How to Manage a Culturally Diverse Workforce
The job market has changed greatly. Today, it is not uncommon to have teams that include people from all the continents in the world. It does make sense therefore that a manager of hourly workers may find themselves with a culturally diverse team.
Whether your team of hourly workers is remote, or they come into work physically, there is a way to manage a culturally diverse workforce well.
Avoid stereotypes
The first thing to be aware of when managing a culturally diverse workforce are stereotypes. There is a difference between being aware of the differences in your team and being stereotypical.
Stereotypes can show up in how you talk to people, who you pair them with and in what tasks you assign them. For instance, having the accounting jobs given to a particular ethnicity ‘because they are good at numbers’ is an example of a stereotype that can be harmful to even other colleagues. It can deprive them of opportunities they may be interested in.
Stereotypes can very quickly leap from funny to hurtful. When in doubt, it is best to talk to employees and ask them how best to navigate given situations. Encourage colleagues to be curious and have these conversations with each other.
To avoid stereotypes, take time to become acquainted with every team member. Feel free to encourage your employees to do so as well.
Check your biases and those of the team
People and cultures are different so take care not to assign one identifier to all people from a specific region. As an example, ‘African culture’ is a blanket statement for a continent with 54 countries, with each having several tribes, each with possibly their own cultures.
Another common bias that exists is that people who look a certain way automatically belong to a certain culture. Or that people with certain names belong to certain regions. Avoid taxing people to share information on cultures they may not belong to.
To manage a culturally diverse team well, you must take the time to educate yourself. Trainings on diversity should also be organised to equip the entire team with skills needed to work harmoniously alongside people from different cultures.
Let potential hires know very early on that your team is multicultural. When this is done right from the onboarding stage, you will be sure to recruit people who fit in well with the inclusive culture of the organisation.
Agree on a language to use
A culturally diverse team means having a number of languages in the room. There should be a consensus on what language or languages can be used at work.
With language comes accent. Even though people might speak this one language, they may not speak it the same way. To be an effective manager of a diverse team, prepare for this and sensitize the team.
In addition to sensitizing the team on being accommodative to people with different accents, equip them with tools to manage the same. For instance, workers shouldn’t feel offended or impatient if they are asked to repeat a sentence so someone else can understand it better.
It is important for everyone to understand that language is not an indicator of intelligence or skill. Both the manager and team should be supportive of any employees taking a class to improve a given language.
Encourage everyone to learn a phrase in their colleagues’ languages
Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could walk into the office and find someone who can say ‘Hello’ in your language? This can increase morale and boost motivation. When managing a culturally diverse workforce, normalise people saying phrases like ‘Thank you’, ‘How are you’ and ‘Good morning’ in their teammates’ languages.
This can create a convivial attitude at work and can boost healthy positive team dynamics.
Break up any cliques that emerge
With a culturally diverse workforce, it is not uncommon to find people from the same cultures gravitating towards each other. In any work place, people will automatically find their ‘tribe’; these are people they get along best with. While this is not always bad, it can also be harmful.
As a manager of a culturally diverse workforce keep an eye on team dynamics to ensure that cliques that exclude others are not forming around cultures. People shouldn’t be for instance, keeping others out of a group by speaking a language they do not understand.
Take a proactive step by prioritising team building and by pairing people from different cultures when assigning group tasks.
Don’t tolerate mistreatment of diverse workers
Despite your best efforts as a manger, you may find that some bad behaviour may creep in. This can be as a result of office conflicts or plain ignorance. Whatever the reason, deal with it immediately.
Take complaints seriously and avail channels for employees to report mistreatment. Nip bad practices in the bud by having clearly defined policies against bullying and discrimination.
Celebrate as a team
Help the team bond by organising events where all the members can come together. These gatherings can be done remotely or to include remote members if you have teams across the globe.
When celebrating, make sure to vary the activities. Friday drinks out are fun but they may not be as celebratory for employees who do not drink for instance.
Diversify activities, celebrate special days from all cultures. This will make all employees feel seen and encourage team members to respect each others’ differences.
Final Word
Culturally diverse teams have a number of benefits. They are more creative, can be more productive and innovative. However, these benefits can only be realised if a manager can guide and direct the team the right way.
