Who doesn’t dream of taking on an overseas assignment for a while? International experience is crucial for management personnel today and the earlier they get started, the better.
At Bosch, overseas assignments have become the rule for associates and prospective managers. In 2007, the dream of going to China came true for 250 German managers. In total, over 300 expatriates from Germany went to the Middle Kingdom last year to experience working life there. Apart from Germany and the United States, this makes China one of the top three target countries in the Bosch world. As there are still too few local managers in China, the share of expatriates there is still almost 30 percent.
However, that is set to change. In the long term, the aim is to increase the share of local managers in China to 80 percent – on a par with the level in industrialized countries. For this purpose, Bosch launched its new Junior Managers Program in 2007. Providing uniform criteria for the selection and promotion of junior managers, it forms the worldwide umbrella for our executive training programs. During the program, which lasts between one and a half and two years, all participants must work in a minimum of three different jobs, each in different areas of activity. A special highlight is a six-month overseas assignment. The program is thus geared towards fostering an international mindset, which is complemented by intercultural training courses.
China also offers this kind of program for its junior executives, adapted to local requirements. To find suitable candidates, our regional company stages an annual “Campus Tour,” taking in eleven target universities in China. This will ensure that China will also have more local managers in the long term.
