The economic downturn has presented employers with many challenges and with many failing businesses; it is no surprise we are looking for creative solutions to this. How do organisations remain competitive and profitable with limited resources and how do they reach untapped markets that could provide new and exciting channels for growth. 

Forward thinking businesses need to innovate to appeal to the widest market possible and build a sustainable business proposition. With the breakdown of barriers to global travel and advancements in technology, the world market has opened up new ideas, new sectors and access to a diverse range of people and skills. 

Embracing these factors is critical to the success of any business.  A diverse workforce provides a wide representation of different cultures, genders, and religions and therefore resource that is fit for most undertakings. This applies particularly to the way that we communicate with each other.

Communication between individuals not only has to cross language barriers, but other important cross-cultural variations.  This becomes more prone to ambiguity when the communication is between people from vastly different backgrounds. For example this may include etiquette, gestures, values, norms, rituals, and expectations and things we take for granted like greetings, appearance, or consumption of particular foods and drinks. Specifically in a business environment, the way a meeting is conducted, a contract agreed, or a negotiation handled can be affected greatly if it is not sympathetic to the individual.  If you are inherently aware of these intricacies it is far more likely to smooth the communications process.  

As an employer, you can put in place the simplest of protocols through education, promoting and encouraging diversity through marketing programs and managing expectations throughout your workforce.  To expedite this however needs the charismatic leadership of an individual, one that recognises that to generate creative solutions it helps to collaborate using people’s views from diverse backgrounds.  

For this to work it means being flexible to different needs.  Flexible working policies go some way to enabling working parents for example to meet their requirements, but should also apply to the flexibility needed to support and manage the wider workforce in their expectations relating to culture, gender and religion. A happy workforce is a productive one.  

Diversity and flexibility as a way forward are key enablers for equal opportunity and vice versa. Please contact us on 0845 257 0334 or support@asianjobsite.co.uk to discuss ways in which we can develop a bespoke package to meet your needs or to request our media pack.  

Women in Work Force