We live and work in an era of increasing technology and globalisation. Even with limited travel, because of COVID, access to technology means that we are closer to global networks than ever before. This means our clients, customers, competitors and stakeholders are often from diverse cultural backgrounds.

With that in mind, taking a view that employing people from different cultural backgrounds would mean that it would be difficult for them to understand the nuances of the organisation, and our countries culture is very short-sighted. Especially when you consider how multi-cultural so many western countries are.

The myth is broken

There are many positive benefits of having a diverse cultural team that is open to sharing new ideas and insights. Here are just three:

1. Increased creativity by having a team with multiple perspectives and world views resulting in different ways of thinking, sharing of ideas, problem-solving and decision making.

2. Improved employee engagement as an outcome of team members sharing personal experiences and having greater empathy and understanding. There is no need to ‘Google’ to better understand culture or ethnicity when you can engage directly with your colleagues.

3. Strengthening your reputation as a ‘global’ employer who hires and encourages individuals from a range of backgrounds to apply for positions; in turn, provides a global perspective on their products and services.

Read about other benefits of having a diverse cultural team here.

Sharesource lives and breathes cultural diversity

So where does Sharesource fit into this picture? Put simply, cultural diversity is our modus operandi.

When the talent you are looking for can come from anywhere in the world, we have an amazing breadth to recruit from. When recruiting for the best person we look at education, experience and team fit. It is a given that we also make sure they can work with people from different cultural backgrounds.

We recognise that people commence in an organisation with varying levels of education, industry and cultural experience. This is why, in addition to technical and skill-based training, Sharesource provides life coaching, mentoring, values training and encourages idea-sharing.

Is this one of the myths that are stopping you from looking further to find the best person for your role/s? Maybe it is time to speak with us and see how we can help. You can email Nardene at nardene@sharesource.com.au or click the link below to contact us.