One of our first lessons in biology revolves around the various adaptation methods of animals and plants.
Wolves have a pack leader.
Camels store water in their bloodstream.
Electric eels use … well, electricity to shock their prey.
Industries aren’t very different. Some businesses grow aggressively and some pace themselves. Each business arises out of highly distinctive circumstances into an uncertain world to which it has to adapt itself to survive.
But what changes the whole picture for businesses is the constantly altering nature of this world. Sociopolitical and financial sceneries do not stand silently waiting for industries to evolve, and the coping strategies we come up with become redundant very soon. If we don’t keep coming up with new survival strategies, we will stagnate.
Multiculturalism and diversity puts an end to any looming threats of ‘comfort’ by expanding our perspectives as much as possible. The fusion of different cultures and backgrounds within any workplace is an undeniable source of strength and adaptability. As companies expand their operations across borders, the process of hiring talent also seems to call for a nuanced understanding of these dynamics. But what exactly do we mean when we say ‘these dynamics’?.
‘These dynamics’ emerge when diverse cultures co-exist within a single environment, whether it be a nation, city, or workplace. When applied to global hiring, multiculturalism translates to huge advantages like increased creativity, better decision-making skills, more resilience, and (obviously) access to a broader talent pool. With yardsticks like D&I index and multiple surveys pointing to the real benefits of multiculturalism in offices, recruiting top talent from different regions and cultural backgrounds is a great method to ensure that businesses have the skills and knowledge to thrive in a global market and can work on creating a global presence.
But there’s more to the story.
Managing a diverse workforce on a global scale comes with its share of challenges.
Communication
Language differences can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
Cultural gaps:
Frogs are lucky in some cultures. Lemons are emblematic of sourness in some cultures. Where do we draw these lines, if at all? It’s easy to recommend solutions like “recognizing and addressing these conflicts promptly is crucial to maintain a harmonious work environment”, but this is a near-impossibility sometimes.
Bias:
Bias is simply twisting facts to accommodate our preconceived notions but it does affect professional decisions and smooth collaboration.
Legal Issues:
Navigating different labor laws, permit requirements, and employment regulations across borders can be complex.
–Languages aren’t going to change. Everyone’s fluency in English isn’t going to skyrocket overnight.
–Saying ‘Respect all cultures’ is easier than knowing how to implement this stricture in a professional sense.
–Unfortunately, all news stories have villains and saviors. There’s no ‘fact-based’ path to diversity/inclusivity. Bias isn’t going anywhere.
This is not to say that absolutely nothing can be done. A substantial difference can be made by:
- Inclusive recruitment practices
- Cross-cultural knowledge and training
- Diverse interview panels
- Cultural sensitivity programs
- Language help
But the real confrontation isn’t between bias and sensitivity, or communication problems and language support; it’s between the good and bad forms of these issues. At the moment, we are thinking of only racial stereotypes when we say ‘bias’, and that is reductive. We can be biased in favor of a certain Japanese tradition, or enjoy the comforts of certain religious thoughts – that is the beginning of inclusivity. Why should we not prefer cultural elements we identify with? Every instance of miscommunication and perceived cultural gap is also an opportunity to learn something new, so why should we take measures to cut it out completely?
The challenges associated with multiculturalism are also its greatest strengths.
If diversity is ever to make a real difference to us, it will have to be shown to us by global organizations that think of it as a real thing with tangible value. Global hiring develops our ability to tell unconscious/conscious racial bias from an informed decision to pursue our choice of cultural studies, forsaking others.
It’s dangerous to look at ‘neutrality’ as a solution, as proposed by most thinkers. The cornerstone of diversity isn’t a false wall of sameness imposed on systems of thought that are richly varied. In a healthy workplace, these conflicts can coexist with extremely high standards of performance (and drive efficiency). What is the point of bringing intelligent and articulate people from different backgrounds together if ideas cannot collide, combust, and create?
With the intricacies of multiculturalism, it’s always better to expose organizations, cities, and nations to the destabilizing threats of having so many opposing forces working in the same printing room. In fact, we should ask ourselves what the particular advantages of a certain threat are. What is the hidden benefit of this terrible danger? And we invariably find that the challenges will work in our favor, if only we allow them to.
Protecting ourselves from these conflicts, therefore, is a kind of self-sabotage.
