Intercept conflicts

Differences of opinion, friction and conflicts are part of everyday working life. All companies have found ways to deal with them. Internationally recruited nurses will also be involved in conflict-loaded situations. How conflicts are dealt with depends not only on someone’s personality but also the culture they come from. And in Germany too, there is not always a unified and fair culture of conflict. However, it is advantageous to weigh up rules and boundaries, and to be able to see things from the perspective of mainstream society.

International migration is a controversial topic of debate in Germany. This is reflected in everyday working life. It could be that existing colleagues do not agree with the international recruitment. Those in need of care and their relatives can also be hostile to nurses from abroad and express this with derogatory comments. In the process, factual problems or easily solvable misunderstandings can be culturalised or ethnicised. For example: “That’s a colleague from the Philippines, they are simply like that ‘there’ – the situation will never change, either.” One consequence of such an assumption is that these colleagues are easily kept out of decision-making processes because they are denied a dynamic of change.

A company that recruits employees internationally must also be responsible for dealing with conflicts associated with migration, culture and religion within the company. Particularly with this issue, it becomes apparent how resilient the welcome culture in the company really is. Especially in the case of cultural misunderstandings, an integration manager can simply act as a contact person.

So as not to give way to arbitrariness here, it is a good idea to check existing requirements, also with regard to racist and xenophobic characteristics. For example, in the event of team conflicts or conflicts with people in need of care and their relatives. To whom are such incidents reported, who is involved in conflict resolution and what criteria are followed during the procedure?

These questions can be discussed within the company’s own quality management procedure and appropriate answers can be decided upon. Through this kind of proactive approach to these topics, those affected feel more encouraged to address relevant incidents – and can prepare for what will follow. This transparency offers security.

Field reports show that language communication difficulties in particular are misinterpreted as a lack of professional expertise or general weakness. Employers who want to strengthen employees who are still very new to living and working in Germany should therefore consider how they can also promote German language skills beyond the passed B2 language test, for example by financing further language courses. Employees will be encouraged in this way.

Works councils can also play an important role in the operational, professional and social integration of internationally recruited nurses.

As an institutionalised employee representation in the company, works councils can play a role in involving the new colleagues in operational co-determination structures and inviting them to help shape work-related decisions. Works councils also represent the interests and perspectives of new colleagues recruited from abroad to their employers – both in terms of contractual terms for new hires and in conflicts between employer and employee.

In addition, the works council can act as a mediator within the workforce, for example, if conflicts arise between regular employees and newly recruited ones.

It is advisable for employers to get in touch with the works council at an early stage – when the international recruitment of specialists is first being considered as a recruitment strategy, as well as when the operational integration management concept is being developed.

Structural racism in everyday life is a complex societal problem. Often classified more as intentional action, it is often precisely the unconscious, insensitive and stereotyped patterns of thought and action that lead to racism in everyday life. Unfortunately, there are always incidents of racist discrimination at the workplace, including everyday nursing care. A patient does not want to be treated by a nurse with a migration background, there are derogatory, racist remarks among colleagues or the medical qualification is denied owing to social, cultural or ethnic origin…

Discrimination based on racist motives can take many different forms. It is important that both employees and employers take proactive action against all forms of discrimination together. According to the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), the employer is even obliged to protect employees from discrimination and to prevent discrimination in principle. This also includes identifying (racist) discrimination as such, making it visible and taking action against it, including in the context of the legal possibilities. In individual cases, this can be done, for example, in the form of a written warning, but in the case of repeated occurrence, it can also extend to termination without notice. However, it is not only the individual case that is important, but above all the signal effect and the clear positioning against any form of discrimination throughout the company.

As the employer, it is important for you to establish fundamental antidiscrimination structures, for example in the form of guidelines against racism or operational agreements. Trusted points of contact for discrimination-related topics should be available, to which those affected can turn to. This can be done in the HR department, works council or, in larger companies, even in the form of an anti-discrimination office. Also prevention work through in-company training, for example in the form of joint in-company courses to increase competence, can be an effective methodology against racism in the workplace. The goal should always be to create an increased awareness of problems within the workforce and to credibly reflect zero tolerance towards racism and xenophobia in the company. This can also find expression in the selection of staff. It is above all important to encourage employees to take an open and direct opposition to racism and to underpin these operationally with adequate and perceivable (disciplinary) measures.

In addition to the development of intercultural competencies in the team and at management level, an anti-discriminatory organisation culture and the structural anchoring of a process for recording complaints, it is also advisable for companies to reflect on their own processes at regular intervals and to obtain feedback on them in order to promote early recognition of conflicts and action.

Regular feedback meetings can help here. These should be well prepared for and absolutely take place on equal terms. At the same time, you should also be aware that not everyone feels comfortable expressing verbal feedback directly. In comparison, it is noticeable that in professional contexts in Germany, criticism is often expressed very directly, conflicts are openly addressed and an equally open and honest reaction to them is expected. In other countries, this may be different and the handling of criticism or feedback may be different. You should be aware of this and offer your new colleagues different ways to express themselves and give feedback.

Below there is a video clip from an interview with Grace Lugert-Jose. She is an intercultural trainer and adviser, and explains how employers can systematically gather feedback and suggestions with the help of the anonymous “ZEIP” questionnaire tool (not free-of-charge), without choosing a direct questioning approach.

You can find the full version of the interview with Ms Lugert-Jose here

For many managers, it will be a new experience to address topics related to international migration proactively and to behave in a self-assured and fair way. It is worth taking a look at the seminar and training market here. Under keywords such as diversity management, intercultural opening and intercultural experience you will find many programmes to help companies adjust proactively to a migration society, globalised job market for nurses and modern personnel management.

You can find further information about this here: