hr practice
A More Engaged and
Diverse (Global) Workforce
HOW HR PLAYS A STRATEGIC ROLE
As all HR professionals know, a company’s greatest strength
is its workforce. So, what happens when that workforce
encompasses thousands of employees working in various
countries around the world? What happens when an orga-nization
is faced with different corporate structures and cultural
demands across its diverse workforce that are all equally important?
As the world continues its move toward greater levels of glo-balization,
this is a challenge that an increasing number of
organizations will face. It’s important to plan for that shift with
comprehensive HR strategies that take culturally and regionally
diverse workforces into account.
For much of Sherritt International Corporation’s 90-year his-tory,
they have been privileged to have operations in Ontario,
Alberta, Cuba and Madagascar. This has afforded them the
enriching opportunity to engage with a diverse range of employees
from varying cultural and regional backgrounds and has shaped
their corporate HR strategy.
A cookie-cutter approach was never feasible for Sherritt, nor
is it likely to be for most organizations in a diverse and increas-ingly
interconnected world. The key HR pillars of understanding,
communication and engagement all come into play and should be
used actively during all HR strategy and policy development.
COMMUNICATION STYLES AND LANGUAGES
In order to fully engage culturally diverse employees around
the world, it is necessary to take an individualized approach
in terms of communication. HR materials and content that
work well in North America may not resonate as effectively
in other regions, based on cultural differences and socio-economic
factors.
For example, Sherritt’s operations in Ambatovy, Madagascar,
have a vibrant and dedicated workforce. However, variables such
as local company resources and formalized education programs in
the region differ from those of their workforce’s peers in North
America and Cuba. Thus, different communication tools are
necessary to ensure that the local Malagasy population remains
equally as engaged.
In addition, it’s of the utmost importance to understand not
only how the communication tools may differ region-by-region,
but also how messaging can change based on language. A few
By Karen Trenton
Ongoing feedback can help HR determine
what engagement strategies work best
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2019 ❚ 25
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