A lot of companies face limitations while implementing a reward and recognize employees in multicultural workforce. However, diversity has now gone beyond sociology and politics to find more relevance in a global workforce.
The primary reason for companies to face challenges in making their rewards and recognition programs more inclusive is their inability to consider the cultural sensitivities of their employees while making their programs.
Most organizations are running behind in designing a rewards program that is efficient and innovative. Not taking cultural conditions into account can make it difficult for the program to cut through these lines and truly build a culture in a company.
To truly get to the root of it, employers will have to understand the difference between diversity and inclusiveness.
What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?
Diversity generally determines hiring, promotions and workplace policies in the corporate world. However, inclusion takes things a step further where employees live and experience their work as an integral part.
It is adapted to each employee’s cultural and geographical demands and has built a rewards and recognition program that is sensitive and celebratory to differences. Inclusive work culture makes employees cultivate a strong sense of belonging.
To add more meaning to your rewards and recognition program, you must instill more cultural inclusivity for higher retention rates and performance.
Now, let’s look at how you can reward your employees better in a multicultural workforce.
1. Develop a sense of belonging among employees
A sense of belonging can be considered a global parameter to measure employee motivation, commitment, and honor in the workplace.
Inclusive rewards and recognition programs can make a considerable difference in making your employees feel valued. Your rewards program must celebrate diverse cultural values to give each of your employees their share of dignity and inclusion.
The best way to do this is to have peer-to-peer rewards systems. This type of reward is given out by peers and makes the workplace more engaging and the program more efficient since office colleagues spend the most time with one another.
However, it would be best if you also kept in mind how you want to communicate the rewards at your workplace. Because if it isn’t done the right way, the rewards program could soon fizzle out.
2. Understand cross-cultural sensitivity
Before starting with a rewards program, companies must take the time to understand the cultural backgrounds of their entire workforce. This would include considering their cultural sensitivity and understanding how cross-cultural emotions work.
For example, some cultures may be offended by specific cultural implications, while others may deem it attractive.
Integrating the good parts into your rewards and recognition program could take you a long way in creating a truly inclusive work culture.
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3. Focus on overlapping cultural aspects Reward and Recognize Employees in a Multicultural Workforce
There are several overlapping aspects in cultures across the world, and it is your duty as an employer to make sure that you understand these meeting points well and do not fall for them blindly.
The history of the world has been complicated, and it could be possible that celebrating one aspect of culture could alienate another one. This is far from ideal, and therefore, it is best to proactively make sure that your cultural learnings of the rewards and recognition program are entirely unbiased and sensitive.
4. Focus on a unique company culture
One of the best ways to integrate a multicultural workforce is to build a unique company culture. You can do this by combining the various positives of the different cultures in the workforce to develop something special within the company, yet familiar to all the employees.
It would make it easier for you to integrate the different cultural backgrounds of your employees and give them a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
👉 ALSO READ: Why your Company Needs Recognition and Rewards
How can Ovation help you design multicultural rewards and recognition programs?
A rewards and recognition program is crucial to sustaining a loyal task force based on an inclusive culture. Who you recognize as a part of that program directly correlates to what you value in your organization.
Also, your program must consider the cultural diversity part that is best executed by a modern rewards and recognition platform like Ovation.
Here are a few things that Ovation can help you with to design the right program for your employees:
✔️ Real-time feedback on frequent intervals.
✔️ More autonomy to management positions to set the rewards and recognition program budget. They can now give rewards to whomever, based on their judgment, whenever they want.
✔️ Insights driven by data will help you guide your future endeavors.
✔️Visibility and access to their peers and colleagues in a social-media-like structure for interactions within the workforce
✔️Tools to build the values of your company and promote them together
✔️ An adaptable system that keeps letting you add more reward categories depending on how you choose to recognize employees.
It is common knowledge that reward and recognize employees in multicultural environment essential for engagement and building culture. Ignoring it can make your workplace feel unfamiliar to employees from different backgrounds.
While there are no instant answers to building the right work culture, there is no question that a rewards and recognition program is the first step toward change. Think you need something similar for your organization?
Book a demo with us today or start a free trial to find out how we can help you transform your workforce!
