Multicultural workforce an asset for companies, say experts

dubai — Having a multicultural workforce — particularly of women of diverse backgrounds — can give companies and organisations an added advantage when dealing with customers or business partners throughout the world, according to local employment experts.

Helen McGuire, the co-founder and managing director of Hopscotch — which seeks to help women, particularly those who have taken a time off, to get back into the workforce — noted that many talented women are currently out in the workforce.

“Specifically in this region, we live with such a diverse population. What we found is that women who come over with their husbands or have children feel very excluded from the work force, and are not able to go back part-time because of family commitments,” she said. “The UAE has the highest, most educated female population anywhere in the world, as per the World Bank, but the employment rate is actually half that. It doesn’t take a mathematician to work out what’s been lost in the workforce.”

McGuire noted that companies would be well advised to take advantage of the diversity of backgrounds, languages and skills available among the women in the UAE.

“By including them, you are automatically doubling the skill set that you have available in this region,” she said. “The benefits are fairly obvious. Many regional headquarters are based here, so you can have people with the backgrounds and languages that you need to communicate with the local offices.

“Work gets done more quickly, and you have an understanding of how things work, she said.

Women who come over with their husbands or have children feel very excluded from the workforce.”

Helen McGuire, co-founder and managing director of Hopscotch

“What works in Lebanon might not work in Saudi Arabia.”

Giving an example, McGuire noted that having employees of a certain nationality can help foreigners navigate the often complex and varied social interactions they might encounter while conducting business in other countries.

“When I moved here, for example, I wasn’t aware of all the cultural differences when working in a country like Saudi (Arabia),” she said. “The benefit is that you learn very quickly. Do you shake hands? Do you not? Do you kiss on a cheek, or do three kisses even? It can obviously give the wrong impression if you do the wrong thing.”

One woman’s experiences

Among the companies working to diversify their female workforce is Proctor&Gamble (P&G), which was named as one of the top companies for multi-cultural women in the USA in 2016. In their UAE office alone, 43 per cent of 280 employees are women, from 29 nationalities.

“I enjoy what I do greatly, and

Women think different to men due to societal norms in upbringing as well as some biological aspects.”

Seema Balwani, Arabian Peninsula finance manager of P&G

much of that satisfaction is down to working in a multicultural environment where I’m able to learn from others about their cultures, their thought processes and how they communicate,” said Seema Balwani, Arabian Peninsula finance manager of the company. “Working in a multicultural environment has enabled me to grow as a person, make new friendships from around the world and understand the diversity of my company’s suppliers, customers and consumers.

“I’ve become a better listener, an active listener who wants to learn about new things, such as culture. I’ve also learned to value differences, to understand that diversity and inclusion are positive for the team and the organisation,” she added. Multicultural environments promote discussion.”

Balwani added that she believed that working in a multicultural environment “helps to shape careers.”

Lastly, Balwani added that having diverse women on the job brings “diversity of thought.”