Why Successful Companies 
Embrace Diversity

An inclusive workplace is a healthy workplace

Author Kym Wolfe

Diversity has become the latest catch phrase as more and more Canadian employers look to new immigrants to fill job vacancies. Companies are making efforts to embrace diversity, helping employees with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds integrate into their new workplace. But which strategies are working? What else can employers do in their quest to hire and retain the best candidates?

New Canadians are also New Hires

New Canadians don’t want to be treated any differently than other newly hired employees, says Sohail Khan. Khan is the project manager for Skills International (www.skillsinternational.ca), a Canadian web-based employment service for employers looking to hire internationally trained individuals. When he speaks to visible minorities in the workplace, the message Khan often hears is, “We are much better at integrating than you give us credit for!”

New hires, regardless of their ethnic background, may not want to be seen as needing special accommodation because it sets them apart and does not lead to an inclusive work environment. Simma Lieberman of Simma Lieberman Associates, who co-authored the book Putting Diversity to Work, says that being “sensitive” to a person from a different culture can lead to that person being treated not as a peer but as someone you need to be charitable to. It can send the message, “I think of you as being part of a ‘special’ group and not as a colleague,” says Lieberman. In addition, she cautions that for some Canadians, “when people who are different from them are in the room… they are afraid of saying the ‘wrong thing.’ The result is that people feel ignored, left out.”

Khan often hears…“We (visible minorities) are much better at integrating than you give us credit for!”

Buddy or mentoring programs and affinity groups are strategies that are proving to be effective. These initiatives make good sense not just for new immigrants, but for all new employees.

For new hires, having a mentor assigned during the first two to three weeks of employment can be helpful, says Khan. This often means a mentor not necessarily of the same cultural background. The goal is to orient employees not just to their specific work tasks, but also to the workplace culture. On an ongoing basis, it is useful to have a mentor or a go-to person who can provide information, answer questions and act as a sounding board.

This would have been extremely helpful for Srindhar Kadambi when he relocated to Canada from Dubai. He works for a multinational company that manufactures printers and photocopiers. Originally from India, Kadambi was based in Dubai for seven years where he oversaw a sales force that operated in 10 different Middle Eastern countries. Kadambi moved to Toronto two years ago and began to work at a Canadian branch of the same company, still in sales but this time on the front lines.

“My employer just assumed I would be able to jump in and do the job,” says Kadambi. Yet he found that systems and sales techniques are very different in Canada than in the Middle East. “I need a mentor for sure, just as I would be a mentor to my sales force. It would be helpful too to have other people who are from my part of the world so that they can explain things to me in a way I will understand.”

Celebrate culture

That desire to be mentored by people from a similar background has led to the establishment of affinity groups in some workplaces. Affinity groups are usually comprised of employees with the same ethnic origins or the same gender. They may be established informally or they may be a formal part of an organization’s diversity plan. Either way, they provide a built-in support system that new workers appreciate—a comfort zone for them to operate from as they become familiar with their new workplace.

It is also healthy for employees to socialize and enjoy common experiences with employees who are not part of their affinity group. “Breaking bread” is a universal way for people to connect, and some workplaces are successfully hosting events that bring people together to share a meal. “Lunch and learn” sessions that present topics of general interest can encourage people from different cultural backgrounds, and different departments and levels of the organization to get to know each other on a more personal level.
Some companies hold “multicultural days,” incorporating food and displays that reflect the ethnic roots of different employees. Not only do events like this promote awareness of a company’s diverse workforce, they also promote pride in an individual worker’s heritage, generate discussion and prompt employees to ask questions and gain a better understanding about their co-workers’ traditions and cultural backgrounds.

One of the challenges new immigrants face is understanding the subtleties of Canadian humour. “Humour is great way to connect, but sometimes people don’t joke around because they don’t want to offend anyone,” says Khan, who understands that mainstream Canadians may curb their humour rather than risk an unintentional affront to someone from a different culture. When people have the opportunity to socialize they are more apt to find commonalities, feel comfortable with each other and develop relationships that include shared humour.

Successful companies embrace diversity

The companies that have been most successful in attracting and retaining diverse talent are those that have driven inclusiveness initiatives from the top down. Management in those companies understand that a diverse workforce improves the bottom line. “The CEO must believe in it and be vocal about it,” says Tom Fuller, general managing partner of Epsen Fuller/IMD International Search and Consulting.

Successful companies also ensure that managers at all levels are not just paying lip service to the concept. “If companies are not authentic, the backlash can be severe,” says Stéfan Danis, CEO & Chief Talent Officer of Mandrake executive search and consulting firm. “If you don’t see a diversity plan on a company’s web site, then it is likely not present in the company,” he adds.

It also makes good business sense, particularly in retail and service sector companies, to have a workforce that is representative of the customer base. “It is easier to make the case in consumer- driven organizations,” says Fuller. “In other industries it may be more challenging.”