Relocating to a new country for work carries a distinctive set of pressures. Beyond mastering the demands of a new role and building relationships with unfamiliar colleagues, internationally mobile employees must also adapt to a different culture and, in many cases, learn a new language.

The challenge is widespread. According to data from the European Commission, some 12.9 million people from outside the European Union are employed in the EU labor market — a scale that makes settling-in support a practical workforce question for employers, not just a personal hurdle for newcomers.

Expatriates, however, are not always made to feel welcome. European countries have consistently ranked among the world's worst destinations for expats in InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 report — an annual survey of people living outside their home countries — with many survey respondents citing difficulty making friends and feeling at home. Germany, which placed second to last overall, additionally saw newcomers struggle with the practicalities of daily life, bureaucracy, housing, and the language barrier.

Siemens Healthineers, a medical technology company headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, employs 74,000 people worldwide. International staff account for roughly one in 10 of its more than 17,000 workers in Germany, and some of the difficulties they face began surfacing in the company's monthly staff surveys, in which these employees reported not always feeling fully integrated.

In response, the company launched Beyond Borders in January 2026, an employee network through which international staff help one another navigate the hurdles of settling in — from finding a doctor and deciphering an insurance policy document to arranging childcare. Within nine months, the employee resource group had reached 200 members.

Liza Follert, head of people attraction for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Siemens Healthineers, said Beyond Borders was created in direct response to employee feedback. For eight years, the company has circulated a regular staff survey asking employees how they are feeling.

Three years ago, an anonymized self-identification option was added, allowing the company to pinpoint which groups are dissatisfied. “80% agree. But who are the 20%?” Follert said. “Knowing the answer tells the company where to act.”

Siemens Healthineers ranks No. 9 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For–Europe list, a ranking Fortune compiles with Great Place To Work on the basis of employee survey feedback. Follert attributed the top-10 placement to monthly check-ins and the direct influence employees can exert in shaping company culture.

Beyond Borders is one of several employee resource groups — voluntary, employee-led networks organized around a shared identity or experience — that the company is investing in. Each group receives HR support, a presence on internal channels, an executive sponsor, and a seat in strategy meetings. Additional networks have been established for working fathers, LGBTQ+ employees, and early-career staff, giving workers greater say in their career development and more opportunities to communicate with leadership. Another group, EmpowerME, supports employees living with cancer and brings staff and patients together.

Mental health challenges remain a “huge,” according to Follert. Expectations around workload and external factors, including international conflicts and crises, are contributing to heightened anxieties. “You cannot predict the next oil price rise or the next geopolitical crisis,” she added.

In response, the company has begun training employees in mental health first aid, a course that teaches participants to recognize signs of distress and guide colleagues toward appropriate support. In some markets, including the U.K. and the U.S., staff also have access to Headspace, a meditation app. Stress scores in the survey have since leveled out, though Follert conceded it is difficult to say how much of that improvement is attributable to the program.

Siemens Healthineers at one point considered training employees to serve as formal brand ambassadors, Follert said, but dropped the idea after noticing that staff were already doing the job. “Employees write on LinkedIn not just about their work, but about their personal growth, the hard times they have been through, and how the company supported them. Mental health comes up often, as do the pressures of working life as a parent, a woman, an expat, or someone at the start or end of a career.”

The supportive culture is having a measurable effect on staff retention and attraction. Resignations fell by about a quarter in 2025 to 2,336, roughly 3% of employees. Follert has also seen an increase in job applications over the past two years, with more candidates arriving on a colleague's recommendation. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, employee referrals have risen 13% since 2024.

The higher volume of applicants and referrals brings its own difficulties. “At that volume, the risk is that recruiters become administrators, moving candidates left and right,” Follert said, noting that she is conscious of the need to create a positive first experience for all candidates.

To that end, Siemens Healthineers is switching to a new recruiting system, a transition that involves moving roughly 2,500 open positions and around half a million candidates onto the new platform. The system operates in multiple languages — a relevant detail in a country where the InterNations survey found the language barrier among the practical hurdles newcomers face — and uses AI to help applicants upload their CVs and find roles that match their skills, while giving recruiters a clearer view of the application process.

The new applicant system is part of a broader transformation. Siemens Healthineers is currently mid spinoff from parent company Siemens. The medical technology group has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since a 2018 initial public offering, with Siemens retaining a majority stake. A vote on the direct spinoff of Siemens Healthineers shares is scheduled to be held at Siemens's next annual general meeting in February 2027.

Follert said employees have remained loyal during the transition because the company stayed “consistent in the more critical times.” Completing the spinoff, amid economic and geopolitical upheaval, will be the clearest test yet of whether that loyalty holds.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.