Several companies are transforming to become multicultural and more inclusive workspaces. The globalized world we live in brings a new possibility: working from any part of the globe for companies that can be located very far away. For businesses this represents a huge advantage, because global teams give companies the chance to have a much broader timeframe of coverage. At the same time, it allows to work with the best professionals in any subject, regardless of their location, this greatly opens up the range of possibilities.
To have a global team represents the opportunity to work embracing multiculturalism. This allows to diversify the team’s skillset, points of view and opinions. At the same time, as companies work with global audiences, a multicultural team can become closer to the needs and perspectives of each target audience. Working with native speakers and members of different cultures gives a company that extra cultural approach.
On the other hand, for employees, a multicultural company can represent the difference between feeling at ease and respected in the workplace. When religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation or language isn’t a barrier, employee retention is improved. How a company treats its team members will certainly impact on the way it is perceived by a larger audience. Especially nowadays, thanks to social networks, even private companies are becoming more “public” in their behavior with employees and with the environment. For this reason, the paradigm of corporate social responsibility is growing.
Improving workplace environment
Encouraging the diversity of team members can definitely ensure success. How can inclusion be achieved in a workplace? The company must clearly define and transmit inclusive policies. There are several tools and resources that can be implemented, such as incentivizing employees to get involved in different projects, to adopt an inclusive, participatory stance, paying attention to individual points of view. But the central nucleus has to be a sustained form of approach to each member, without making distinctions, which must go through all the sayings, policies, decisions and communications that are made from the company in a transversal way.
When an organization has a strategy focused on diversity and inclusion, top talents can be attracted and it is easier to conduct innovative results. However, many industries are struggling to have an inclusive approach, which leads in ultimate cases, to employee desertion and issues in the workplace.
How to create a workspace based on diversity and inclusion?
- Promote a safe and welcoming environment for everyone: hiring practices need to be transformed to assure the inclusion of diverse candidates. It is also fundamental that employees can feel safe in their workspace, they need to know that they won’t be judged by their personal decisions and opinions, and that they will be respected.
- Empathetic leadership: it is key that managers and team leaders are empathetic people, with a sense of sensitivity and predisposition to listen.
- Encourage individual participation: everyone in the organization should feel that they can participate and that their ideas will be taking into account. Also, it is really important to assure that everyone can participate for equal.
- Solve teams demands: listen to your team members and ask them if they feel at ease in their workplace or if they have suggestions to make that would make them feel better and improve their working practices.
- Look for professional counseling in the subject: it is also key to count with a professional point of view on how to improve the organization’s inclusiveness practices. People who understand how to work with gender inclusion, non-discrimination policies, minorities inclusion, possible discrimination problems due to racialization, and others.
Multiculturalism and diversity at Stillman Translations
At Stillman Translations we work with a multicultural team of native speakers from different parts of the world. When it comes to translation, interpretation localization or transcreation, multiculturality allows us to have a richer understanding of the specification of each culture. We work hard to promote inclusive practices and to promote equal opportunities.
For us, having a global team is key to improve creativity, innovation, diversity and awareness of cultural differences. On the other hand, local markets benefit from our cross-cultural work. Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion is not a trend, it is a human need. As companies we must ensure that people feel respected in their diversity in their workplaces.
References
https://www.cio.com/article/3239025/workplace-diversity-best-practices.html
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