Understanding culture through languages

Building cultural understanding through language training

Our impact

With a largely international workforce, it is crucial for Bayer to support employees and their families for the best possible personal and professional start. Effective language learning has been important in making employees feel at home, while gaining an understanding of a new culture. Hult EF and Bayer’s teams worked closely together to roll out the program across the organization and educate employees on the language offerings and benefits provided. Besides general language lessons, Bayer’s learners have hugely benefited from taking part in special interest classes focused on the organization’s core interests: Willkommen in Deutschland (Welcome to Germany) covers the essentials of German culture including understanding dynamics, education, careers, festivities, traditions, among others Biowissenschaft (which translates into life science) is related to the pharmaceutical and agriculture industry ranging from health, sustainability, and innovation to agriculture and pharmaceuticals, among others These two topics have contributed to a more inclusive and diverse workplace where employees can better understand each other, the culture, and the language. Participant feedback at Bayer has been extremely positive. Employees report feeling supported in their careers, with the time and space to develop their language skills at their own pace. The training program has enabled learners to direct and drive their development.