Introduction to cultural diversity

Cultural diversity means your team includes people from different backgrounds and beliefs. This might include people from different races, cultures, ethnicities, religions, gender identities or educational backgrounds. 

A diverse team can bring more ideas and perspectives to the workplace, helping you solve problems and serve a wide customer base. It also shows employees that you value them for their work, regardless of their background. Understanding and supporting differences among your team can help you create a stronger, more inclusive culture. 

Why is it important to understand cultural differences?

Understanding how diversity affects teammates can help you lead, communicate, support and problem-solve more effectively. Let’s look at how appreciating cultural differences might show up in the workplace. 

1. Race, culture and ethnicity

Employees may present themselves differently based on their culture or the languages they speak. They may approach team meetings or feedback in various ways. For example, one person may speak more formally, while another might be more casual. 

You can also be flexible about attire and how some employees present themselves to satisfy religious practices. You might set clear policies about equity to help employees feel more comfortable contributing in a way that feels natural to them. 

2. Religion

Religious beliefs might impact how an employee dresses for work or plans their time. Be sure to respect requests for holiday observance or prayer breaks, and communicate that you offer these accommodations. Clear policies around accommodations can reduce confusion and help employees feel accepted. Inclusive practices show that your workplace welcomes people with a range of beliefs. 

3. Gender identity 

Gender identity affects how people are seen and communicated with at work. Using a person’s preferred name and pronouns can help you support employees and avoid discomfort or discrimination. When employees know these details are covered by inclusive policies, such as non-discrimination policies or pronoun usage in human resources (HR) systems, they may feel safer and find it easier to focus on their work.

4. Educational background

People gain knowledge in various ways, including formal degrees and practical experience. Someone with a university background may approach their work differently from someone who learned through experience. Teams that include both perspectives may have a more rounded approach to completing tasks, provided you clearly outline their roles and responsibilities. 

Benefits of a culturally diverse workplace

Benefits of a culturally diverse workplace include:

• Broader perspective: Employees from different backgrounds may notice issues others don’t or suggest new ways of working based on their experiences. A wider perspective can help your team find solutions faster and avoid repeating mistakes. For example, an employee with experience working in a different country might have unique insights into solving customer pain points.

• Improved decision-making: When one type of experience shapes all decisions, you might lack context when making choices that affect customers or employees. Culturally diverse teams may ask a broader range of questions and contribute to fairer decisions. 

• Stronger retention: An employee who feels respected and included may be more likely to stay and contribute. Plus, team members might feel safer sharing ideas and asking questions when they know leadership values diversity.  

• Enhanced employer brand: Welcoming diversity can help you attract and retain team members who may have faced challenges in less inclusive workplaces. Many job seekers prefer to work in places with values they believe in, and being culturally diverse can boost your reputation with clients and customers. 

Examples of how cultural differences impact the workplace

Cultural differences can influence how employees work together, share ideas, solve problems and respond to challenges. The following examples reflect situations you may encounter across departments and levels of experience. 

Dress code

Personal values, cultural expectations and religious practices can impact how people dress at work. Clear guidelines around dress code help you set standards while allowing for reasonable accommodations. 

Feedback

How employees respond to or give feedback may differ based on cultural norms or their familiarity with business structures. Direct and open communication can come naturally for some, while others might be more comfortable using a formal, respectful tone. Adjusting your communication style to suit the team member can make feedback culturally respectful and constructive.  

Communication

In some cultures, directness signals respect and professionalism, while others consider a more indirect communication style more polite. Tone, pacing, body language and eye contact can also carry different meanings across cultures. 

Recognizing these differences can help you avoid miscommunication and troubleshoot more effectively when resolving conflicts. For example, speaking clearly and at a moderate pace can help employees process information if English isn’t their first language.

Teamwork

Ideas about collaboration can vary based on culture and previous work environments. Group decisions and shared responsibility might be familiar to one employee, while self-direction could be more important to another. Having documented policies and clarity around roles, responsibilities, deadlines and teamwork helps team members contribute effectively, regardless of their background. 

Consider reviewing this documentation regularly, such as monthly or quarterly, to ensure alignment with all team members.

Strategies for approaching cultural differences

Once you recognize cultural differences, you can take steps to proactively manage their impact. A few strategies for approaching cultural differences include:

• Learning about your employees: Take time to learn about the unique experiences of each of your employees so you can understand their cultural norms and accommodate them. If appropriate, you can ask respectful questions for clarification. Explain that your goal is to provide reasonable accommodations and that employees are not obligated to explain their identity.
• Hosting diversity training: Proper training helps expose your employees to examples of cultural diversity and equips them with the necessary strategies for working with people who are different from them. In turn, this creates a more understanding, welcoming environment for everyone.
• Acknowledge holidays and celebrations: Each religion, culture and country has different holidays and special celebrations. Take time to acknowledge these whenever possible and be understanding when an employee needs one of these days off.
• Keep conversations professional: Avoid using slang in professional discussions, as not everyone may understand these colloquialisms. Practice active listening and ask clarifying questions if you don’t understand something. Be open to the other party asking questions, too.
• Create an accepting dress code policy: Many offices require traditional business wear. While it’s okay to expect employees to dress professionally, remember this can differ based on culture. Consider accepting necessary changes for religious exemptions and ways to make your expectations inclusive.
• Have an open-door HR policy: Ensure everyone feels welcome to speak with HR when they feel their cultural differences have been infringed upon or need accommodation. 
• Provide more resources and support for multicultural teams: Offer additional materials, training and tools to help multicultural teams collaborate effectively, manage cultural diversity and improve diversity within the organization.

Cultural awareness training

Cultural awareness training helps employees understand and appreciate the differences between cultures, promoting mutual respect and cultural sensitivity. By increasing cultural awareness and pairing this training with leadership modeling, you can improve communication and collaboration. 

Cultural awareness training also supports a positive workplace culture, where diversity is valued and employees feel empowered to contribute. Investing in this training enhances diversity and inclusion and helps you create a more harmonious, productive work environment.