Viszontlátásra” and “Köszönöm szépen” –
goodbye and many thanks!
Diana Buss, Messer Group
on air 05 · 2007