The following six small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from all over Germany were honoured for their outstanding efforts in recruiting and integrating international qualified professionals and trainees.
- ICUnet.AG, Passau
- InnoGames Gmbh, Hamburg
- KS ATAG TRIMENT Guss GmbG, Harzgerode
- Lafarge Zement GmbH, Karsdorf/Unstrut
- ModuleWorks GmbH, Aachen
- SPS Schiekel Präzisionssysteme GmbH, Dohna
The six award winners convinced the prestigious panel of judges from the worlds of politics, industry and civic society by their outstanding commitment to recruiting and supporting qualified international professionals and their families both professionally and socially. These businesses implemented a multitude of creative means to support these skilled professionals in their decision to pursue a career in Germany, and to help them get integrated. The means they used ranged from allowing new recruits a probation period in their country of origin or appointing in-company integration coaches, right through to language courses geared to the specific business for their foreign and German employees. In implementing these measures, the companies took care to ensure that the German employees were also involved and opted for close cooperation with partners in Germany and abroad. All the award winners agree that integrating international qualified professionals is well worthwhile. Not only does it enable them to fill posts faster and with exactly the right person, but diversity is also a way of securing success for their business.
The winners receive a prize of EUR10,000, to be used to implement further measures aimed at promoting a more welcoming business culture. The Confederation of German Employer Associations (BDA), the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) are members of the panel of judges and this year donated the money for one of the awards.
At the trade event following the awards ceremony, some 150 participants get a chance to talk about the competitive advantage that a more welcoming business culture offers SMEs, and ways of making it easier for international qualified professionals and SMEs to get together in the future. Besides brief presentations showing diversity in action and a panel discussion, the emphasis is on the exchange between businesses, administration and policymakers.
Source: Make it in Germany