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4 things that Ekkiden can bring to you as a multicultural company

We live in a rapidly ever-changing world, where technology and globalization are great factors in determining the success of companies. 📈 Those determinants ultimately shift the focus on the topic of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and its significance to the employees of today.

But what does workplace diversity really mean? Generally, it refers to hiring employees from different backgrounds, regardless of race, gender, and culture, and thus, concentrate on the variety of the employees.

Image by © Christopher Burns via Unsplash

2 min read

- Anna Lehnecke
- Published in Our culture

According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor in 2020, more than 3 out of 4 people (76%) are actively looking for a diverse workforce when they are evaluating companies and job offers. Meaning that a multicultural setting becomes more popular not only for companies but especially for their employees.

At Ekkiden, our team consists of almost 20 nationalities from all over the world and we continue to grow. The existence of these multiple cultures shows that working in a multicultural team can in fact work out well to the benefit of not only the business, but more importantly it enables a whole other work experience for the employees.

How can this multicultural workplace have a positive effect on everyone?

New perspectives & insights

Working in offices where several cultures come together lays the groundwork for cultural awareness and sensitivity simultaneously. Being able to spend time with people who are having different cultural, academic, and social backgrounds gives you the possibility to broaden your cultural understanding.

There, you have the chance to teach each other curious details about your mother tongue, explain fascinating facts about your home country, or share delicious recipes about childhood comfort foods.

Furthermore, by expanding your own understanding of new cultures, you are gaining new perspectives of why people act in different ways than you are normally used to. Every country has its own mechanisms, dynamics and habits that are inherited by its citizens.

However, working in a place where many cultures are coming together automatically embraces looking at other perspectives than your own. Thinking outside of the box becomes a natural aspect of your day-to-day life. It is such an amazing experience to be able to bond over similarities and differences and abandon prejudices just because you are part of a multicultural team.

This can be especially done whilst drinking a beer with your colleagues to get to know them on a personal level after your working hours. It is exemplary for the melting of the cultures because some nations are not used to meet after work, and it just shows how the acceptance of other habits are resulting in a stronger bond in the team.

Creativity & language growth

The second benefit is tightly connected to the first point mentioned above. By working in a multicultural setting and broadening your perspectives, you also enhance your creativity.

This is a result of encouraging the various cultures around you and really listening to the input the others are giving. You will notice that you are going to eventually take over some new ways of dealing with certain situations that you have handled differently before.

In a kind of way, you are “forced” to speak in more than just one language and therefore, your brain is set on thinking strategically different than you would normally do in order to function accordingly. It guarantees a creative way to find a solution due to not being solely limited to what you know from just your culture.

Moreover, you can absolutely benefit from working in a multilingual environment when you want to improve your language skills. What better way to learn a new language other than your colleagues who can support and correct you with the everyday usage of the language?

By doing so, you can also improve your own personal growth, by developing a more open mindset and making yourself more flexible, tolerant, and committed to cooperation.

Higher productivity

The main spoken language in our company is English, which means it is for almost all of us at least the second language.

Being fluent in two languages simultaneously gives you a huge advantage in doing business. You will be able to expand your field of actions at a faster pace which equally generates an increase in your productivity.

In our case at Ekkiden, we have the possibility to also closely work together across the different markets. It means that we can learn from our colleagues to implement new strategies that are already successfully used in other markets to improve the overall business.

This tight network between the perimeters is the best example of how a multicultural team can boost problem-solving capacities and encourage healthy competition to achieve their best.

Global impact

Ultimately, by encouraging and hosting such a variety of cultures, languages, and customs Ekkiden has created an ever-lasting imprint on an international base. Even though a diverse workforce bears its challenges, Ekkiden can proudly say that its core culture is international.

And we do not stop growing: it is a continuous process with the support of our consultants and the staff. Because we believe that the real talent is you. YOU are our main added value. Your culture, your skills and your needs allow us to improve the company. At Ekkiden, we foster initiatives, and we encourage you to have a concrete impact on our activity.