Understanding Myself and Others: The Importance of Belonging

Since 2009, Satyaskand (Satya) Vishnubhotla and his family have traveled every four years to another country because of changes to his work permits. Starting his career more than 4,000 miles away in India, he never imagined himself living and working in Switzerland, yet a role at Jabil has made this possible.

In early 2019, Satya found his way to Jabil Bettlach in Switzerland, joining through a temporary contract position. In just a short while, Satya made a huge impact on the facility and impressed his peers. With his friendly, efficient, and respectful manner, Satya was offered a permanent role as a Plant Project Leader, enjoying his work in the medical sector. 

The design engineer experienced a journey that was not always easy as he made his way to Jabil. He didn’t leave India just for his job; it was to pursue an educational opportunity as he initially relocated to the United Kingdom to complete his master’s degree. After that, Switzerland became the goal for future endeavors for better career prospects, and professional and personal growth. 

The transition, once he arrived, was equally as overwhelming. “When I landed in this country, it was like a blank page to me,” he shared. However, Satya quickly learned he and his family were not alone in this life transition. Jabil employees connected him to the culture both in and out of the office to ensure he felt a sense that he belonged. 

“It’s totally a new chapter for me and my family,” he said. “It’s a chapter of learning and cultural humility for the Vishnubhotla family.” Cultural humility describes the life-long process of self-reflecting on how your own background impacts your preferences and actions, as well as having the understanding those around us have their own cultures that shape their behaviors. Satya feels himself being more open in his interactions with others, both with how he communicates and being open-minded with all the cultures that surround him each day.

Since being in Switzerland, which is made up of German, French, Italian, Romansh and other cultures, Satya is curious to learn more, which is why his next goal is to learn the German language. 

Enjoying the multicultural, multi-ethnic community in which he lives in, Satya also recognizes and appreciates the diversity within the Jabil organization. “It makes work much more interesting. I can learn from my peers’ culture while also feeling accepted and able to teach them about my Indian culture.” He has shared details about the festivals his family participates in and why they are important to him, which means a lot. 

Satya’s experience reminds us of the importance of belonging; and that we all have a shared role in creating that environment. At Jabil, we are committed to making sure our employees feel both psychologically and physically safe to be their authentic self at work, and we are proud of the sites and teams who are making that commitment a tangible reality.