Inside Nagel

Our strongest driver: diversity

A personal path to diversity

At Nagel-Group, we live diversity every day with employees from around 90 nations. To the Diversity Day on May 27 Andreas tells us in an interview what diversity means to him personally, why the topic also plays a major role in the working environment and what all employees can contribute.

Please introduce yourself briefly: Who are you and what position do you hold at Nagel-Group?

I was born in Babelsberg in 1974 and spent my childhood and early youth in Potsdam. In 1988, I emigrated to Hanover with my mother and younger sister as a political refugee and then attended secondary school in Wunstorf. I completed my training as an industrial electronics technician at Volkswagen. Since 2020, I have been employed at Nagel Technical Services GmbH as an electronics technician and refrigeration engineer. I make sure that the technology in the cold store runs reliably. This includes maintenance, repairs and troubleshooting.

Private commitment and social responsibility

How did you become involved in the topic of diversity?
Unfortunately, too often we still encounter prejudices or misinformation when dealing with queer people. In most cases, there is no malicious intent behind this; there is often simply a lack of information. It is important to understand this: Neither the social environment nor upbringing or external influences can make a person homosexual, for example, or make them want to change their gender. It is also not a lifestyle that you adopt because it is fashionable. You are born that way. I myself tried for a long time to fit in or play a role so as not to offend. Today, I am therefore all the more committed to diversity and education.

Are you also privately committed to diversity or social cohesion and if so, in what way?
I support the queer community financially and at demonstrations. I attend Christopher Street Day and demonstrations against fascism to show the flag.

Diversity in everyday working life at Nagel-Group

What makes the working environment at Nagel-Group special for you - especially in terms of cooperation and openness?
The support of colleagues and superiors. The team helps each other and treats each other openly and respectfully. This makes working together pleasant and creates a good working atmosphere.

Imagine you could represent diversity with a symbol - which one would you choose?
Clearly the Pride flag, as I'm holding it in my hand in the photo. With its colors, it stands for diversity - for hetero, homo, trans, non-binary people, people of color and other groups. However, although it is designed to be inclusive, it shows that we still think in categories.

What do you think makes a working environment in which people can feel comfortable just as they are?
Every person is a unique fragment in the kaleidoscope of society. True inclusion means not pigeonholing people. We all make a beautiful picture together, precisely because we are different.

An appeal for Diversity Day

What is your message to all colleagues on Diversity Day?
Prejudice is a social problem that limits us all. Real strength means accepting diversity. Broaden your horizons. Acceptance and a society in which everyone feels comfortable and happy can only arise from knowledge and enlightenment.

Don't let yourself be forced into roles that don't reflect you. Dress the way you want and show yourself the way you feel comfortable. You know best what your inner self looks like and which gender you belong to - nobody can deny you that.