Challenges of bringing an international team together: an employee point of view

February 28, 2023

As we grow not only by numbers but also by the number of different nationalities in our company, we focus more on our internal cross-cultural communication processes. Sometimes we are all very different, and it is true, but we are all the same when it comes to delivering the best result and fostering eco-communication at work.

We conducted a round of interviews with our colleagues from different backgrounds and origins to reflect on their opinion on intercultural communication at work. 

The first respondent is our Validation Specialist, Malik Bilgin, originally from Jordan and living in Turkey. We asked him several questions:

Flex Databases: “Tell us briefly about your background before Flex Databases.” 

Malik Bilgin: “Before joining Flex Databases, I had moved between jobs and companies/institutes. I spent around 14 years delivering university-level lectures on IT and software-related courses in Malaysia and Türkiye. Apart from that, I held the marketing directorate of EDU International Link Services (KL, Malaysia) and the IT management of Al-Sharq Modern Trading (Doha, Qatar). Throughout this journey, my educational background and interests kept me focused on IT and software-related jobs, teaching, and practice. Besides, I was largely involved in documentation (development, reviewing, and editing)”.

Flex Databases: “Do you like working in an international environment? What are the pros and cons of it?”

Malik Bilgin: “Even though many people may be skeptical about the idea of an international working environment as it can be criticized for frequent miscommunications, I consider such opportunities a great chance for knowledge and culture exchange and a medium for self and society introduction. I had the privilege to work in multiple international environments before joining Flex Databases; thus, the situation is not foreign to me. I appreciate diversity and like practicing multiple languages whenever possible, which an international work environment can perfectly accommodate. Furthermore, among the advantages such environments provide is the quick learning pace an individual can gain and the improved standard of work ethics and policies”.

Flex Databases: “What do you like the most about Flex Databases? “

Malik Bilgin: “I can confidently say Flex Databases has been a pleasant environment that can be praised for its various advantages. Nonetheless, I like the extreme sense of professionalism and responsibility most about Flex. Furthermore, regardless of the hierarchy, my colleagues have been helpful, cooperative, and pleasant; if I were to develop a motto for Flex’s environment, that would be “Be cooperative, not competitive.” At Flex, you can expect extremely professional treatment, transactions, and very responsible and supportive colleagues”.