Low and no Cost ways to make your office more inclusive to different cultures
I worked in in London that felt like a mini-UN. In an office of about 100 people, we had at least 20 countries represented. I was one of two Americans. There were maybe 15 Polish people, 4 Brazilians, 7 Albanians, 2 Italians, 2 from the DRC, 4 Egyptians, 25 Indians, 5 Pakistani, 6 Nigerians, 2 Swedish folks, 3 French people, 1 Czech, 2 South Africans... It was an amazing place to work but you could see how some of these cultures could clash if not treated with respect.
If you've got an office like this, there are a few simple, low to no cost things that will help create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome.
1. Have a multi-faith room available to all for prayer
Honestly, I thought this was going to be controversial. It really wasn't. It was used regularly and we asked people to book time in the room and book time away from their desk when it was being used. It worked like a charm!
We found out that we had a higher retention rate compared with our local competitors. I’m sure that this had something to do with it!
2. Let team members watch their home nation in sporting events
If sports events like the Olympics, World Cup or Euros are during working hours, set up a TV and let workers book time to watch their country's event. (This was super fun during the World Cup!)
This is an especially helpful tip if you think you might have your team checking their phones every 15 minutes to see a score!
Word to the wise: you may be dealing with dual nationals so you may need for them to select a specific nation to watch so that you don't lose a resource for a whole day!
3. Open the kitchen / break room to cultural events
Let team members bring in food to celebrate holidays. This will feel like it's going on ALL OF THE TIME and that's a good thing.
Food is probably the easiest conduit to helping build better a understanding of different cultures. At the same time, this lets everyone be recognised. People feel like they can be their authentic selves when they can share their culture.
And - hey - who doesn’t love a surprise sweet!
