Many organizations today are made up of workers from different countries and cultures, and while this diversity is critical to success, it can offer challenges for human resource leaders and hiring managers who are responsible for productive and positive relationships among teams.
HR Dive explores this issue in a new article that features Sally Hunter, Cielo’s Senior Vice President of Europe Service Delivery, sharing steps organizations can take to engage a geographically or culturally diverse workforce. She tells HR Dive that communication and collaboration with existing workers is key, including involving them in the onboarding process for both local and remote employees.
Sally also recommends unconscious bias training, which can help demystify cultural differences, as well as “lunch and learn” sessions where employees are invited to present their national food and share it with colleagues. But any training given out should be the same for all employees.
From the article:
Equal training can help ensure a common understanding of cultural norms and provide the means to communicate effectively across any cultural divides. Cielo recommended a face-to-face visit with new colleagues early on in a new employee's tenure to ensure strong working relationships; video conferencing can have a positive impact on integration as well. …
Acknowledging differences is important, as is clear communication that everyone will be respectful of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Hunter said; "In many cases it has been helpful to have a message from the CEO that is broadcast across the business clearly stating why a diverse and harmonious workforce is important to the organization."
Visit HR Dive to read the entire article, “How to Prepare Employees to Work in a Global Workforce.”
