Understanding someone’s cultural background is essential when recruiting candidates from abroad. Nannette Ripmeester on what to expect from a German candidate.

Recruiting abroad

Help! A foreign CV! Receiving a CV from a non-British candidate still sends many recruiters into a panic. However, often it is merely a question of understanding what is different about the CV and understanding what causes this difference.

For instance a German application will be much more comprehensive compared to what British recruiters are used to: don't expect a CV of maximum two pages - the German candidate will deliver a package of paper that would make most of us quail. So what drives the German candidate? Understanding someone’s cultural background is essential in recruiting candidates from abroad.

Recruiting in Germany

The German organisational culture is characterised by hierarchy. Organisations tend to have a small and strong management team. The top management takes great responsibility; the levels below necessitate this strong and decisive leadership. There is almost a universal respect for authority.

Dutch-born Lex-Jan Westra – currently working in the UK – admits that his time in Germany was a culture shock. "I have now worked for Canon in three different countries, however, though my native country the Netherlands and neighbouring country Germany are physically close, when it comes to cultural differences the two countries they are miles apart! Germany is a very formal and hierarchical country, compared to the Netherlands."

Westra continues, "In Holland it is not uncommon to walk unannounced into your boss's office and, addressing your boss by his or her first name, utter some direct criticism when you do not agree with something that was said or done. Whereas in Germany, you would not even think about just walking into your boss’s office, let alone criticise them. On top of this, the use of first names is considered highly inappropriate, even among direct colleagues."

The Germans address each other in a formal manner, which is a latent cause for dispute with many other nationalities who use less formal ways to address each other. For instance the German saying "Sie sollen nicht dutsen" does not even translate easily into English. It means one cannot use the second person singular, but to try and translate this into a language that does not even have a common form for the word "Sie" brings out the potential for misunderstandings.

A German application

When you are on the brink of recruiting a German candidate, you need to realise a couple of things. A recent university graduate of 27 is not a slow student, but a common German student – the German university system takes longer in comparison with the British system.

When you get a pile of papers, the German candidate is not trying to overload you. In Germany, an application consists of a detailed CV, which includes all the information a recruiter might need (a CV of three to five pages is not uncommon), employer testimonials, copies of degrees and certificates of all professional training received and a covering letter. All together easily a package of ten up to even 30 pages, bound neatly in a plastic folder.

In their CV the German candidate will disclose his or her date and place of birth, his or her civil status and attach a photo. The CV will give a lot of details on grades, whereas hobbies are briefly mentioned and only when relevant to the job.

A CV will always be signed at the bottom. Though the German candidate will provide a comprehensive paper profile, do not expect them to oversell themselves at the interview, rather expect a profound candidate willing to answer questions with precision.

If you want to find out more about recruiting in Germany, Expertise in Labour Mobility has published a guide called “Looking for work in Germany” (ISBN 90-5896-0072) to answer your questions about cultural habits during the recruitment process as well as cultural differences in management culture.

December 2003

Nannette Ripmeester is managing director and founder of Expertise in Labour Mobility (www.labourmobility.com), a knowledge broker on issues related to mobility on the international labour market. ELM has published guides on recruitment habits and cultural management issues in over 40 countries. Through the service HR Abroad® (www.hrabroad.com) ELM assists businesses to grasp the major HR issues in countries abroad.

This article was first published by the British Association of Graduate Recruiters in their magazine Graduate Recruiter.