• Jan 15, 2025
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Why Is It Time To Prioritize Cross-Cultural Communication?

There is a famous saying that communication is the key to success. And there is no doubt that every business owner believes in it. We also believe that the world has come closer today just because of effective communication.Again we have a diversified culture in our community, and it is more interesting to find that employees have started accepting it. They are more into learning new languages and getting involved in other cultures. And cross-culture is not a brand-new term. Hence, today each of us speaks more than one language and is comfortable with it.

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
When your business is widespread, communication can become a tough job. It is not just for the employees but also for the clients to understand your perspective. Hence, you have to always be careful at choosing the right words to convey your thoughts.Have you ever thought of hiring employees from various countries around the world? If not then you must get started with it. It will gradually enhance the look and feel of your business. In this way, you can hire employees with multiple skills, learning, and, of course, from different cultural backgrounds.

How does this help? It will be beneficial because the employees can train their team members with the skills they acquire and have cross-cultural communication. It will give rise to more innovative ideas while working, thus skyrocketing the productivity of your company.But there is only one barrier or disadvantage in working or hiring employees from multiple countries. And it is communication. If English is not their preferred language, then communication can become a little daunting. And in those cases, everything might get delayed just because of improper translation.

If the team members become unable to interact with each other accurately, they might clash in thoughts and end up with no results. And the employers will be struggling to fill the gaps between the varied cultures. But there is a solution to every problem. Hence, here we have figured out some strategies to help you avoid this situation at your workplace.

RECOGNIZE VARIOUS FEATURES OF ETIQUETTE
Employees in various countries acquire different cultures, and they usually have multiple forms of business protocols. Hence it is necessary to learn the culture of the countries from which you are hiring employees. It will help you not to fall into any trouble.

1. REGULAR AND ORGANIZED
In some working cultures, employers and employees take their office hours seriously. And they strive to accomplish their tasks on time. They try to complete as much portion of their projects as possible within the stipulated period. If they have an appointment or any meetings to attend, they make sure to be on time. Being late can be offensive for them, and they do not accept this behavior as they expect the same from everyone.

2. SUITABLE CLOTHING
Wearing appropriate outfits in the traditional workplace is a must. But if you are hiring employees from different countries, ensure to mention the proper form of dressing. In some countries, a collared shirt and khaki pants are considered to be perfect for the office. But it is not the same in all places. Some work cultures might recognize it as underdressed.

3. ENGAGE WITH THE EMPLOYEES
In some companies, employers and employees believe it is good to get physically engaged with the employees. Making eye contact while speaking or shaking hands for appreciation or greeting get considered to be a generous sign. But in some countries, they believe in maintaining a distance and avoiding physical contact. In either of the cases, it is not offensive. But you have to make things clear for the entire team.

4. OFFERING GIFTS
It is pretty reasonable for some companies to gift their employees during an occasion or for celebration. And they can also refuse it rather than just accepting it for the sake of the employers. But in other work cultures, it is not that common. And it also might become offensive if the employers present wrapped gifts to some particular employees.

5. EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES
Some countries believe in empowering their employees to speak up if they face any issues. They can also question authority if they feel they are getting misguided. But others do not follow this pattern. They think receiving criticism from the employees can get them into trouble.

STUDY THE LANGUAGES
If an employee is willing to work for your company, they need to know some essential phrases of your language. It is not necessary and not even practical to ask someone to learn a new language all of a sudden. But if you are looking forward to hiring these employees, ask them to know about the basics. Hence they can easily accept the new terms utilized in the industry.The employers can also start learning the languages of a particular country if they get a maximum of employees from there. Hence, the entire process will become a little uncomplicated and easygoing at the same time. And this will also enhance the mutual understanding and respect for each other’s language and work culture.It will add more value to the efforts you put into getting involved with their work culture. Again if both employers and employees do the same, the workplace will have a healthy environment.

TIME ZONE IS NOT A BARRIER ANYMORE
When you have an employee from different countries, you will have various time zones. And they will have separate day and night cycles. So whenever there is an emergency, or you need to discuss something with the entire team, it will be nearly impossible. Again, if you do not pass on the information correctly, there will be a communication gap between all the employees.Hence, employers need to manage all these situations right from the beginning. They need to figure out what is to get done when an emergency arrives. Which employees should be available to respond to the queries and address them? Again if the information has to get transmitted, how can the employers do that? Once you answer all these questions, you will be good to go.

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