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Australia is a verdant place of culture. The Australian workforce is a testament to the country’s linguistic diversity, with almost 300 languages spoken and nearly 30% of people born overseas. Work with diverse people now isn’t a soft skill; it’s a fundamental competency of the job and a real strength in this environment.
McKinley & Company’s research also clearly indicates that organisations with diverse and inclusive teams are financially up to 35% better than those with similar teams. As a team leader, an HR professional, a migrant coming into Australia or a student working on a vocational qualification, knowing how to work with everyone in a positive and respectful way is vital to success in the modern workplace in Australia.
Australia workforce is one of the most diverse in the world. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that Australians come from over 200 countries and that this is seen in all areas of the economy. Multicultural teams are defined by industries that have employees with very different cultural and linguistic backgrounds who work alongside each other on a daily basis, such as aged care, education, construction and hospitality.
Long before the government’s push for greater diversity, the Diversity Council Australia (DCA), Australia’s independent, not-for-profit workplace diversity body, has pointed to the fact that cultural diversity is a social good, as well as a measurable contributor to organisational performance. They found that inclusive teams make better decisions, solve problems earlier, and have more innovative results compared to homogeneous teams.
But both employees and employers have no choice but to accept this – if they are to live in the working world of today, they must become part of Australia’s multicultural workforce.
Businesses that involve diverse people in their efforts regularly experience tangible benefits in their business, not just “good” or “compliance” benefits.
Some of the biggest benefits are innovation and creativity. Diverse perspectives, life experiences, and problem-solving skills from team members can result in more diverse and creative products. A team that has a different way of thinking creates different solutions — diversity of thought does the opposite.
Diversity also increases the talent pool. As the candidate pool is broadened, organisations ensure that they are not missing out on skilled candidates because of bias or structural barriers in a country with skills shortages in various industries.
Diverse teams are, of course, most practically, representative of the communities they serve, which are culturally diverse. A health care team with a range of language speakers is much more likely to deliver culturally safe health care to patients from non-English speaking backgrounds. The same principle holds true for retail, financial services, education and professional services.
Last but not least, inclusive workplaces are those with higher levels of employee engagement and lower turnover. People feel valued and respected – they are more motivated, more loyal and more likely to contribute at their best.
Effective working with diverse individuals is a set of skills that can be learned, practised and developed over time. The following core competencies make up the foundation.
Cultural awareness involves understanding that one’s culture influences how one perceives the world and one’s colleagues’ cultures influence how they perceive the world, as well. It is about not taking it for granted that “normal” applies to everyone.
In practice, this means that:
It is not necessary that you know all the details of every culture; cultural sensitivity is merely an awareness of it. It can take a curious, humble attitude and an openness to learning.
Communication is the key to every relationship and is more complex and significant in culturally diverse situations.
Key practices include:
There’s also the case of written communication. Emails and documents should be clear, organised, and devoid of culturally-specific references, which may not translate.
One of the best ways to survive in different circumstances is by being emotionally intelligent: understanding and feeling your own emotions, and understanding and influencing the emotions of others.
Unconscious bias exists for each of us. They are our unspoken stereotypes of individuals that we make without realising, based on their background, their look or their accent. Recognise your own implicit attitudes and beliefs and begin to control them. For this reason, bias awareness training is becoming a growing trend among organisations.
In the practice of empathy, consider: “How would this situation feel from my colleague’s cultural point of view?” What are they doing that I’m not? It is not about treating people as representatives of their culture; it is about treating them like whether you are dealing with an individual or a culture.
In the best of work environments, there will be occasional cultural miscommunications. The issue lies in how they are dealt with.
If there is conflict in a diverse team, try to be curious, not judgmental. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, assume good intent. Make an effort to grasp the cultural context of the behaviour that is causing the problem; put the emphasis on the problem rather than the person.
Workplaces have established protocols to deal with workplace conflict in Australia. There are a range of ways to help, including HR departments, employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and formal mediation processes. It is essential to be aware of your organisation’s policies on discrimination, harassment and bullying, and to take advantage of any opportunities to report if necessary.
Recording concerns and reaching out for support early will stop minor issues from turning into major work-related incidents.
Australia has strong legislation to prevent employees from being discriminated against and to ensure employers provide an inclusive and equitable workplace. It is important to know these laws when dealing with workplace diversity.
There are a number of federal laws that set a baseline for workplace equality in Australia:
This combination of laws forms a detailed protection system. Violating them can have serious legal and financial implications for employers, and there are clear ways for workers to find recourse.
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is the national organisation for investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and infringement of human rights. A worker may complain about discrimination on the job at no cost to them to the AHRC.
The Commission also offers a suite of complimentary resources, toolkits and guidance for employers interested in creating more inclusive workplaces, ranging from model workplace policies to frameworks for removing bias from recruitment practices.
Under Australian law, employers have a positive obligation to do more than just ensure that they are not discriminating; they have to proactively prevent discrimination from occurring.
An inclusive workplace isn’t only a matter of compliance; it’s about creating a workplace where every employee is able to work safely and effectively. Safe Work Australia considers psychosocial hazards to be legitimate workplace health and safety hazards, with poor workplace culture being firmly in this category, as evidenced by exclusion, harassment and discrimination.
A lack of belonging among employees – or where they think they are targeted because of their cultural identity – can have a significant impact on mental health, performance and retention. On the other hand, organisations that invest in real inclusion regularly experience improvements in psychological safety, engagement and wellbeing.
The connection between inclusion and worker wellbeing is not a coincidence; it is well-documented and supported in Australian WHS frameworks.
Even the most well-meaning organisations will face challenges along the way to true inclusion. Identifying the problems is the first step in solving them.
These include language/communication barriers. If some team members are more fluent in English than others, there is a greater risk of misunderstandings, and less likelihood that employees will feel comfortable contributing. This involves using standards of communication in plain English, the use of visual aids and translated materials wherever they are required and the normalisation and acceptance of asking for clarification.
Unconscious bias can influence hiring, promotion and who is heard, whether it’s in a meeting or for a promotion. It can be minimised through structured decision-making procedures, frequent bias training, and multi-sector hiring panels.
Often, there is resistance to change when diversity and inclusion programmes are added to teams or organisations with existing cultures. The cure is leadership commitment, open communication of the reason for change, and providing real-world examples of the value of diversity.
Work style and expectations can differ, whether it’s deadlines, hierarchy, communication style, or decision-making process – conflicts can arise if not dealt with. These differences are dealt with in a constructive manner through team charters that establish common expectations and frequent team conversations regarding how to work well together.
Perhaps the most harmful of all is tokenism. Inclusion is not hiring one of the underrepresented groups; it is performance. Systemic change is essential to real inclusion; in culture, processes, policies and behaviour.
Diversity is important, but it’s another thing to make it a key part of the everyday culture of a team. These are some of the steps leaders and employees can take to get started on the following strategies.
There are a number of federal laws that set a baseline for workplace equality in Australia:
This combination of laws forms a detailed protection system. Violating them can have serious legal and financial implications for employers, and there are clear ways for workers to find recourse.
One of the best tools to develop an employee base that can work with a diverse population is training. The nature of D&I training in Australian workplaces varies from brief online courses on unconscious bias and cultural competency to formal in-person programs facilitated by a specialist trainer.
For anyone doing formal vocational training, the nationally recognised VET unit BSBDIV501 — Manage Diversity in the Workplace offers a solid basis to develop and apply workplace diversity strategies. It is highly applicable to team leaders, HR practitioners and managers with direct accountability for people and culture.
Training is most effective when it’s not just a one-off event, when there’s leadership from the top and when it leads to real organisational goals – not a compliance tick box.
One of the biggest challenges to real diversity in the workplace is bias in recruitment and promotion. There are methods to minimise its impact:
By looking at recruitment data – such as who is applying, who is shortlisted, who is hired, and who is promoted – on a regular basis, you can use the evidence to improve your recruitment strategy continuously.
Sustained dialogue is essential to true inclusion. Provide employees with frequent opportunities to share experiences and concerns – team surveys, town hall meetings, individual check-ins, anonymous feedback systems, etc.
If something goes wrong, admit it openly, consider what went wrong and promise to do better next time. This sort of accountability, which is exemplified by leadership, fosters the trust that inclusive cultures require.
Do think about designating Diversity and Inclusion champions or forming a Diversity and Inclusion committee. These positions provide a clear pathway to employees having a formal voice in the development of culture and provide an inarguable commitment of and message from the organisation.
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Diversity in the workplace is becoming a common part of formal training programs, and for good reason, for Australians studying vocational training. As students work their way through the learning to work with diverse people in professional contexts, they will likely be required to undertake specific units for this purpose.
The two most referenced units are:
These units are offered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and TAFE institutions throughout Australia. They give learners a practical framework, some legislative information and scenarios to prepare them for the diversity that will be experienced in all workplaces in Australia.
If you are in the process of training or are thinking of training for a qualification, talk to your RTO or TAFE provider about the diversity units which are required as part of your training, or
if you may be able to complete them as an elective. You will develop skills that will help you in your professional life.
The strength of Australia as a nation has always been founded in part by those from all corners of the globe. Working with a wide range of individuals – with competence, compassion and sensitivity – is one of the most important skills that any staff member or leader can have.
The journey to inclusive workplaces is a conscious, ongoing one that starts with knowing the laws that safeguard all Australian workers, and extends to being an active, listening, culturally sensitive workplace. It’s not the job of diversity professionals — it’s everyone’s job!
From the beginning of your career, team leadership, to formalising your skills with VET training, now is the perfect time to invest in capacity building for inclusion. The benefits — improved team performance, improved results and workplaces where everyone can excel — are worth every effort.
Working with diversity involves working with colleagues from various cultural, linguistic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. In Australia’s multicultural workforce, it requires a level of cultural sensitivity, appropriate communication and the ability to work with others with life experiences that may be very different to yours, in a productive and harmonious manner.
Australian workers are safeguarded from discrimination under a variety of Federal laws such as the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Sex Discrimination Act 1984, Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Age Discrimination Act 2004 and the Fair Work Act 2009. The Australian Human Rights Commission is responsible for investigating complaints and provides free resources for both workers and employers.
Skills: Cultural awareness and sensitivity, effective cross-cultural communication, active listening, empathy, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution. It’s also vital to be able to identify and acknowledge unconscious bias. Training programs are available to develop these competencies in many Australian workplaces and RTOs throughout the working life of people.
Diversity training is not required by law for all employers, but employers have a duty of care to create a safe work environment free from discrimination. As a consequence, many organisations have D&I training as part of their onboarding or compliance programmes. TAFE and RTO vocational education programs also incorporate diversity units into a broad spectrum of industry-specific training courses: BSBDIV301 and BSBDIV501.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that diverse and inclusive companies are more innovative, make better decisions and are more profitable than less diverse companies. Multicultural teams reflect the diversity of the Australian customer base, offer wider viewpoints and demographics, and improve employee engagement, all of which can yield improved business outcomes in the long-term.
BSBDIV501 Manage Diversity in the Workplace is a nationally recognised VET unit in Australia for team leaders, managers and HR professionals who are accountable for developing and maintaining inclusive workplaces. It includes the fundamentals of diversity, pertinent legislation and practical approaches to diversity management and support on teams. It can be found in RTOs and TAFE institutions throughout Australia.
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