The 2009/2010 Human Resources Report

Gema Garcia and Stefan Rohfuss on Telekom X-change: Work and personal experiences on international assignments.

“You see things with different eyes.”  Development programs for young talents and executives: More than 1,500 talents participated once again in 2009 “Someone asked me really politely to take my place in the queue like everyone else. I had simply walked past without no- ticing it.” It was not just everyday things like this that were new experiences for Stefan Rohfuss during his six-month stay in England under the international human resources “Telekom X-change” development initiative. “The really respectful and friendly way colleagues dealt with each other also impressed itself on my mind.” Now back in Germany, the head of “Team Platforms and Testing” at T-Systems continues to support the head of the project team that he joined to look after Deutsche Telekom corporate customers in London and Milton Keynes. Gema Garcia confirms Stefan Rohfuss’ experiences – but the other way round. The HR expert normally works for T-Systems ITC Services España in Barcelona. However, she is currently working at the headquarters of T-Systems in Frankfurt/Main at HR International in Germany under the Telekom X-change initiative: “I found that German and Spanish people are both very direct in their dealings with other people. However, there are differences in the way they work. In Spain, a lot of things simply get done – in Germany they are often discussed first. Of course, each approach has its advantages and disadvan- tages.” Gema Garcia and Stefan Rohfuss both draw the same conclusion. They would not want to be without their Telekom X-change experience, and found the encounter with new cultures and colleagues an enrichment of their personal and professional lives. 14 Talent