Imagine a working world in which every team member comes from a different country. A world in which different cultures, languages and traditions come together and have to work together. Sounds unrealistic? We wouldn’t go that far – it sounds rather challenging. And it is. But the resulting intercultural competences offer companies a lot of added value.
Such skills are increasingly developing from a nice additional qualification into something that employees should bring with them and employers should promote. Our world is becoming increasingly globalised and interconnected, and barriers are being broken down. It is therefore important to interact with people from different cultures on an equal footing and with respect. This is crucial for the success of any company. But how can this be achieved and how do you promote these skills as an employer or HR manager?
Definition: What is intercultural competence?
Intercultural competence is a collective term for all abilities to act appropriately in intercultural situations. The basis for this is knowledge of one’s own and other cultures – but also an awareness of cultural differences and the talent to apply this knowledge in practice.
Intercultural competences play a role in many areas – above all for the success of international activities. This was stated by 80 per cent of all companies surveyed in a study by IW Consult. But which skills and abilities actually count in this area?
Which skills and abilities count as intercultural competences?
Intercultural competence is made up of several key qualifications. These include, among others:
- Awareness and sensitivity to cultures: Sounds banal, but it is very important – awareness of the existence of different cultures and sensitivity to cultural differences are fundamental.
- Communication skills: How do I communicate across cultural boundaries? This requires far more than just linguistic skills. It is about interpreting non-verbal signals, avoiding misunderstandings and communicating in a respectful manner.
- Adaptation skills and flexibility: Flexible adaptation to different cultural contexts is an important aspect of intercultural competence.
- Respect and tolerance: Basic respect and tolerance towards other cultures are essential – always.
- Empathy and self-reflection: Above all, self-reflection is important in order to scrutinise one’s own cultural influences and be open to new ideas.
Examples from everyday business life
Examples of intercultural competences are as diverse as the cultures around the world themselves. Let’s take a few examples from everyday business life for a better understanding: Imagine you are travelling around the world. At a dinner in Japan, for example, you only start eating after the highest-ranking guest has taken the first bite – a sign of respect.
Here in Germany, punctuality is important at a meeting, and the topics of salary and money are often taboo during small talk – in China, on the other hand, these are welcome conversation topics. If you cross the Atlantic to Brazil, a warm greeting with hugs is customary even in formal business meetings.
Benefits for employers: why is intercultural competence so important at work and in the company?
The list of examples could go on and on, but the point is clear: The ability to behave in a culturally appropriate manner is essential for success in a globally networked business world – and promoting these intercultural skills is a task for HR managers and employers.
This offers several advantages:
- Improvement of business relationships with international partners and potentially new business opportunities as a result
- More effective collaboration through diverse and culturally strong teams, which often leads to more innovation and creativity
- Increasing employer attractiveness, a high level of intercultural competence in the company contributes to the employer brand and attracts employees from all over the world
- Recognising cultural misunderstandings helps to minimise conflicts in the working environment, which in turn results in a better working atmosphere
Or to summarise in other words: By understanding and adapting to these cultural differences, you can not only deepen your international business relationships, but also avoid misunderstandings and strengthen co-operation.
How to promote intercultural competence as a company
Of course, it is not easy for companies to find employees with intercultural skills. A study by the British Council came to this conclusion back in 2012.
This makes it all the more important for HR to promote such skills within its own workforce. Employees must be given the opportunity both to learn intercultural skills in a targeted manner and to experience them ‘playfully’ through stays abroad or a varied daily routine.
Probably the greatest lever for promoting intercultural competence lies in making a stay abroad possible for your employees. A study by Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences shows that there is a positive correlation between (longer) stays abroad and cognitive, motivational and behavioural intercultural competence.
So encourage your employees to gain direct experience in different cultural environments through assignments abroad. Of course, this is not possible in every company, not everywhere has locations or customers abroad – but perhaps there are partnerships with other organisations. Get creative.
Building intercultural teams
If stays abroad are not possible – and of course beyond that – you should form intercultural teams. This starts with the recruitment of new talent. Make sure you recruit people from different cultural backgrounds – diversity management.
With applicant management software, you can keep an eye on your candidates and recognise who brings which (intercultural) skills to the table.
Integrating diversity into the corporate culture
At first glance, this point sounds somewhat abstract. ‘Integrating diversity’ here means promoting diversity in everyday life. Research shows that companies with a diverse workforce are often more creative and productive.
Workshops, training courses and seminars
With the first three options, you tend to promote intercultural competences subconsciously. However, there is another way: regular and targeted training programmes that are specifically geared towards developing intercultural skills usually significantly improve the awareness and skills of the workforce.
Such training courses cover many aspects, the most important of which are
- cultural sensitivity
- Communication styles
- Conflict management
Intercultural mentoring programmes are also conceivable, even if they cannot be implemented in every company. Here, ‘culturally experienced’ employees systematically pass on their knowledge to younger colleagues.
Conclusion: More must-have than nice-to-have
Our world is becoming increasingly globalised. It should be obvious: Intercultural competence is already indispensable in many places today and has long since ceased to be a ‘nice-to-have’. As an HR manager or managing director, one of your tasks is to promote these skills. Everyone benefits from this – your own company development, the employer brand, which becomes more attractive, as well as your own employees who work in a diverse environment.
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