As more and more businesses expand into global trading conditions and immigration continues to rise – in most modern Western countries, over 25% of the population were born elsewhere – multiculturalism in the workplace will continue to be a significant factor for team leaders and human resources to be aware of and manage. No matter how good your workplace culture is, managing a team with members of different backgrounds and ethnicities can be challenging. Below you’ll find five tips to help you ensure that your team has open communication and operate in a happy and productive way.

1. Lead by Example

Managers need to set the standard for what is – and isn’t – acceptable in the workplace. Be mindful of how you conduct yourself, particularly when engaging in conversation with colleagues or your staff that you have a friendly relationship with. If your team see you making insensitive comments – even in jest – they will feel as though they can do the same. It is easy for slang terms and potentially offensive jokes to become part of the accepted culture if other team members see management using similar language and context.

2. Face To Face Contact Is Best

The best relationships are formed when people get the opportunity to spend time together in formal and informal settings. It can be hard to properly interpret tone and body language via phone and email so don’t underestimate how important it is for your team to get together physically (or via videoconferencing or some other means if you’re not all based in the same location), especially when there may be cultural communication hurdles to overcome.

3. Know What Is Really Going On

It’s important to have a genuine understanding of your staff members’ perspectives in any team, but particularly when there is diversity at play. When you know the personalities, work styles, strengths and weaknesses of your team you can put strategies into place towards the common goal. Take the time to schedule regular one-on-one time with your team and actively work with each of them on their KPIs and goals.

4. Not Every Multicultural Employee Will Be An Immigrant

While we often think about migrants and people from non-English speaking backgrounds when thinking about multiculturalism in the workplace, it’s important to remember that there can be diversity amongst those born in the same country too. Indigenous employment can help create a team that has many strengths, but it may also require consideration for how to ensure that every person thrives, feels valued and is accepted.

5. Consider Engaging Consultants

Communicating with and training people from different backgrounds may call for specialised plans for individuals without drawing attention to their different learning styles. If your managers or human resources teams aren’t experienced with managing, mentoring and performance managing multicultural workforces, some professional consulting from an indigenous employment program like the Chandler Macleod group can really help.

Do you work in a multicultural team? What advice do you have for leaders and managers to ensure that everyone is happy and performing well?

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