After covering the technological onboarding of nearshoring teams in the last blog, we now come to a completely different, but equally important topic: cultural integration. Because nearshoring isn’t just about technology – it’s all about how different cultures meet. And as we see in the diselva Nearshore Excellence Framework , cultural alignment is a key success factor for long-term collaboration.
Getting involved in this can lead to an incredible enrichment (which I highly recommend). At my last job, I was already able to gain 3 years of experience in project constellations with different Belgrade teams. Getting to know cultural history has always been incredibly exciting for me, as I also wanted to know what is currently moving my Belgrade colleagues and what has shaped them in the past .
Hospitality and cordiality
Rarely have I gotten to know a country and its inhabitants who were so hospitable . You won’t miss out on culinary delights either. No matter which diet you choose, you will definitely get your money’s worth in Belgrade. What is particularly striking is the high sense of community, certainly also due to the high value of the family. Mutual support, even in multigenerational setups, is commonplace here. Serbian law also provides for a comprehensive maternity leave of one year, which can be taken 28 to 45 days before the expected date of birth (Switzerland can take a leaf out of this book). Fathers are entitled to 7 days of paternity leave.
Cultural Values and Language
Openness, honesty and, above all, respect are immensely valued in Belgrade. It is all the more important if the work done is appropriately recognized and appreciated. Serbian is spoken in Belgrade – If you learn a few words of Serbian, it is always well received (especially curse words). The English skills, especially those of younger Belgrade residents, are also at a very high level. This is also due to the fact that popular movies and series are not dubbed in Serbian.
Local Work Policies
The daily working hours of Belgrade residents are 8 hours, including a 30-minute lunch break. The start of work is often at 9:00 a.m. – not out of laziness. It is often forgotten that the commute to work is often around 1.5 hours and that the volume of traffic in the city centre is extremely high. The Serbian Labour Code also requires employees to receive monthly feedback from their employer. In terms of travel, it is also always important to pay attention to whether certain travel restrictions apply to Belgrade residents.
Religion
In Belgrade itself, according to a 2002 census, 90.7% of the population belongs to the Orthodox denomination. This has a high influence on social norms, family values and the cultural identity of Belgrade residents. In Serbia, there are therefore different holidays that should definitely be taken into account. For example, the Serbian New Year on January 13/14 (Srpska Nova Godina), the Orthodox Christmas on January 7 (Božić) or the Day of St. Sava on January 27 (Dan Svetog Save). St. Sava is considered the founder and first archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Politics and political past
What is often forgotten is the fact that Belgrade was severely affected in the Kosovo war in 1999 . Many of my former employees experienced the NATO bombing raid as children and are therefore shaped accordingly, as it has left deep marks. Even today, numerous building ruins can be seen in the city center, which are characterized by this.
Sports and art scene
Football is a big topic in Belgrade and the most popular sport, followed by basketball and tennis. Among the most successful football teams are, for example, Red Star, Partizan and OFK from Belgrade, to name just a few.
Belgrade also has an extensive artistic scene with numerous galleries, theatres and regular music events.
Conclusion and personal conclusion
I hope this little insight into Serbian culture and working methods helps to get a better understanding of working in Belgrade. My conclusion from these three years: I can only warmly recommend getting to know Serbian culture.
Do you have any other additions to this and have you also been able to gain work experience in Belgrade? I’m looking forward to your inputs!
If you have any questions or need support in integrating and working with nearshore teams in Belgrade, we are of course at your disposal. Cultural hurdles can sometimes seem big, but with the right support and an open mindset, they can be overcome quickly.