The hospitality industry has to be one of the most inclusive of all employment environments. Where else can you find such a “League of Nations” running both the front and back of an operation, taking on a wide variety of responsibilities? For many immigrants, in fact, a hospitality job is their first work experience in a new country.

Gary E. Miller is a chef-consultant who has employed a number of ethnically diverse kitchen crews in his 25-plus years in the industry. The advantages for the employer are numerous, he says. “The salary expectations are often lower, and the level of loyalty and work ethic I have experienced are unparalleled. A positive attitude, willingness to learn, to work hard, and a sense of gratitude towards employers are refreshing in this age of ‘what’s in it for me.”

There are other advantages for hospitality employers. “Having a staff representing different cultures and religions can also be advantageous to scheduling,” Miller continues. “It makes covering all the holidays, for which we are often open, easier to manage as well as helping us all become more tolerant and understanding of others.”

And, in an increasingly diverse society where many people come “from away,” it makes sense to hire staff from other cultures.

Team integration

Simply hiring diverse staff, though, is not enough to build your team’s performance. “Racial diversity is a double-edged sword,” wrote Marie Gervais in her study for the Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations. “It can greatly improve sales, service, productivity, creativity, profit, and market share BUT it can also be detrimental if not skillfully channeled into a common purpose that values and uses the talents of diverse participants.” In fact, her study found that poorly integrated teams without clear diversity training do not make a positive difference in team performance.

Hiring and managing employees from different cultural backgrounds is not without its challenges.

“Communications, workplace discrimination and harassment, language skills, comprehension, ensuring workplace safety, cultural differences, emotional conflict, different expectations of the work experience and accommodation need all bring their own unique challenges to any workplace,” says Brenda Brown, Compass Canada’s Vice President of Human Resources. “If unaddressed, the collective impact often leads to lower productivity, higher absenteeism, and turnover. I also believe there is a direct correlation between lower associate engagement when there is a lack of commitment to diversity in leadership roles at all levels within an organization and, of course, if employers fail to provide reasonable work-life balance opportunities.”

Diversity training

Having a comprehensive training policy in place is the key to building and managing an ethnically diverse team. The BOLD study on racial diversity (2004) found that managerial diversity training that taught interpersonal and cultural management and diversity conflict resolution made a positive difference in team performance.

“Training and awareness are the building blocks to giving our associates the skills and knowledge required to integrate well into a diverse work environment,” says Brown. “Over the years, our training team has implemented several programs for associates focusing on diversity awareness and implementation-based training for leaders. Diversity awareness starts on Day One for new associates. Our new associate orientation program ‘Passport’ offers an online introductory module covering the fundamentals of a harassment-free workplace. During orientation, they learn about their new company, its history, policies, procedures, and future direction. Within the context of diversity, topics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and harassment are addressed.”

Chef Miller, in managing a number of kitchens, has rules he always follows to keep his restaurant operations humming. The main one is zero tolerance for any form of ethnic, religious or racial slurs or discrimination. “A kitchen crew is a lot like a combat unit in that we are a tight team, we have to work closely in stressful situations, and we have to cover each other’s backs.” Above all, he demands mutual respect, understanding, and a willingness to learn from one another’s cultures, a policy bound to reap benefits for any hospitality operation.

Top tips to enhance team performance in a diverse operation

* Focus on your training. The BOLD study found that general workplace diversity training showed no positive effects unless it helped employees do their jobs better.

* Establish the rules for everyone and post them for all to see. You need your entire team to understand and follow the same set of rules, for instance, speaking only English inside your hospitality operation.

* Use communication skills, patience, and understanding to overcome differences. For instance, some cultures are not accustomed to having a woman as a superior and will not “take orders” from her. Your policy should anticipate these differences.

* Make accommodations for different holidays and customs.

* Celebrate your commonalities as well as your differences!