CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Pino migliorino Managing director cultural perspectives

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace Should We Even Care? Important for what we want to achieve Important to how we maximise the value of our human resources Important for how we need to interact with local residents Cultural Perspectives |

Skills for Excellence Equal Employment Opportunity Practices EEO can sometime conversely disadvantage those without recruitment system experience; and those recently arrived Wrong assumption that all skilled migrants fully understand the workings of the Australian job recruitment system Non-recognition of overseas qualifications Personal bias in the recruitment process Cultural Perspectives |

Personal bias Australian National University study: Chinese named applicants need to submit 68% more applications for a call back Middle Eastern 64% Indigenous 35% more and Italian 12% more except for Melbourne where they required 7% less The potential loss is skills, international experience and innovation. Cultural Perspectives |

PERSONAL BIAS …when managed workplace diversity delivers enhanced creativity, flexibility and problem solving skills. Cultural Perspectives |

CAPACITY FOR RESPONSIVNESS Workplace diversity from equity consideration service capacity and client responsiveness consideration. Structures in which the profile of staff reflects that of clients. HR perspective- considering the inclusion of language/cultural sensitivity as either essential or desirable criteria Ongoing resistance to linguistic or cultural identification in recruitment Cultural Perspectives |

Cross cultural competency Morphed from cross cultural sensitivity cultural competency HR - considering the inclusion of language/cultural sensitivity as either essential or desirable criteria To realise this- resources and commitments must be allocated to: Enhanced staff training Cross cultural communication resource development Budget allocations An organisational recognition of these skills and applicability in the workplace Cultural Perspectives |

framework for workplace diversity Cultural Perspectives |

framework for workplace diversity Council leadership must take initiative Newcastle City Council Where this works best: Valuing diversity and multicultural responsiveness embedded in policy & programs Managing diversity responsibilities embedded in position descriptions and performance indicators Organisational performance measures for diversity established and reported against   Cultural Perspectives |

framework for workplace diversity Acknowledged as delivering enhanced creativity, flexibility and problem solving skills Enhancing the effectiveness of working with CALD clients and colleagues Risk mitigation value in developing good workplace diversity management skills and addressing workplace race based discrimination and harassment.   Cultural Perspectives |

framework for workplace diversity Councils need to develop an overall approach that will support and promote the value of workplace diversity. Assessment of Councils’ structural and individual cultural competence and a programmed response to cover: Vision Leadership Planning Organisational diversity management Organisational capacity and resources Community engagement Program enhancements for accessibility Evaluation, review and re-planning Cultural Perspectives |

CULTURAL DIEVRSITY IN THE WORKPLACE