Game-changer: Take your business to the next level with a culturally diverse team

There’s a fair chance you’ve already heard a thing or two about the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace. By now, there’s a ton of research to show that it increases productivity, innovation and creativity, reduces absenteeism, and boosts employee engagement and morale.

But as an SME grappling with post-pandemic talent shortages as well as everyday budget and time constraints, how can you actually (and effectively) apply this knowledge to your business?

Helping people feel seen 

Embracing cultural diversity doesn’t have to be complex or expensive, reassures Holly De Rooy, founder and director of Engage 323. Because, at its core, it’s simply about creating a safe and inclusive atmosphere where your employees feel free to be themselves.

“In the workplace, if you can see others like yourself, you’re more confident to be yourself,” De Rooy says. “And if you can be yourself and share your culture with others, it’s going to create a more engaged and happy workforce.”

One easy and cost-effective way to foster more openness and inclusion is through story-telling, she continues. For example, you could schedule regular, informal get-togethers or events where you lead by example and encourage people to share authentic stories about their background, culture and experience.

“Budget is always a big one for SMEs,” De Rooy says. “So, it’s about being able to think creatively about how to bring more cultural events or gatherings or celebrations into your workplace, without spending a lot of money.”

Register now to hear from experts in workplace inclusion and employee engagement, as well as a celebrity chef, on how you can embrace cultural diversity in 2023.

Build more diverse talent pipelines

Creating and continuing to foster a genuinely open and inclusive business culture is stage one of increasing diversity in the workplace. Once that safe place has been established, you can start strategising ways to attract, retain and manage a more culturally diverse team.

Of course, this can be tricky if you’re drawing from a talent pool that isn’t very diverse to begin with.

“One of my clients has a challenge where the demographic of the roles that they have is not particularly culturally diverse,” De Rooy says. “So, how do they begin to build cultural diversity in their workforce if the majority of people in that profession are not culturally diverse?

One reason you might not be seeing a more diverse set of candidates, she suggests, is because people from different backgrounds aren’t even aware that the profession exists, or that it’s an option for people like them. In other words, as she puts it, “You can’t be what you can’t see”.

In this case, raising awareness among school-leavers can help you build a more diverse talent pipeline over time.

“Getting into those early stages of career development, careers fairs, high schools — those sorts of things are going to help bring that greater diversity through the workforce,” De Rooy says. “You’ve got to think outside the box in terms of how you find people, because they’re out there. They’re just not necessarily the ones putting in an application on SEEK.”

Don’t miss the free webinar on 7 February

For those eager to learn more, SmartCompany editor Eloise Keating is hosting a free webinar on cultural diversity in the workplace on 7 February. It promises to be chock-full of insights and practical tips, thanks to expert speakers De Rooy, celebrity chef Gabriel Gaté, and Malini Raj, Head of Community Engagement at Commonwealth Bank.

The panel will share best practice tips for how to improve your business performance by being inclusive, how to manage diversity in the workplace, and how to make meaningful connections across your teams.