Managing a Multicultural Workforce
“We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.”
Tim Berners-Lee
Key Points
1. Levels of diversity in the workforce
2. Different ways to manage a multicultural workforce
3. Advantages of having diversity in the workforce
4. Retaining multicultural employees
Diversity: Having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization
Surface Level Diversity: the differences in easily perceived characteristics, such as gender, race, ethnicity, age or disability, that do not necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel but that may activate certain stereotypes.
Deep Level Diversity: the differences in values, personality, and work preferences that become progressively more important for determining similarity as people get to know one another better.
Types of Discrimination
1. Sexual Harassment
2. Intimidation
3. Mockery and Insults
4. Exclusion
5. Incivility
Managing a Multicultural Workforce
Advantages of Managing a Multicultural Workforce
- More qualified workforce
- Fosters a more creative and innovated workforce
- The unique talents can set you apart from others
Retaining Multicultural Employees
Organization's Task
It's the company's role to embrace the international employees
Diversity for a company needs to be a topic of discussion that does not get eliminated.
If employees notice that diversity is forgotten, there will be a disconnect between individuals and then people will begin to feel alienated.
Policies and common practices need to be in place so that all employees see they belong. This will show them that diversity isn’t just talked about.
Events can be planned. This way, co-workers have chances to interact with others that they wouldn't normally talk to. By doing this, individuals can experience new cultures, people, & ideas.
Sticking Around...
All of the aforementioned things need to be included in the workplace. If they don’t stay in place, then people forget about these policies and go back to the basic human nature of classifying people into small groups.
Lines of communication need to be open and accessible for EVERYONE, otherwise some may notice a difference in the way others open up to bosses or co-workers. This could possibly make them feel as if they do not belong.
Managing a Multicultural Workforce
By Isabella
