7 Things To Know About Working With Israelis
Doing businesses with startups from the Holy Land? Get ready for some interesting experiences!
I’ve written before about some of the interesting cross-cultural dynamics that English-speaking immigrants (like the author) commonly encounter when working with Israeli businesses.
While we may be working in the same language — much of Israel’s export-oriented high-tech industry runs, at least in part, in English — there can still be some glaring cultural gaps for us to broach and navigate.
Israel’s thriving high-tech industry provides lots of employment opportunities for immigrants to Israel (olim). There’s also a lot to be gained from working alongside disruptive Israeli tech leaders who often start small but dream big.
From five years working in Israeli companies and for Israeli clients here are some observations.
1. Israels Are Obsessed With WhatsApp
If you’re working for yourself in Israel, as I have been for the past 3 years, then I seriously recommend that you invest in a second / dedicated line for your business.
This is because if you don’t, you will soon likely find yourself flooded with a bewildering mixture of personal and business communications that all land in one overcrowded WhatsApp inbox.
Trust me, Israelis LOVE WhatsApp — and WhatsApp groups. And phones for that matter.
If you move to Israel it won’t be long before you find yourself in WhatsApp groups for your local neighborhood, city, office, family, sort-of-adopted-family, political party of choice, etc, etc.
If you do opt for a dedicated phone line then throw on WhatsApp Business and set up some out of office autoresponders. You might also want to communicate to your Israeli clients that you prefer email.
While I understand the appeal of WhatsApp (it’s convenient and almost everyone here already uses it) “could you put that into an email?” is still one of my most oft-repeated phrases when working with Israelis.
2. Personal-Professional Boundaries Are Somewhat Fluid In Israeli Work Culture
Israeli culture is notoriously informal.
If you see somebody wearing a suit and tie here there’s a very high probability that they’re either about to get married or are serving in some senior leadership role in government.
In line with the general ambiance of informality that pervades society, Israeli work culture often places a strong emphasis on interpersonal relationships and sociability.
Israeli offices typically organize a yearly excursion known in Hebrew as a yom kef. Whether you’re bowling or driving rally cars in the desert (yes, it’s a thing) you’ll probably want to resist the urge to bail on the voluntary day if the urge to do so presents itself.
Likewise when working with Israelis. Collegiality is importance. Making an effort to get to know your colleagues/clients both as people and as professionals is a very wise investment of time.
3. Israelis Love Meetings. And Arguing (Sometimes)
Another facet of socially-minded workplaces: Israelis LOVE setting up meetings.
Like in any corporate culture, many of these meetings are only arguably necessary and could probably have been condensed into the form of a short email.
Speaking of arguments this is another aspect of Israeli culture that those new to working with Israelis should probably be aware of. If not, well here’s your heads-up.
Jewish tradition, in general, places a high value upon discourse. Israel being a Mediterranean country, that discourse is often vigorous, animated, and vociferous.
Don’t be surprised to see your calendar clogged up with meetings only to find yourself wondering why you were invited to half of them. Don’t be afraid to argue or make a point.
Another point (important!).
No culture is comprised of a homogeneous group of individuals who tidily confirm to a national stereotype. There are Germans who hate beer and Dutchmen that despise Gouda. Like most people who write guides to Israeli culture, I’m emphasizing these points slightly for comedic effect. Some Israelis hate arguing. It really depends on the person. But these overall dynamics are definitely appreciable.
4. Israeli Is A Phone (And Fax) Culture!
I believe that all facets of Israeli culture are in a fast state of flux. The State of Israel, after all, isn’t even 100 years old yet. That includes the work culture.
Some cultures favor email as their go-to communication method. Israelis love speaking on the phone. Oh, and — paradoxically considering Israel’s high-tech prowess — Israel is also one of the world’s last major exponents of fax technology.
Official Israel has such a hard time letting go of the fax machine, in fact, that the country had to pass legislation to require government ministries to give up the vice of the fax.
While Israelis’ penchant for sending faxes is good fodder for jokes, they’re not widely employed devices in the high-tech world. Their tools like Slack and emails are the go-tos for exchanging information. Sorry to spoil the line.
5. Israelis Work Hard. And Long Hours.
I recently posted my take on the oft-debated question of whether Israel would be better off moving to a (conventional, at least in the Western world) Monday to Friday workweek.
During the course of that piece, I pointed out that Israel has both a long working week, long average working hours, and a fairly small annual minimal vacation entitlement for salaried employees.
Generally speaking, Israelis — particularly those working in the “high tech” sector — are accustomed to working relatively long hours. This isn’t to say that Israel has the longest working hours in the world. But there’s something of an American “work hard, play hard” attitude at work in Israel.
6. Israelis Are (Largely) Proud Of Their Country. But Also Very Internationally-Minded
By and large, Israelis are justifiably proud of what their small country has achieved.
At the same time, Israel is a really small place. It gets cramped here. Israelis traditionally spend some time after their (mandatory) army service travelling the world.
Another point.
The technology sector — what Israelis call ‘high tech’ — comprises the backbone of the economy, even though a minority of the population is employed in it. That sector is overwhelmingly dependent upon doing business with the rest of the world.
Many Israelis therefore speak good English and take a keen interest in the professional cultures of other countries, particularly the US. Israel has a large immigrant population and many immigrants work alongside Israelis in companies. This creates a fluid interchange of ideas and work practices.
7. Israelis Work Fast And Think Outside Of The Box
Working with Israelis can be an adjustment. The fast and informal communication style can feel very in-your-face and confusing for those more used to working in rigid hierarchies.
Nevertheless, there’s an advantage to the style in which many Israelis prefer to work — it lends itself well to getting things done.
Israelis are also famous as out of the box thinkers. There’s a culture of creativity and innovation in Israel that has led to the country accruing the nickname ‘Startup Nation’ for its famously high per-capita density of startups.
Working with Israelis can require some cultural adjustments. But equally there’s a lot to be learned from their working style. While quick-and-dirty solutions can sometimes be favored at the expense of strategic planning, there can be something invigorating and inspiring about working at agile pace.
