Are issues like these causing stress, conflict, confusion, time and money in the workplace?

  • Million dollar mistakes: How global companies fail due to a lack of understanding cultural differences
  • Zeeshan’s accent is so strong that I can’t understand him when he calls me with off-site with questions.
  • I often offer Pierre constructive feedback, yet he never implements it.
  • Vilma continues to speak Tagalog with Caridad around patients. Will patients feel anxious and confused?

Why this topic?

Successful organizations understand that being able to attract, recruit and retain a qualified worker with appropriate skills, personality, attitude and motivation can be challenging at the best of times, let alone when chronic labour shortages exist in both skilled and non-skilled occupations. A shortage of skilled labour limits the ability to increase sales or production, which is why many successful organizations recruit foreign workers.

The top source countries for foreign workers are India, China, Pakistan and the Philippines, all collective in nature. Collectivists often recommend suitable candidates because of their commitment to family and community, giving employers access to a rich database of potential recruits. However, managerial hiring practices are not standardized globally. Religious practices coupled with English as a second language can also affect productivity and profitability if not managed effectively.

What Attendees Will Learn

  • Why Canadian hiring practices sometimes inadvertently ‘screen out’ suitable candidates
  • Effective interview techniques with individualistic and collective cultures
  • Face to face, phone and email: Effective day-to-day communication when English is a second language
  • Workplace conflict resolution across all cultures
  • Death by meeting: How mismanaged global teams waste time and money
  • Non-verbal communication: To shake hands or not to shake hands… that is the question
  • Are we speaking the same language? Constructive feedback across cultures