Students often struggle with maintaining a balanced work-study life and finding support from their community. While arculus provides several platforms to connect and interact with colleagues, the Working Student Connect initiative offers more than that. Here's how a small yet significant step makes students' lives easier at arculus.

Connecting the dots

The Working Student Connect is a platform for and by students at arculus to connect, interact, and network with each other. The inspiration came from the arculus Buddy Program, an initiative designed for new hires in full-time positions to facilitate their onboarding process.

"We belong to different departments and, in some cases, different cities. And we, too, sometimes get nervous during our onboarding process and often seek support."

Kerstin Schwering (Working Student People)

With the help of the People's team, our pupils started working on building a community that could be more than just onboarding assistance. They wanted to bring all students at arculus together under one roof. Anika Lorenz (a former thesis student and now full-time employee) describes the idea as "allowing students to network, becoming the support system of each other through the exchange of work routine stories, student life hacks, and hobbies. But most importantly: having fun." In April 2022, the Working Student Connect was created.

Insight into details

Each meeting is half an hour long and happens virtually on a monthly basis. This way, the maximum number of students can participate, regardless of their working locations. There is also a slack channel for communication and coordination with all students, along with a Confluence page with tips & tricks for university life.

Every session has an agenda to ensure structure. It includes the rituals of introducing new students, suggestions for ice-breaking questions, discussions about work topics, and a Q&A session at the end. The work matters primarily refer to contract extension, taxes, payroll bureaucracy, open positions for working students, office policy updates, and other organisational subjects.

In case someone brings up a query or problem, students with a similar experience or knowledge are encouraged to help. Therefore, Anika invites all participants to confidently put forward their questions. "Never hesitate to ask because there is always someone who knows the answer. And if you know the right people, you get the answer faster.", she explains.

The fun element

For Kerstin, it’s essential that these meetings include more than just information and organization issues. "They should be fun; no one wants just formal information," she explains. "The purpose of adding icebreaker questions in the agenda, for example, was so everyone could feel comfortable participating. It allows participants to open up to their colleagues and get comfortable with each other," she adds.

For a connection beyond virtual limitations, students are invited to meet outside the office every few months, like at parks or cafes. "It's a good break from work and studies. You keep your worries aside, eat, drink, play games, and get to know your colleagues better.", says Sadaf Hayat (Working Student - Social Media Communications).

The challenge

As mentioned earlier, the working students have their university schedules and priorities, making it a challenge to have them all together in the meeting. "Initially, I spent much time choosing a day and time that could suit everyone's schedule. However, I soon realized it's hard to find a timeslot that fits. Now, the focus is on quality time rather than the number of attendees.", says Kerstin.

Why is the initiative a hit among our working students?

Hassan Saeed (Working Student - Cloud Engineer) finds this platform a great source of help to tackle problems commonly faced by working students. "The initiative is always an excellent way to communicate with all fellow pupils in the company, who tend to share similar issues in life. The meeting helps all of us find solutions in a friendly environment and also provides one more channel for monthly updates about arculus.", he explains.

Tena Valenta (Working Student - Content Creator) also appreciates how convenient these meetups are for discussing the daily challenges of a student. "In our meetings, we tend to talk about everything, from work to random facts and private matters. I admire that everyone is always warmly welcomed and allowed to share their thoughts and queries.", adds Tena

All in all

The aspiration of this initiative is not only to keep the working students informed about the company updates but also to give them a point of connection through students from other departments. It also provides them with a sense of belonging through a supportive environment and opportunities to connect and interact with colleagues from the same phase of life.

"We have a page on Confluence and a group on Slack dedicated to the students only, and everyone shares information, tips and hacks that can make our student live less stressful. In a true sense, I see this as a small but meaningful community where we have each other’s backs. Along with other initiatives at arculus, work-study life truly becomes less stressful."

Sadaf Hayat

If you are not from Bavaria, the word "Ramadama" probably doesn't mean much to you. The term, which roughly translates to "we are cleaning", is used in Bavarian to describe voluntary clean-up campaigns. The goal is to collect trash from public spaces to ensure proper disposal. At arculus, we've decided to come together on the beautiful banks of the Isar river to make Munich a little cleaner and strengthen our team's social bonds.

A Brief History of Ramadama

In 1949 Munich was not as beautiful as it is today. Although the 2nd World War had already ended four years before, the city still had devastating marks of bombing raids. Streets were full of stones and rubble, and many houses were yet uninhabitable. At that time, Thomas Wimmer was the mayor of Munich. He wanted his people to leave the dark years of the war behind and bring them a more optimistic view of the future. But the first step was cleaning up.

So, on the 29th of October 1949, Wimmer called on the people of Munich to clean up together. "Rama Dama!" (We are cleaning) he called, and over 7500 volunteers answered. Men, women, children, and even the mayor himself picked up shovels to free the city from the dirty scraps of the war. Together, the population removed more than 15,000 cubic metres of rubble that day, and Munich soon looked more beautiful again.

Since then, "Ramadama" has stood for joint clean-up activities. With the support of local Waste Management Companies, voluntary citizens from all kinds of different groups come together all across Bavaria to make their cities cleaner.

The arculus Team Clean-Up

So, to honour our Bavarian roots and commitment to social responsibility, some members of the arculus team decided to get together for our very own Ramadama gathering. The chosen location was the beautiful banks of the Isar river, not far from our headquarters office.

Just like every arculus gathering, the event also offered a fun possibility to tighten the team's bonds in a different setting. "It was much more than just picking up trash. We even created a collaborative playlist to make sure that we could make it a fun social happening.", says Maria Souza (Social Media Coordinator).

For some new joiners, like Johannes Maier (Robotics Engineer), it was also a possibility to get to know some colleagues for the first time. "It was fun to walk along the Isar with the new colleagues and to do something good for the environment at the same time", he explains.

Like any Ramadama action in Munich, the arculus clean-up had support from AWM (Munich Waste Management Company), who provided the cleaning materials and assisted with the general organization. Kristina Frank, Municipal Officer and First Works Manager of AWM, explains, "A Ramadama like this is a great community experience. All these people are thus voluntarily taking responsibility for cleanliness in their home city. AWM is therefore very happy to support this sustainable civic engagement to preserve Munich's recreational areas."

Want to join our next event? Then apply to one of our open positions here!

Acceptance, strategy, and trust: learn how these three keywords come together to define Maria's experience as a Social Media Coordinator at arculus.

Hey Maria, welcome to our interview! First things first: can you explain what are your main tasks as a Social Media Coordinator at arculus?

I'm actually responsible for taking care of arculus presence online. That includes our social media channels, of course, like LinkedIn and Instagram. But also our online presence in general, our website and our blog as well.

My goal is to make sure that as many people as possible get to know who arculus is, what we stand for, what we do, and who we are. That includes potential customers but also potential joiners for our team.

When people think of a social media coordinator or manager, they usually think of someone who spends all day on Instagram or TikTok. But the job is actually much more than that, I get to think strategically, and I need a lot of organizational skills, but in the end, I really like what I do.

And what do you appreciate most about working at arculus?

First of all, being an immigrant in Germany, for me, it's really important to actually get to know more people, and everyone at arculus has been so nice to me so far. And all of the social events are also a great plus.

But also, as a member of the LGBTQ community, it feels amazing to be able to bring my full self to work, not having to hide a part of me. That makes waking up and going to work much easier every day. And, of course, the work-life balance is also a great plus for me. Being able to take care of myself outside 
of work as well, and this whole combination of things makes it easier and makes me feel good working here.

What arculus value do you most identify with?

Definitely trust. It's really good to know that I'm trusted to do the job I was hired for. So no one is really questioning my decisions towards what I think is better to fulfil our strategy and my tasks. And also, relating to time management, there's no one really checking how many hours you're working. No one really cares as long as you deliver what you're supposed to. And that's really different from 
what I have experienced so far in other companies.

And one last question: what excites you the most about the Jungheinrich acquisition?

I actually come from quite a strong corporate background. So, for me, it feels a bit like "going back home". I really appreciate how these big companies have people all over the world who are working 
towards the same goal, so you actually get to meet people from different cultures and understand how they work. And, of course, the safety that comes with a big corporate job is also a nice bonus.

Watch Maria's full video interview below:

New hires are sometimes nervous or hesitant to address concerns and ask for assistance. There is some amount of stress which is natural yet overwhelming. That is where our six-month Buddy Program comes in - to facilitate integration through a social approach. This article will cast light on the process, its benefits to the team, and its guidelines, all from the perspective of arculus employees.

The buddy program is an onboarding initiative to familiarize new joiners with the company's culture, processes, standard protocols, and policies with the help of experienced colleagues. The program has been in place since 2020, thanks to the efforts of the arculus People's team.

“The aim is cross-functional development, enrichment of the employee experience, and good integration of recruits within different teams.”

Afiffa Batool (Talent Acquisition Recruiter & Partner)

How does the initiative work?

It is a six-month voluntary program, which requires a minimum of three meetings with half an hour each. Participants are free to hold sessions anywhere; it can be on the office premises, outside, or even online (depending on the location of both participants). "Most of the time, I am in the Gaimersheim office and only a few times in Munich. That's why I have had almost all of my buddy meetings online. But once, when we were both in the same city, we finally got to meet and talk over lunch.", explains Jonas Jaeger (Production Engineer).

The people's team takes three factors into account when selecting buddies. The first is if, after the end of their probation period, the employee wants to volunteer for the program. The second is to ensure that the participants are not in the same team so that the new joiner gets as comfortable with other groups as they would be with their usual peers. It also opens avenues to learn and understand what other departments are working on. The third is if the new employee works totally remotely, then they must get a buddy who works from the office. That allows them to see how everything is done at the workplace without feeling left out.

The program has no formal template to follow, and the meetings generally occur in an informal setting. "For me, it's always a casual meeting where we introduce ourselves. I explain a bit about the company, who is who, and my own experiences. It is also an opportunity to get more familiar with the other person.", describes Lisa Bell (Content Creator).

The idea is to lend ears and shoulders to the new colleagues; therefore, there are no final goodbyes. "In theory, your job is done after six months, at the end of your peer's probation period. But, for me, it is not a job; I see it more like being there and supporting that person," says Maria Souza (Social Media Coordinator). "You can for sure meet and talk as often after it ends.", adds Lisa.

Nonetheless, participants need to keep certain principles in mind. As someone's buddy, one is not supposed to review the job performance, be a subject matter expert, or be expected to know everything. Buddies should offer encouragement and support, give honest feedback, provide suggestions for more efficiency and productivity, and keep the shared information confidential.

What makes the buddy program a symbiotic relationship?

Maria recalls how the buddy program facilitated her transition when she joined the team in January 2022. "It was nice to have someone to explain how arculus works and give me a positive outlook regarding what awaited me at this job."

Fabian Na (Mechanical Engineer) reminisces how this program gave him his point of contact in the company. "My buddy made me feel comfortable and introduced me to everyone. She also gave me a little background on what had happened in the company so far and explained a bit about the arculus culture."

Nevertheless, Fabian also believes it is an equal opportunity for the buddy to learn something new. "Now, being a buddy myself, I understand the company's culture better. Also, I get to give them information on how the company is and get to know that person better, especially if they're in a different department."

Like Fabian, Lisa finds the program a medium for connecting with other teams. "I'm always curious about what's happening in the other departments. What are they working on now, and what are their challenges? It also allows me to understand our products better as they continuously develop."

Reasons why our employees approve of it

Based on an internal company survey, arculus has received a positive response from the employees. They agree that this program helped them achieve a smoother onboarding process, better understand how other departments in the company function, and develop soft skills like networking.

"You develop many more connections in cross-functional teams. Without the program, many colleagues wouldn't have a clear vision of how processes work in other departments, or even what they're working on. Now, thanks to this creative initiative, we all have a much better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the other colleagues."

Lisa Bell, Content Creator

TL;DR

The buddy program, in a nutshell, is a low-maintenance solution that has helped new joiners at arculus with integration. It provides them with a safe space and time to learn about the company culture, values, and operations through an experienced fellow worker. By combining it with other social and technical integration and onboarding initiatives, we provide possibilities for engaging with colleagues and improving knowledge about the company as a whole. As a result, we have well-informed and motivated employees with higher productivity rates right at the end of their onboarding process.

Anika started her journey as a working student at arculus in February 2021. She initially supported the procurement of prototypes. Today, Anika is writing her Master’s thesis while also assisting her team with the series production for our Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR). In this article, she talks about her experience with arculus.

Hey Anika! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Anika: “I had always dreamed of becoming a dentist. However, as a professional sailing athlete, it was difficult for me to commit full attention to medical studies. That’s why I decided to pursue my degree in Business Engineering, which is also quite cool. Currently, I am writing my Master’s thesis on production and mounting systems.”

How do you recall your initial days at arculus?

Anika: “They were informative, yet not overwhelming. I had a million questions when I started, but they annoyed none of my team members. My colleagues were considerate and helped me get into everything faster than I thought, including processes, projects, protocols, etc.”

So, how would you say the work-study balance at arculus is?

Anika: “Initially, I couldn’t find the right balance between work and studies. I was too excited about my tasks at arculus. But if it weren’t for my team members and manager, who constantly reminded me to prioritize my studies and exams, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I think 20hr/week and studies are easily manageable together. It’s important to set priorities to find the right balance.”

As you said, your team encouraged you to focus on your studies. Was it the same with your work as well? How would you further describe your experience with them?

Anika: “In the beginning, I worked in the mechanics' department. The team was very diverse. It had different characters, each having unique perspectives. It was interesting to work together, as we were always striving to find new solutions.”

So, what makes your work experience at arculus different from your previous student jobs/internships?

Anika: “I think the key difference is that I am able to express my opinions. I have actively participated in all discussions and shared my viewpoints. Another difference is the freedom to work independently within a team. Also, flexible hours are a plus point here. I can choose my work hours based on my schedule, which reduces my stress.”

What is the most important thing that you have learned at arculus?

Anika: “arculus has taught me that work and social activities can go together. I will look forward to this when applying for a full-time role. Another important learning is that different perspectives in a team always generate better solutions.”

Last but not least, any recommendations for students who want to apply for a job at arculus?

Anika: “Join arculus (laughs). No seriously! Try to connect as much as possible. And most importantly, seek all the information you can get.”

Looking to develop new skills that go hand-in-hand with your study program? Apply here!

His head's in the cloud, but his feet are certainly on the ground. This is the story about arculus System Administrator and tech enthusiast Rudolph Maritz.

Hi Rudolph, welcome to our Voices of the Team series! Let's start with the basics: how did you first hear about arculus?

I was browsing on LinkedIn, and a position from arculus appeared as a recommendation matching my profile. So, out of curiosity, I decided to have a look into it, and I also read a bit more about arculus. It really sparked my interest, so I decided to give it a shot with my application. And, well, now I can say that it worked out really well.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I like about my job is that not a single day is the same. We have a lot of fun projects coming our way all the time, so, in short, it never gets boring.

Also, most of the projects are challenging, which allows you to think a little bit outside of the box, and it really motivates you to grow in your position and read more about different technologies. On top of that, you can create your own projects, which empowers you to take ownership of the work, while also making you feel proud of what you have accomplished.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced here so far?

By far the cloud migration project. It took a while to complete, but it was totally worth the time and effort from start to finish, and I'm very very happy with the results.

So, in essence, just to explain it, we moved a lot of our internal services to the cloud, and a lot of it was quite challenging. But it made me really happy to complete the project and just see how smooth everything is running now.

Where do you see yourself next year?

Next year I see myself even more focused on the cloud, but also on the DevOps area in the software team. I mean, I've always been fascinated by Cloud Technologies, how it's changing the world and the challenges that it brings. And, as I said before, arculus offers a lot of room for growth, so I'll definitely try to continue embracing that as well.

Watch Rudolph's full video interview below: