Our Working Together Campaign is behind us! This year, 8 cities, 70+ companies and thousands of employees joined our action. Together, we celebrated cultural diversity proving, that there’s more that unites us, than divides us. As part of our campaign we organised debates, diversity workshops, flashmobs, fairs, lectures and much more. See the pictures from #WorkingTogether 2019 ⇒ Gallery

International working environment has become our reality. What are the benefits? What can we learn from each other? Read the stories of people working in modern business services sector. See what they think and get to know their experience in working with colleagues from all over the world.

Matheus Trevizoli Barrachi Innovation Manager Bayer Gdańsk From: Brasil

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

The real meaning of Jakoś to będzie: More than the certainty that things will work out in the end, is the belief that we can achieve anything we want. That resonates a lot with my own thoughts about what we are capable of achieving when we believe. The subtle disregard for the Status quo is also a positive aspect of the culture that has helped me a lot in my line of work: no wonder Poland has one of the most Innovation-Friendly environments in the whole EU.

Mattia Mariani Finance System Consultant DFDS Poznan From: Italy

What did you learn working in an international environment?

There is always something to learn from our colleagues, regardless of their nationality. Both in good and bad way; moreover, even if it seems obvious, I’ve learnt we are all different and that we should respect that. I love working in the international environment and meeting different cultures and social behaviours. It helps to open our mind a little bit and to reduce distance we put between ourselves and others. At the end of the day, this world isn’t as big as we think.

Pragadeeshwaran Rajendran TA Operations Representative Franklin Templeton Poznan From: India

What did you learn working in an international environment?

Diversity in the workplace leads to a higher innovation rate. In the diverse workplace we are exposed to multiple perspectives and we are opening doors to innovation all together. Most importantly, we have unity in diversity!

Subhadeep Manna Assistant Software Engineer, FTT-PDS Franklin Templeton Poznan From: India

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

I have always been motivated and inspired by ideas to explore and share in such a diverse, multinational environment. It helped me boost my confidence and improve my communication and presentation skills. The biggest advantage of working in diverse teams is a chance to work with hundreds of talented individuals.

Marina Zlobina Region 2 AP Process Owner John Deere Poznan From: Russia

What did you learn working in an international environment?

Being patient, always polite and nice. Working hard and efficiently with minimal breaks. Diversity in an international environment teaches you, how to be tolerant and see things from different perspectives. Moreover, it makes you more ambitious and goal-oriented. With the challenge to adopt to the new countries’ requirements and cultural differences, your professionalism and internal development grow fast.

Ariel Kozakevich European countries Team Lead John Deere Poznan From: Brazil

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Polish people are great co-workers, they work hard and are reliable. Moreover, they’re very creative and innovative. This, I think, is related to the speed at which Poland is growing in a sustainable and consistent way. People are very honest and concise, always getting straight to the point, which has direct impact on the productivity. What is also important is that people really appreciate work-life balance, and that they can separate these two areas. It has great impact on organizational environment and on the company’s success as well.

Justyna Głowska Country HR Manager John Deere Poznań From: Poland

What did you learn working in an international environment?

I learned that ‘sometimes’ it takes ‘some time’ to accept that we are different. And it works both for my international and Polish colleagues. But when we are very open to learn new things about other cultures, sometimes we are surprised how similar we are! The longer we know each other, the easier it is to even implement some of the other cultures’ rituals or habits.

Olena Starikova Test Centre Coordinator CERI International Łódź From: Ukraine

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Never generalize. If you have once met a person behaving badly, it does not mean all people are like that. Ask for help – when asked for, help will come. If you speak to a Pole, sooner or later he/she will start complaining about the weather. That’s because he/she is trying to be nice and to socialize.

Paula Alejandra Vasquez Ruidiaz KYC Analyst CERI International Łódź From: Colombia

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

The fact that I am so far from my family and friends has helped me to understand the importance of working as a team. There are hard days and during one of these my team is always my principal support, my little family. I have realized how important it is to empathize with others. Even though our cultures are very different, we have to treat each other with respect and love. I have also learnt how to be on time!

Paweł Grzegorczuk Country Technology Manager Citi Warsaw From: Poland

What did you learn working in an international environment?

With no doubt working with international colleagues allows me to notice and understand different aspects from a broader perspective. Taking into account various options helps to make good decisions, especially these which may have impact on international environment.

Peter Lacek Global Head of Internal Audit Operations; Branch Audit Executive – CEP Poland Branch Citi Warsaw From: Australia

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Poles I’ve worked with are smart, clever, and incredibly hard-working and ambitious. They express their commitment to the project’s success by highlighting how it could be improved, what Americans could view as criticism. International experience has taught me that competencies and engagement have very different dimensions in different cultures. Moreover, it has taught me that ethical behaviour is universal. I’ve found my international experience to be exceptionally fulfilling and rewarding in my private life as well as in my professional development.

Jack Orr Compliance Officer Citi Warsaw From: Scotland

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Working in an international environment allows you to meet different people with different views. It also teaches you more about yourself and how you can improve the way you work, by applying different ideas and approaches adopted by multinational colleagues. In today’s globalised business environment we can really work effectively only when we know and learn about those from different backgrounds.

Magdalena Wąwoźna Communication and Management Support Analyst Citi Warsaw From: Poland

What did you learn working in an international environment?

The first thing that came to my mind is definitely positive attitude. My international colleagues are always smiling, have time for quick chat asking “How are you?”. I’ve changed my mindset a lot since I joined Citi. Being open-minded, ready for new opportunities and always there for someone – another points I can add to my list. Right now I can’t imagine myself working in a non-diverse company.

Gergely Máté Purchasing Transition Manager Schaeffler Global Services Europe Sp. z o.o. Wrocław From: Hungary

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

The Polish colleagues I had luck to work with, were/are all hard-workers. Their life is not free from complaining, but they all show a strong can-do attitude. This atmosphere definitely helps me to apply the same attitude both in my personal and business life. They value honesty and straight answers, which in my opinion is a must in today’s dynamically changing market.

Andreas Busch SGSE Head of Purchasing Schaeffler Global Services Europe Sp. z o.o. Wrocław From: Germany

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Working in this international environment gives the opportunity to take advantage of the different work-life experiences and cultural backgrounds of every single individual. Being faced with different points of view in our daily business includes the chance for me to expand my own horizons. No matter what challenge the next day brings, my colleagues are masters of improvisation. So, I would say creativity in finding next right solutions in time.

Anna Berczyńska Managing Director Schaeffler Global Services Europe Sp. z o.o. Wrocław From: Poland

What did you learn working in an international environment?

The unquestionable advantage of working in a multicultural environment gives an opportunity to broaden your horizons and your own skillset, especially in the area of communication and social behaviour.

In the era of ubiquitous globalization, multiculturalism is conducive to dynamic exchange of ideas, searching for non-standard solutions, learning habits and a different approach to various issues, not only related to business. This in turn develops flexibility, enriches knowledge, changes the perspective and allows you to go beyond your own comfort zone.

An important aspect I have gained from working in an international environment is the fact that, regardless of our origin, we all have very similar needs.

Ugur Demir Service Delivery Manager Logistics Schaeffler Global Services Europe Sp. z o.o. Wrocław From: Germany / Turkey

What did you learn working in an international environment?

To build bridges – to point out the cultural differences and to adjust our mindsets together. It is important for me, as an ambassador of a specific culture, to share these findings with my environment. Better understanding of the behaviors, better communications and a collaborative atmosphere are also success factors.

Todd Cole English Customer service Adviser Capgemini Katowice From: Ireland

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues? New ways to get the job done, Polish language, teamwork. The benefit of working together is growth and trust.

Jan Navratil Senior Team Lead Capgemini Katowice From: Czechia

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Almost everything I learned here. 99% of my colleagues are Polish. Sharing experience & knowledge are the greatest benefits of working in an international team for me.

Neelam Joshi Service Delivery Manager Capgemini Cracow From: India

What did you learn from your Polish colleagues?

Coming from a different country and work culture. I think the best thing i learnt was how to strike a good balance between work and life and how important it is in corporate world. It is my strong belief that collaboration and teamwork always get best out of us. And I am glad to have such a wonderful team across India & Poland who proves the power of collaboration.