What's the deal with working in Germany as a non-German speaker nowadays? Is it possible to get on alright in tech companies or are they still very much German only?
But I wouldn’t suggest moving here permanently without knowing, or at least planning to learn, some German. After all, it’s a nice language with a decent amount of original content and if English is your native language probably one of the easier ones to learn.
Though I have to admit it's not a pretty sight when a Russian programmer is having a disagreement with a German project manager and both rely on mediocre English skills. The problem is not so much with direct miscommunication as with the inability to express more complex thoughts.
However in many such companies employees might speak English with foreigner colleagues only for work related issues, leaving them alone for about anything else. Meaning little social interaction besides work requests.
Being invited for lunch while most of the table speaks German can be a common scenario, for example.
For an acceptable social life in Germany, having at least a basic grasp of German is a must have, specially outside big cities.
*I say this as someone learning through Duolingo at the moment.