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The job market in Germany has been flourishing in the last few years. It’s well known that, due to the country’s efficiency and seriousness, when it comes to work there’s nobody like the German people.
But there might be some false myths on the subject, some lies that we’ve been telling ourselves for a long time. And if you are considering moving to Germany for work, or even if you’re just curious about the subject, you should definitely consider these tips first.
You’ll Need To Be Punctual
This isn’t a myth. German people really care about punctuality in the workplace. And their workday starts very early as well. It’s not so rare to find people already working at seven in the morning, or even at six-thirty.
For many British people this would be crazy, but in Germany it’s considered quite usual. This probably has to do with the fact that all schools open very early, and German people are used to getting up at sunrise since a very young age.
Also, part of it can be explained by assuming that many workers drop their kids at school on their way to work. Since schools open so early, there’s no need to wait around for all the parents. They will start getting some work done as soon as possible, and, again, they will always be punctual.
The Dress Code In The Office Is Different...
While German men can dress more casually than British men for work, it’s not always the case for German women. And actually, in many cases they have to dress up in a more formal way than the British women.
But it’s quite common to see men wearing jeans at meetings, or casual shoes even when they are on sales. For some reason, we’ve always been used to imagining German employees in the workplace wearing formal clothes all the time, but this is clearly just a myth.
…But People Are Actually More Formal
Employees in the office behave in a very serious way. They don’t like joking around when it comes to work topics. They generally have the tendency to completely divide their personal life from their work life.
Most of the time, they’re out of the office by three o’clock, and this leaves them the rest of the day for nice afternoons and evenings with friends. Usually, people in Germany don’t go out for drinks with their co-workers, which could be an enjoyable surprise for all the introverts out there.
Many German people have a small, closed circle of friends that they like to go out with, and they leave all of their work life behind as soon as they get out of the office.
Open-Plan Offices Are Rare
It’s not so common to see open-plan offices in Germany – it’s typically easier to find separate office rooms, or at least cubicles. Germans care a lot about their privacy, and they don’t like to be distracted when they’re working. They’re fully committed to what they’re doing, and even an overheard conversation could bother them. That’s how they manage to work generally less than the average British employee, while keeping their productivity per person usually higher. There’s a time for playing, and a time for working.
German Efficiency Isn’t Real
This is a myth as well. We’ve been believing all of our lives that German people are the most productive, while in reality their bureaucratic system is really slow and complex. There is a lot of paperwork to do every time you want to book holiday, or if you need to make an unplanned expense.
Bottom Line
This is the way work life goes in Germany, and these are our tips on how to survive it. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.