Searching for an internship can raise many concerns. What position suits me and do I fit into the company? An internship experience is more than gaining practical knowledge within a role, it is shaped by the company culture as well. When I started at Stryker as an Internal Communications intern, I expected to learn more about corporate communications, but it turned out to be even more than that.
When people ask me about my internship company, many don’t know about Stryker, a global medical technology company. During my internship, I surely learned about their products and services, however, I mainly focused on employee engagement and was beyond surprised about how employees truly cared about each other. No matter your background, you are an equal part of the company. I wondered, how did Stryker do that?
From day one I learned about Stryker’s mission and values, which are deeply cored into the everyday work of any employee. I could see their mission and values everywhere – on every presentation slide, on every internal and external website, and even in the office on the walls. People from all over the world felt connected through them. As an internal communications intern, I realised it took many years of hard work to reach this bond, and I used several strategies myself to keep and improve this culture. One of a few (not so) secret ingredients is inclusivity in the workplace.
In my role, I communicated company news and updates, making sure to recognise the success stories of teams from all functions. However, I also became integrated into different types of teams – employee resource groups – that are initiated by employees for employees to improve people’s working experience. There were many different groups, that, for example, support the Asian and Black community, women in the workplace, or the queer community. I became involved with Stryker’s wellbeing committee and DE&I, which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. My role was to communicate internally about events, workshops, and resources to train and educate on certain topics. Often, employees from leadership teams, such as Vice Presidents and Managing Directors, helped to promote these resource groups.
One of the biggest projects I was honoured to be part of was the Wellbeing Month in May 2023. A small group of employees from different functions and countries came together to voluntarily organise a month full of activities and live sessions around wellbeing, to encourage Stryker employees to think more about their mental and physical health. I helped communicate this initiative to all employees in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and it had shown to be a great success, as we received very positive feedback.
So, how does Stryker reach inclusivity? The answer is because of the people. There are more than enough resources available to get training on cognitive biases and inclusivity. Many say they feel like a family, so they look out and care for each other. Even as an intern, I felt connected with the company and proud to be part of it. One of my greatest takeouts from this internship is that with great employee engagement comes a great connection between employees and a strong company culture. It does not only benefit the employees, but the company as well since higher brand identification increases employee performance. For this reason, I highly recommend becoming an intern at Stryker, since you will gain practical experience way beyond your position.