A few days back I was reading an article titled ‘Why You Absolutely Should Date A Girl Who Travels”. Ironically, my revelation after going through the pleasantly-crafted writing was not regarding the appeal of women travelers, rather how global experience mold one’s outlook and ability as an employee. Traveling affects the workplace environment perceived by employees and this is why employers today look for employees with wide-ranging cultural experiences.
One of the buzzwords used by Bangladeshi business school professors and also by their peers in the rest of the world is “Cross-cultural Intelligence”. The term refers to the understanding and ingratiating of different cultures with today’s corporate world. The implication is that young professionals who possess diverse cultural perspectives in their armory have a significant advantage over others. This has come as no surprise since the world we live in has transformed into a global village, and its residents must therefore appreciate the need to understand cultures beyond their own.
Undoubtedly, the spread of multinational corporations has been a major force in highlighting the benefits of cross-cultural intelligence. Each global market, whether the United States, Europe or the Middle East, has its own unique set of requirements and this changes product types, marketing campaigns and internal company strategies. For example an advertisement featuring Shakib Al Hasan would have as much relevance in the United States as one featuring the Manning brothers would have in Bangladesh. It is exactly this diversity and exposure to various circumstances which makes those with global experience so highly valued.
Bangladeshi multinational companies and international organisations operating in Bangladesh often send employees abroad for training or for a promotion. British American Tobacco (BAT) regularly posts Bangladeshi employees to different countries in Asia and also to its London headquarters. The initiative reflects the high esteem in which cross cultural experience is held in Bangladesh. It has traditionally been a scarce resource but is changing with many of those who have studied and worked abroad finding their way back to Bangladesh.
Employees who have spent a relevant time abroad for education or work understand and appreciate the subtle differences in culture present everywhere. They bring in global methods of doing things and are a source of experiences beyond borders, which definitely define their heterogeneous perspectives and creative outlook.
The diversity of experience is important not only internationally but also domestically. It may appear for those from the outside looking in that our cities and towns are alike and that the same beliefs are exuded. However, the population is far from homogenous with differences stemming from the locations one is raised in, the level of education attained and family wealth. In this context there is also a need to understand and recognise each other’s individual perspectives and needs, and to appreciate what the other party has to say. This ability to empathise and work with those with contrasting perspectives allows the proliferation of ideas and methods which help corporations optimise their talent base.
Businesses today are more international than ever before and as they move forward they do their best to recruit employees who can adapt themselves to the implied changes with ease. And cross-cultural intelligence is one of those qualities developed through travelling experiences that can distinguish young professionals in the face of intense competition in the job market. Especially for the multinational firms, employees with diverse cultural experiences and perspectives are highly sought after by recruitment agencies. After all, in order to deal with their colleagues who come from different backgrounds and to form a heterogeneously creative team, their employees must understand that even a simple word like ‘yes’ can have different meanings in Canadian, Swiss and Japanese customs.
Naiian Yazdani is the Co-Founder and Director of GradInsights, the research service of GradConnect. Nakibul Hoq is the Lead Manager, Content and Analytics of GradInsights, the research service of GradConnect. More articles from the team can be found at www.grad-insights.com.