Danske Friends: Get to know a colleague and update your knowledge of the bank
With Danske friends, you will be introduced to a foreign colleague and get new input into your work at Danske Bank. See the benefits that Quinn from China and Lars from Frederiksberg get out of being part of Danske Friends.
"I came to Denmark to work at Danske Bank in the summer of 2021. Many of my colleagues here in Lyngby are Danes and have their network already, so I missed a place where I could meet colleagues and found Danske Friends,” says Quinn Liu.
She was quickly put together with Lars Aabling-Thomsen, who has 24 years seniority and knows almost all corners of the bank.
Danske Friends has no rules on how often the couples meet or what to talk about. HR intermediary contact and then it is up to the couples themselves from there.
Quinn and Lars first met at a café in Frederiksberg. Here they found out coincidentally that the live a few hundred meters apart. Therefore, they often meet at Lars’ place, where Quinn has been presented with both Lars' girlfriend and Danish cuisine.
And the introduction to Danish culture and the Danish language was one of the main reasons why Quinn joined Danske Friends.
“I wantet to learn the Danish language, and Lars has helped me a lot. I learn a lot from speaking Danish about small everyday things,” says Quinn in a very impressive Danish language.
Important to update your knowledge
For Lars, it has been rewarding to be part of Danske Friends and to meet a colleague who has a different view of the bank and the way we work.
“I think it is important to constantly update your knowledge about what is going around the bank. I think it is a very good idea that we as established employees help and support our new colleagues. Through the talks with Quinn, I get a fresh eye on the bank and different input I can use in my everyday life. It also helps to move me,” says Lars Aabling-Thomsen.
Through the meetings with Quinn, Lars has been inspired and has received input, he can take on his work as a Union representative.
“Quinn comes from China and a different culture than ours, and it can teach me new things and inspire me in my daily work. She came to Denmark alone because of her job at the bank. I have been stationed myself many years ago and remember what it was like to estate in another country without family and old network. I would like to help her with that,” says Lars Aabling-Thomsen.
It pays to know the culture of Danske Bank
As a new employee, it was important for Quinn to get to know the bank's culture and DNA. So, in addition to boosting Danish language skills, Quinn has also got a shot of Danske Bank culture under her skin.
"Lars knows all areas of the bank and the culture of Danske Bank. But, just as important, he can also tell how and why people in Denmark behave as they do,” Quinn says with a smile.