As companies in the U.S. and Europe strive to develop inclusive workplaces, they face numerous challenges. Developing effective communication tops the list.
By Anna Gonsalves

Politics aside, businesses in Europe and the United States are on the frontline of developing cohesive groups of diverse people. To succeed, each organization must develop an effective communication system that takes into consideration the fact people speak different languages and are multigenerational and multicultural. In Europe, countries like Germany also have large unionized workforces, and they too require cross-communication skills.

When communication involves things like health insurance, retirement plans and flex scheduling, getting the information delivered in a way diverse groups of people can understand is important to employee decision-making and to meeting the needs of employees. Strategies include targeted communication, utilizing translation software, using a variety of communication channels and getting feedback to ascertain the employee is accurately processing the information.

The Link Between Communication and Employee Satisfaction
Having the opportunity to communicate benefits gives employers a way to engage employees in a caring way. Things like health insurance, flex work schedules, reward systems, health and wellness programs, sick leave days, and vacation days are important to employees. How effectively these items and more are communicated can influence employee retention, productivity and engagement.

Diversity is found in most workforces today, whether a company with a single operation or a global company with operations in a variety of countries. How a company communicates with its diverse employees in general will directly influence employee satisfaction.

Impacts go even deeper and wider when benefits are the topic. The level of employee understanding will impact even simple employee decisions, like coming to work with a communicable health condition, like the flu, because the person does not understand that taking sick leave is an employee right and does not influence the employee performance record.

UK's Best Workplaces annually publishes the annual "Great Places to Work" that names winning organizational cultures. Companies that understand the needs of various groups of people rank high and give important clues as to what works. For example, McDonald's says that some people "want a job that fits around their time. And some just want to earn a bit of extra cash working alongside friendly people. Everyone needs different things." The company goes on to say it works to meet those needs. Many needs are met through benefits.

Targeted Communication
Communicating complex information to diverse people first requires understanding the perspectives of groups of people followed with targeted training. General communications are not going to reach everyone.

Alyssa Hodder with Eckler Ltd suggests developing tailored language communication so the employer can deliver information that resonates with the employee group, while Niagra Casinos employs people who speak 40 different languages and uses an internal translation program.

Joann Hall Swenson, a partner with Aon Hewitt, says her company's challenge has been understanding how employees make decisions. Because some Hispanic employees prefer family involvement when employers discuss benefits, family members are invited to benefits meetings.

Some companies have found that communicating with diverse employees via a variety of communication channels is a good strategy. In the "Great Places to Work" report, Hilton Worldwide was named for its effective use of social media that includes Skype, Facebook, texting and instant messaging. Podcasts are translated into more than 40 languages and cover many topics, including benefits. Employees can post feedback or questions, presumably in their own language.

U.S. managers believe an open door policy is a good policy. When an employee has questions about benefits, he or she is encouraged to talk directly to their supervisor or Human Resources staff member.

The problem is that approximately three-fourths of the world's cultures do not understand what "open door policy" means. In fact, in some cultures, a manager encouraging a diverse employee to speak one-on-one is seen as weak, says Emory University's Deborah Valentine. One solution is to use an intermediary who can speak the employee's language, understands the person's cultural background, and is empowered to translate the employee's concerns to a department head or HR.

Employers who hire diverse people need to make an effort to gain knowledge of their cultures and then communicate benefits that incorporate the knowledge.

Can I Shake Your Hand?
Europe has been a leader in offering benefits to employees. The benefits gap between U.S. businesses and European businesses is yet another challenge.

A U.S. employer who hires people in various European countries will quickly discover that Europe's workforce has a wealth of benefits that are government and/or employer directed. They include paid maternity and paternity leave, better unemployment benefits, paid holidays, and so on.

A Glassdoor report, prepared with the assistance of Llewellyn Consulting, discusses the countries in Europe that offer the fairest paid leave and unemployment benefits. The generous European benefits are an element in an employee's perspective. U.S. employers must balance the differences when going global. Even non-global U.S. companies hiring diverse people in the U.S. who have this kind of background will have to effectively communicate their benefits in an engaging way. Managing social differences plays a big role in employee engagement.

One more aspect of communication is non-verbal communication. Cultural interactions can be delicate processes. When people are inadvertently offended, they are much less likely to listen to the speaker.

Non-verbal communication includes eye contact, space between people and body language. A benefits professional walks into a room to meet three new employees and answer questions about benefits. One is from Switzerland, one is from France, and one is from China. Even the simple act of shaking hands can influence how well the meeting goes. The Chinese do not make direct eye contact and slightly bow over a light handshake. The French woman will shake hands quickly and with a light touch. The man from Switzerland will shake hands while saying the employer's title and last name. In the U.S., a firm handshake is respected.

Some of the communication challenges may seem minor, but they are not. Everyone is a product of their culture. Effectively communicating with diverse people requires gaining an understanding of how people communicate in their countries. It also requires employers to bridge language barriers, as well as cultural differences. Communicating benefits is just one aspect of a much larger communication process.