Do you have to be able to hear to work at Bosch?
Jonas is on an important call with a colleague. The matter at hand? A major order of fire detection technology. He coordinates customer orders at Bosch Building Technologies. In collaboration with his colleagues on construction sites he makes sure that goods are available and reach customers quickly. Communication is the be-all and end-all of his job. At the same time, it is also his biggest challenge — because the 24-year-old is deaf.
“As a child, I had implants put in,” he says. “Thanks to these, as well as processors with microphones and receivers on my ears, I was able to learn to hear at an early age. But because I find it pretty draining, I read lips in conversations.” Having learned to speak at an early age, expressing himself verbally is not a problem for Jonas.
Thanks to his team, he feels very comfortable at work despite his specific needs. “I am very grateful that my colleagues have my back, and for their support and that of my supervisor,” he adds. “Everyone responded immediately to my limitation and looked for a way to design my day-to-day work in the best way possible.”
The ideal workplace
In 2019, Jonas started training as an electronics engineer at Bosch. He ultimately came to realize that he could not work in field service due to his condition. More than a year ago, his team leader Bernhard offered him an office job in his team. “Jonas works with passion and diligence,” says Bernhard. “It’s great to see him take on new challenges every day, and we learn a lot from the ease with which he handles his condition.”
Due to wearing hearing aids, Jonas cannot make phone calls the conventional way. That is why his supervisor, team, and the responsible company representative for associates with disabilities have equipped his workplace with a special hearing system microphone. “I can use it as a table microphone or connect it to other microphones, like you’d see at large conferences,” Jonas explains. This helps to reduce stress and makes hearing easier for him.
Being open about the situation
Jonas has learned to be open about his impairment. “Doing so is the only way to address misunderstandings and create good sense of cooperation,” he explains. It is important to him to be treated by others the same way they’d treat anyone else. “It’s nice that you can turn to Bosch for help. The representative body for disabled associates provides support with any questions or problems”, he adds. His team leader Bernhard emphasises: “Jonas’s example shows that prejudices have to be broken down, and how strong cooperation can become by being open.”
Diversity at Bosch
Jonas is one of over 420,000 colleagues who show just how diverse the associates at Bosch are. The term “diversity” is often only used to refer to different cultural backgrounds, genders or age groups, but it includes much more: different ways of thinking, experiences, perspectives and lifestyles. Bosch sees this diversity as an advantage, which is why the value is an integral part of the corporate strategy.
“At Bosch, we support diversity and value the qualities that each and every one of us brings to our teams,” explains Anita who is driving forward the strategy on the topics of diversity, equal opportunities, and inclusion together with her colleague Judith. “We are committed to an open work culture in which everyone has the same opportunities to unleash their full potential,” Judith adds.