Culture: What This Looks Like in Practice

Professionals who are culturally competent show the following behaviors:

• Adjust their approach to work effectively with different cultural backgrounds, conditions, and contexts.

• Show respect and genuine interest in understanding cultural differences.

• Accept and support colleagues from diverse cultures.

• Navigate conflicting cultural expectations and norms to promote workplace harmony.

• Foster inclusion through everyday interactions and behaviors.

• Design HR programs that are adapted to local cultures and needs.

• Ensure fairness and consistency in HR policies and practices for all employees.

• Provide learning opportunities on diversity, equity, and cultural sensitivity for staff at all levels.

• Regularly assess the organization’s cultural climate and identify ways to make it more inclusive.

Core Concepts:

Understanding culture in the workplace involves being familiar with:

• Cultural values, dimensions, and frameworks—such as those developed by Hall, Hofstede, Schein, and Trompenaars.

• Tools and strategies to bridge differences—such as employee resource groups, reverse mentoring, cultural awareness workshops, and focus groups.

What Is Culture?

Culture is a shared set of behaviors, beliefs, and values that shape how groups interact and make decisions. To truly understand culture, we can take a cue from anthropologists—who approach it with curiosity, a willingness to learn, and an appreciation for both differences and universal human traits. In HR, this mindset helps resolve misunderstandings and fosters true cultural synergy.

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Competency in Action: A Real-Life Example

To build a global perspective, HR professionals must remain open, avoid assumptions, ask thoughtful questions, and truly listen. Here's a story that shows how the Global Mindset, along with Ethical Practice and Communication competencies, come into play:

A bilingual HR Business Partner (HRBP) was asked to interpret during a disciplinary meeting between a supervisor and a Spanish-speaking employee. The supervisor was frustrated due to performance concerns—but also expressed irritation over the employee’s limited English proficiency.

Before moving forward with the warning, the HRBP explored the situation further:

• Had the employee's English gotten worse since he was hired? No—it had stayed the same.

• Was English fluency a job requirement at hiring? No.

• Was the employee ever told to improve their English within a certain timeframe? No.

• Was the performance issue directly tied to language difficulties? Not exactly. The main concerns were that the employee was falling asleep at his desk and not responding to emails. The supervisor assumed this might be due to language.