Does the cafeteria serve any typical German dishes?
That’s a great idea (smiles). But no, we only have Chinese food. However, we do have jiaozi, which are the Chinese equivalent of German Maultaschen (dumplings).
How do you promote German culture at a site where the entire workforce is Chinese?
We rely on contact with our colleagues in Germany to do this. Two Microscopy experts just paid us a visit. They showed the Chinese employees how to clean a microscope. Many employees had no idea how much work goes into cleaning a microscope. This wow effect is something we need to ensure across ZEISS sites all over the world.
The colleagues could have sent printed instructions.
True, but it’s much easier to understand how something is done once you’ve seen it with your own eyes. We have to find a way to share our knowledge with our colleagues. If we had to reinvent the wheel at every site, we’d waste so much time and money. That’s why it’s so important to network and discuss topics with our colleagues in Germany, and vice versa.