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One in three firms plan to hire a refugee

More than a third of German companies want to hire at least one refugee, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Published: 24 February 2016 08:26 CET

One in three firms plan to hire a refugee

Syrian asylum seekers learning to operate a truck in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. Photo: DPA

Thirty-four percent of human resources directors contacted by the Ifo think-tank said they planned to hire refugees this year or next year.

If all those firms go ahead with their plans, it would be a big increase on the past two years, when just seven percent of companies hired refugees, Spiegel Online reported.

The study also showed that the hiring managers were well aware of the hurdles to hiring a refugee.

Companies that want to hire non-EU citizens usually have to show that there was no way they could have hired a German or an EU applicant for the job.

But bosses who have hired people who arrived in Germany as refugees say that the challenge has been worth it, with 68 percent saying they plan to hire more in the coming year.

Problems to overcome

Nor are bosses under any illusions about the difficulties they may face once they've overcome the bureaucratic obstacles.

Language was a concern for 68 percent of the managers surveyed, with the qualifications refugee jobseekers might have troubling 46 percent.

But with the labour market currently unfavourable for businesses looking to hire – unemployment is at is lowest since German reunification in 1990 – some businesses are willing to invest in training new workers.

In the survey, 45 percent of respondents who plan to hire refugees said they would be giving them further training on the job.

Ifo surveyed around 1,000 human resources managers for the poll.

SEE ALSO: Rural Germany an 'integration laboratory' for refugees

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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