Cultivating diversity in your workplace keeps your company competitive. Working with employees of different cultures, religions, genders, generations, and backgrounds encourages your team to see things from different perspectives, push boundaries, and be innovative. Since your company invests significant time and money in workplace diversity, you need to able to manage a team composed of various backgrounds. As a result, you need to find out what works best to manage each teammate and help them collaborate. Here are five tips.
Connect with Team Members
Talk with each team member to find out what motivates them. You want them to feel valued and understood. Since everyone is driven differently, you need to listen to and understand them to see what encourages them to perform their best. Find out what they’re passionate about so you can provide the information they need in the manner they want to receive it to remain engaged in their work. Ask your team members to let you know if you cross a cultural taboo. Be sure not to repeat the same behavior.
Share Company Goals
Let your team know exactly what individual, department, and company goals to work on. Clarify what is expected of your team members to deliver on those expectations. Let teammates collaborate to determine how to achieve their objectives. Point out how different backgrounds and viewpoints create opportunities for team members to express ideas and provide feedback. Create checkpoints throughout each week to ensure alignment with desired outcomes. Provide continuous support to overcome obstacles and keep your team on track.
Customize Feedback
Provide constructive feedback, so your team members know how they’re doing. Publicly praise them as often as possible. Privately coach teammates to suggest specific ways to improve performance. Make sure your team’s efforts and results align with business goals and have the greatest potential impact.
Overcome Issues
Be aware of potential religious or cultural concerns, so you have ideas for how to work them out. For instance, team members with certain religious beliefs may be unable to eat in the cafeteria because of other food being consumed there. Teammates from certain cultures may believe that showing up a half-hour late to work is normal. Employees with disabilities might need their work area adapted to meet their needs. Be as accommodating as possible when handling these issues.
Set Objective Standards
Create clear expectations for everyone on your team. Use objective criteria to show that employment decisions and discipline follow standardized rules. Provide everyone with written company policies, so they know what’s expected of them. Ensure the guidelines are clear and easily understood. Regularly talk with your team to make sure they understand your decisions based on company policies.
Hire a Diverse Workforce
Hire a diverse workforce through Alexander Technology Group. Whether you’re looking for a permanent hire, or you need to fill a position on an interim or temporary basis, we have a diverse network of IT professionals with the skills and flexibility to solve your business challenges. Partner with us today.
About Alexander Technology Group
Alexander Technology Group is the leading provider of technology staffing and recruiting services across Greater Boston and New Hampshire. Since 2007, Alexander Technology Group has provided qualified technology professionals, on a temporary and direct-hire basis, to thousands of organizations throughout the local market.
Learn more and search jobs at https://www.alexandertg.com