What makes us special: Our corporate culture
Learn more about mindset, diversity, equal opportunities, collegiality, openness, responsibility and the principles of conduct at Volkswagen.
Being an attractive and reliable employer is very important to us
Our mindset
The People Profile describes our mindset in the Volkswagen Group. It consists of five values that show what we stand for as a Volkswagen team and two criteria for each value that describe in greater detail how we can all contribute to driving Volkswagen forward.
Diversity and equal opportunities
We are one team: Diversity is much more than the advancement of women. It is about having the right person in the right place at the right time in the right job – at every level, regardless of their cultural background or other attributes. A special program within the Volkswagen Group is designed to sensitize employees to the topic and ensure that they live diversity within the company.
Internal networks and communities, including those for LGBTIQ and women, as well as for corporate culture or various career levels, support information sharing, networking and exchange.
We stand for tolerance, openness and solidarity with one another. There is no room for xenophobia, hate, exclusion and persecution in our company.
Performance-based remuneration
Fair, transparent remuneration that enables a good quality of life is the main prerequisite for satisfied employees. We do not base individual compensation on gender or other considerations: Our employees are selected, hired and promoted exclusively on the basis of their qualifications and their abilities. Remuneration is based strictly on the particular job and an individual’s personal performance.
Performance-based remuneration
Fair, transparent remuneration that enables a good quality of life is the main prerequisite for satisfied employees. We do not base individual compensation on gender or other considerations: Our employees are selected, hired and promoted exclusively on the basis of their qualifications and their abilities. Remuneration is based strictly on the particular job and an individual’s personal performance.
Work-life balance
We continuously work to improve the work-life balance of our employees by offering flexible work-schedule models. Our aim is to meet the special needs of young parents, single parents or employees who are carrying for family members.
Transparent development paths
Discover how you can advance your career with our transparent training and qualification programs as well as development paths.
Inclusion on the job
We also work hard to integrate employees with disabilities. As part of these efforts, we have launched a range of initiatives to address the needs of these individuals. Our responsibility to provide our colleagues with a productive position throughout their work lives when possible also applies to the needs of employees with disabilities. The reason is clear: Individual ways of organising work can be used to raise the performance and satisfaction of these employee groups to a much higher level.
One example of this approach is a programme called Work2Work that we initiated in 2001 with the aim of providing new work opportunities to employees whose abilities have declined as a result of their health, age or other factors. Several hundred employees currently have Work2Work jobs in approximately 130 different areas in Wolfsburg.
Openness and collegiality
"Sie" or "Du"? How do I address my German colleagues?
At Volkswagen we have no set rule for the way we address other people. There are two options: formal (“Sie”) or informal (“Du”). With “Sie” you use surnames (for instance, you would address Maria Schneider as “Frau Schneider”) and with “Du” first names (“Maria”). Both are possible. It is normal for members of the same team to use “Du” and first names, and this is increasingly the case across teams and departments as well. Most of the time the right approach emerges quickly all by itself. Many of our employees include the note #GernPerDu (which means something like “I’m happy to use “Du”) in their email signatures to show that you can say “Du” to them anytime, if you like.
"Sie" or "Du"? How do I address my German colleagues?
At Volkswagen we have no set rule for the way we address other people. There are two options: formal (“Sie”) or informal (“Du”). With “Sie” you use surnames (for instance, you would address Maria Schneider as “Frau Schneider”) and with “Du” first names (“Maria”). Both are possible. It is normal for members of the same team to use “Du” and first names, and this is increasingly the case across teams and departments as well. Most of the time the right approach emerges quickly all by itself. Many of our employees include the note #GernPerDu (which means something like “I’m happy to use “Du”) in their email signatures to show that you can say “Du” to them anytime, if you like.
Our colleagues tell you what it’s like to work at Volkswagen
Listen about the experiences that your future colleagues have had on the job in various departments and gain a first impression of the work world at Volkswagen.
Open feedback culture: Volkswagen Opinion Barometer
If you want to make a difference in your team, you should work together in the best possible way. That is why the Opinion Barometer (Stimmungsbarometer) isn’t just an instrument for measuring our employees’ mood. It is a tool that gives every employee a voice to put work processes, communication and leadership culture, compliance and other cooperation topics and processes to the test – and to encourage improvements.
Our responsibility
Economic, social, environmental: sustainability within the Volkswagen Group
Corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability represent not only two key aspects of the company’s corporate culture, but also investments in the future.
