4 Tips For Bringing DEIB To The Global Workforce

Organizations everywhere are evolving regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), and the case is true for each office location, no matter where it is. The expanding global footprint of a corporation can put its satellite offices in countries that don’t prioritize DEIB as much as the organization’s home base. Additionally, companies originating across the globe are as unique as the people in the countries and regions that house them. DEIB looks different in each establishment as the population’s values, norms, and historical past shape the present attitudes. When rolling out DEIB plans and initiatives for the global workforce, these four tips can keep the initiatives on track and help DEIB professionals make marked progress toward their organizational goals. 

1. Lead with Corporate Objectives

Managers must navigate cultural climates while also pushing DEIB values to the forefront. It can help if they cite corporate objectives as the foundation for recognizing diversity and inclusion practices. This removes any judgment or accusatory theme that might otherwise come across, especially if the company’s headquarters lies in another country or region. 

2. Gather Extensive Knowledge about the Regional Culture 

Because every culture is unique, there are no plug-and-play blueprints to follow when introducing DEIB concepts in different countries and regions. What is essential is spending adequate time researching the culture where the organization is established. Lead every DEIB initiative abroad with the foundation of cultural expertise that considers politics, religion, social customs, and workplace practices. This means managers must be willing to understand employees’ values and motivations deeply. It may also take embracing employees’ customs at work as well as their customs at home.

Examples include the following:

• Having men and women work together in a group setting rather than in one-on-one interactions
• Providing physical space between male and female colleagues
• Giving women and other family caretakers the time to manage home responsibilities
• Not scheduling important meetings during religious observances, such as daily calls to prayer or holidays
• Including meal options at corporate cafeterias and catered events that comply with local dietary requirements
• Giving adequate time for customary “small talk” rather than jumping into the main objective of a work conversation

Related: Download the TaskHuman DEIB Checklist.

3. Enlist the Help of Local Employees

DEIB professionals can enlist the help of employees native to the region and share the religious and social customs of the culture. Doing so can ensure DEIB leaders take the right approach. Native employees can provide sound advice and direction that make rolling out different parts of a DEIB plan more successful. They can help DEIB professionals look for ways to package diversity efforts that enhance and strengthen cultural values while offering individuals from different walks a seat at the table. Native employees can show individual team members how inclusive behaviors coincide with deeply held cultural and religious beliefs.

4. Focus on Community and Relationships

DEIB professionals can work to enhance employee relationships by giving employees opportunities to learn from one another. 

Team Building Events

Group projects, pot-luck meals, community service, and guided team development seminars can help employees start to see their co-workers as individuals worthy of respect, even if differences in beliefs or customs exist. 

Team Talk

Leaders can assist in shaping the team attitudes by speaking in terms of “we” at all times. When DEIB ideology hits the ground floor, leaders should refrain from singling out any individual, even to praise their work. The team can instead celebrate each individual’s success as it contributes to team goals. “We” language eventually translates to “we” thinking and behavior that aligns with DEIB values. 

Professional DEIB Guidance

TaskHuman’s coaching platform helps organizations in various global regions provide individual and group support for employees to bring DEIB practices into the company as organically as possible. 

Introducing DEIB concepts in a workplace where there previously were none can be daunting. But these locations have the most need. Small changes can significantly impact marginalized employees’ quality of life. Performance levels stand to improve dramatically as well. Harvard Business Review reports that DEI strategies can improve a company’s earnings by as much as 33%. Deloitte’s research found more engaged teams where DEIB philosophies exist. 

DEIB professionals can bring DEIB concepts into reality in regions across the globe if they’re willing to go slow, learn from the local culture, and take a blended approach that meets corporate standards while respecting and leveraging the values of local populations, many of whom work for the organization. 
TaskHuman is available to provide expert coaches and tools that can further a global DEIB initiative with less trial and error on the part of DEIB professionals. Learn how TaskHuman can help.

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