As companies embrace diversity and open employment opportunities overseas, it is not surprising to see an increase in cultural representation in the office.
While English is the primary mode of communication, there can be ways for managers and HR to improve and remove barriers for the employees from different backgrounds and origins to work effectively.
Set e-mail guidelines
E-mails, one of the primary forms of communication, can be the bane or boon in office culture. And, when guidelines are not set, it can attribute to unintentional disagreements or headaches, especially for those employees whose first language is not English.
Remind employees to keep the message short, concise and straightforward, to avoid chances of confusion.
Another tip is to avoid the use of acronyms unless it is project-specific. Afterall, e-mails are not text messaging. What is commonly used in one country might be unheard of in another.
Appreciate and respect cultures, countries
When a conflict occurs, there are different ways to resolve them. But when working with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds, it might prove trickier as there could already be a set of norms in place.
Encourage colleagues to find out how conflicts are handled and find a middle ground. When employees understand each other better, they can be more aware of their actions and modify them.
Encourage collaborative activities
One of the great benefits of having a diverse team is the multitude of ideas and perspectives available.
HR or managers can create projects such as work improvement or team building to give the employees opportunities to mix and mingle.
It can also enhance their work-life experience and learn more about their counterparts working overseas.
Another way to implement this idea is to have training or onboarding programmes. This allows employees from similar functional skill sets to get to know each other.
