TEAM SPOTLIGHT: SEBASTIEN CLOSE

“Leaders must acknowledge that increasing demographic diversity does not, by itself, increase effectiveness; what matters is how an organization harnesses diversity, and whether it’s willing to reshape its power structure.” - Harvard Business Review

NetExpat recently interviewed two key members of the Eramet Group Team about their efforts in providing intercultural training for their international workforce through their partnership with NetExpat. The initiative is designed to enhance cultural understanding and collaboration among expatriates and multicultural teams, leading to better teamwork and productivity. The interview offers insights on the implementation, impact on performance, family integration success, and much more.

Employee well-being benefits more than just employees. It also benefits employers and the customers they serve. What many organizations don’t realize is how much intercultural agility impacts employee well-being. Below, we’ll discuss the relationship between the two and why focusing on intercultural agility should always be a part of your global talent mobility strategy. Why Employee Well-being Matters Prioritizing employee well-being makes sense from a duty of care standpoint, but it also benefits businesses. Employees that are happy and well are typically more engaged at work. Employes that are culturally agile enjoy enhanced well-being, as they’re better able to collaborate with their teammates and customers. This results in higher levels of engagement at the individual level – and enhanced collaboration and innovation among teams. Additional outcomes include a stronger company culture, brand reputation, and employee retention rate. Customers also reap the benefits. When well-being is prioritized and employees are given the tools they need to succeed, they’re more likely to provide excellent customer service and care. Businesses benefit from higher customer satisfaction scores and brand loyalty. Conversely, the risks of not investing in employee well-being can be costly:

When organizations support mobile employees during an intercultural assignment, they benefit long after those same individuals repatriate. The trouble is, too many businesses don’t see repatriation as a component of the assignment, which can have negative outcomes for both them and the employees they’ve invested in: Without repatriation support, employees face a myriad of challenges, from reverse culture shock and career uncertainty to feeling diminished. Businesses end up paying the price, from employees being disengaged to losing talent altogether. Both have negative impacts on a company’s ROI.

There’s a commonly held belief that we should “treat others the way we’d want to be treated ourselves.” But what happens when another person’s idea of outstanding customer service differs from your own? In today’s global marketplace, businesses are staffed with workforces that are just as diverse as the global markets they serve. Each stakeholder’s perception of customer service standards is, therefore, just as varied – because our individual and cultural experience influence our perceptions, preferences and purchasing behaviors. Ignoring this reality can have lasting negative impacts on employees, customers, and businesses themselves. A failure to understand and address cultural differences can lead to customer dissatisfaction, brand trust issues, employee frustration and burnout, and even the loss of business. To truly excel, businesses need to go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to customer service and become adept at recognizing and adapting to the unique cultural nuances that shape client expectations. Below, we take a look at some of the pitfalls of assuming a universal approach to customer service and demonstrate the importance of cultural awareness in achieving true client satisfaction. The Importance of Cross-Cultural Awareness in Customer Service In any industry, customer service isn’t just a function – it’s a pillar of brand perception and client retention. When organizations haven’t developed intercultural agility, their service professionals might be confident that they’ve delivered top-notch service, while satisfaction scores show their clients and customers feel dissatisfied or disrespected. This common disconnect underscores the vital need for cross-cultural awareness. Recognizing that respect and quality are defined differently across cultures is key to bridging gaps and ensuring every client feels valued and understood, wherever they are in the world.

In today’s rapidly evolving market, businesses have to adapt quickly to scale and stay competitive. At the heart of this challenge is a crucial function that supports all of that growth and adaptation: global talent mobility. More than just moving people from one point to another, effective relocation programs increase productivity, bolster talent acquisition and retention, drive business development, and result in market expansion and financial gains for an organization. So why do so many leaders still consider talent mobility to be an expense instead of a strategic investment? Below, we’ll discuss the importance of shifting perceptions, the long-term positive impacts relocations have on a business’ bottom line, and how internal mobility and HR/talent management teams can start building a business case for organizational leadership buy-in to invest in global talent mobility. Why Global Talent Mobility is a Strategic Investment Recent research from Localyze, which includes data from 240 European business leaders and managers across 4 countries, has revealed that global talent mobility benefits an organization’s bottom line in 10 areas: access to global talent, business profits, cultural awareness, knowledge sharing, innovation, employee retention, employee satisfaction, employee morale, faster hiring and DE&I. In addition, the expenses associated with relocations are far outweighed by an ROI gain of up to 270% when it comes to impact on productivity, talent retention, and overall profitability. In short, because of their daily exposure to mobile populations and associated relocation processes, talent mobility professionals play an integral role in achieving mobility objectives — but they’re also uniquely positioned to offer data-driven insights that can support and contribute to a company’s overarching goals and success. Talent Mobility: The gift that keeps on giving When it comes to innovation, competitiveness, and growth, a company’s success is directly tied to the development and engagement of its greatest asset: its employees. Global talent mobility accomplishes immediate goals by getting the right talent where a company needs it to be in the moment – but when used strategically, it also contributes to long-term gains. The following inter-related benefits should always be considered when calculating mobility’s true value to an organization:

Recently, we interviewed Dr. Milton J. Bennett for his thoughts on what effective intercultural training should consist of today and how to better facilitate that training to benefit organizations with diverse workforces and target markets. A globally renowned sociologist, Dr. Bennett is the creator of the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and co-creator of the Intercultural Viability Indicator, a tool that reveals how organizations can create a climate of respect for diversity and develop strong relationships between colleagues.

Over the years, India has transformed from a hub of service centers to a strong competitor in the global market. And with an impressive 45% growth rate since last year, companies from burgeoning industries — from oil and gas to consumer goods, technology and petrochemicals — are thriving. What does this mean for multinational corporations, organizations hoping to secure skilled talent, and companies conducting business with India-based colleagues and partners?

Has the need for intercultural training become obsolete? While many business stakeholders assume that intercultural agility is less important for global teams that interact virtually, the reality is quite the opposite: Intercultural misunderstandings can happen under the best of circumstances, but their likelihood is greatly increased in remote work and virtual settings – and it costs organizations dearly, resulting in team friction and discord, lost time and productivity, missed goals and deadlines, risks to the company’s market reputation, talent disengagement or attrition when employees feel disenfranchised, and negative impacts to their bottom line.