As of 2023, the trend towards remote work has solidified, with 35% of workers capable of remote work choosing to do so full-time, as per Pew Research Center’s findings. This change signifies a substantial shift from pre-pandemic levels and reflects an increasing demand for flexible work arrangements.
Cultural diversity is a subject of increasing popularity among companies. The pressure for gender diversity has changed the way many companies around the world assemble their workforce. This shift brought with it a different kind of variety within work environments. Diversity of thought and culture is becoming a crucial factor for your team’s performance.
To a large extent, diversity of thought and culture means diversity of the different types of experiences. A well-assembled toolbox to embrace change and tackle unexpected issues. A versatile team is equipped to use opportunities to their full potential and minimize risk. Adaptability is one of the best safety nets any company could hope for.
Remote recruiting is one of the most effective ways of creating a productive work environment where diversity of thought and culture thrive. A high-performance team in which flexibility and teamwork reign. When it comes to remote employees, the matter of cultural diversity is as important as it can be tricky.
Why is the Diversity of Thought and Culture Important?
Diversity of thought and culture is a key ingredient of a well-rounded, high-performance team, and a productive work environment.
McKinsey’s research supports this, showing that companies with diverse teams are more likely to outperform financially. Teams with a variety of backgrounds bring a richer array of perspectives, enabling more innovative responses to challenges like competition, regulatory changes, and technological advancements.
This diversity fuels creativity and prevents stagnation, making the business more dynamic and less prone to unproductivity. In essence, the broader a team’s cultural and experiential spectrum, the more equipped it is to navigate complex, changing business landscapes effectively.
Encouraging Diversity of Thought and Culture: Why Remote Recruiting is the Answer
Every team needs a binding force, a shared vision, and a strong side. However, this is completely different from saying that it should be one-dimensional. Diversity of thought and culture should never be confused with chaos or aimlessness.
A company operating on solid principles can still nourish a variety of thought processes and personal cultures within it. It can be powered by a high-performance team of remote employees with great flexibility and a teamwork attitude. That is, as long as they all drive the organization towards the same direction under your guidance.
Here are three strategies to encourage diversity of thought in the workplace:
1. Solid Game Plan
A thoroughly thought-out game plan is the key to extracting the benefits of your company’s diversity of thought and culture. It’s the groundwork that will pay off with your remote employees’ productivity, adaptability, and teamwork spirit.
Even the best sports team wouldn’t be worth much without a strategic and reflective coach. One who knows how to reinforce each link and reduce the potential for risks.
For instance, imagine you’re a coach of a team that believes in pushing on the offensive. Would you build a team composed solely of strikers? A team that knows how to do one thing and one thing only? Having set goals and a defined style is good. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
A solid game plan requires some groundwork. You can never have a solid game plan without knowing your team members in and out. This is no different in the case of remote recruitment. In fact, it might even be of larger importance.
The first step is to analyze remote employees’ histories to determine the nature of their experience. This way, you can predict what situations might pose obstacles to certain members and which of their colleagues are particularly seasoned in such scenarios.
You can team up with employees you believe can learn from each other. This will not only help you cover any potential holes but also invoke teamwork spirit and flexibility—the kind of cultural diversity that works for your goals.
Once you know a bit about your remote employees’ experience, you can try to understand more about their intuition, thought processes, and culture. Since distance makes communication harder, the employer needs to take the initiative.
You can use hypothetical scenarios or individually tailored personality tests to see how your remote employees deal with various emotions and situations. What inspires them, and what wears their inspiration down. This can help you neutralize potential conflicts, misunderstandings, and again choose the perfect pairings.
Throughout those steps, close observation is essential. This might be slightly harder with remote employees, yet it is completely achievable. Being personable and inquisitive towards each worker individually, as well as participating in group talks, is a great way to stay up-to-date with the work environment and team spirit.
Having a team of remote employees doesn’t mean they need to be distant or detached. Workers will appreciate you recognizing the individuality they bring to the table. Valuing the diversity of thought and culture they make up for will go a long way toward inspiring them to do their best.
2. Increase Virtual Collaboration
Another important note worth mentioning is a matter of personal growth. Arranging a team with cultural diversity rights will result in a continuous learning experience and ultimately – in employees’ productivity.
Different individuals showcase different skill sets when the time arises. Team members can extract a lot of benefits from sharing a work environment with different sorts of specialists and people. Teamwork and chemistry are powerful things and completely apply to remote workers. It is up to the employer to spark this process and predispose such a constructive work environment.
You can organize regular group meetings and chats of a more personal nature. People can share work stories from their past. Funny stories, ones about difficult clients or horrible bosses. These can even evolve to include hobbies and personal interests – music, films, books, etc. You can send interesting reads or entertainment suggestions that you think would suit different employees’ personal preferences. You know what they say – it’s the gesture that counts.
These simple steps can result in a great teamwork environment and healthy cultural diversity. Even better, they are typically reflected in great economical benefits. It’s like investing in your remote employees’ education – for free. A mutual learning process is a perfect display of symbiosis – everyone wins. As long as the diversity of thought and culture thrives under a virtual company roof of solid visions and solidarity.
3. Hire Remote Employees
Remote recruiting increases diversity in the workplace. External recruitment is like an impartial judge—like having a field expert who can separate himself from the situation and truly choose the best options. In the same way it is often helpful to hear a third opinion, this method brings additional expertise into the conversation.
It brings a diversity of thought and culture into the recruitment scenario. Why would you confine your choice to a certain geographical location? Doing this when striving for cultural diversity within your work environment would be a paradox.
Remote recruitment also opens the door to hiring top senior talent from around the world, breaking the limitations of local hiring. This global approach aligns with McKinsey’s research, indicating that companies with diverse senior executive teams are more likely to achieve higher financial returns.
By recruiting remotely, businesses can access a wide range of experienced professionals, bringing in a wealth of diverse perspectives and experiences. This diversity at the senior level not only fosters a more inclusive and innovative work environment but also drives financial success.
Many experts see diversity of thought and culture as the escape from the curse of “groupthink.” Unlike other courses, this one is very real and can cost you missed opportunities and much more.
A well-assembled combination of different experiences and personalities is key to your organization’s growth. Building together a well-rounded remote team is our domain here at DistantJob, a remote recruitment agency. Get in touch!
