José Rodríguez
Global Senior HR Director
Mobileum
Episode 390
The Global HR Paradox: Why Cultural Respect Trumps Uniformity
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleNovember 11, 2024 · 18:09
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership in a globalized world hinges on deeply understanding and respecting diverse cultures, adapting strategies to individual employee needs, and fostering an environment of tolerance and belonging.”
Show notes
José Rodrigues has worked in HR across Portugal, Angola, Nigeria, and a dozen other countries, in industries ranging from healthcare to telecom to DHL logistics. He describes himself—accurately—as "not the typical HR guy." That unconventional path is exactly what makes his perspective on multicultural leadership worth paying attention to.
His core insight: you can't lead multicultural teams by expecting people to conform to your cultural norms. You have to understand where they're coming from—not just their time zones, but their communication styles, their family contexts, their weekend structures, and the cultural meanings embedded in how they express disagreement or approval. Written communication is particularly treacherous across cultures; what reads as direct in one culture reads as aggressive in another. His advice is deceptively simple: tolerance, anticipation, and building teams where those differences are acknowledged rather than papered over.
His practical strategies reflect that philosophy directly. Flex benefits platforms (where employees receive a budget and choose what matters to them) respect that what's valuable to one person isn't valuable to another. Cultural celebration events—Morocco Day, with Moroccan food and music and office décor—create belonging without requiring anyone to abandon who they are. And his parting framework for HR executives in a rapidly changing world is classic: "We have two ears and one mouth. Listen much more. Pay attention to details. Anticipate." The leaders who build that muscle solve most problems before they happen.
- Multicultural team leadership as a distinct skill set: understanding culture, values, and work styles—not just logistics and time zones
- Cross-cultural communication traps: why written communication breaks down across cultures and how to navigate it
- Flex benefits as a personalization strategy: giving employees a budget to allocate to what actually matters to them
- Cultural celebration as a belonging tool: how low-cost events can create genuine inclusion in multicultural offices
- Adapting onboarding to regional cultures rather than applying a universal process across diverse geographies
- Listen, attend, anticipate: the three-part mental model for HR leadership in a fast-changing global environment
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What you'll take away
- 1To effectively lead multicultural teams, it's crucial to understand and respect their unique cultures, values, work styles, and personal lives, rather than expecting them to conform.
- 2Overcome communication and operational barriers (like language differences in written communication or varying weekend schedules) through tolerance, clear communication, and proactive anticipation of challenges.
- 3Implement 'flex benefits' platforms, allowing employees to choose benefits that align with their personal needs and cultural values, thereby enhancing their overall experience and sense of ownership.
- 4Foster a strong sense of belonging and cultural pride in diverse teams by organizing creative online events and in-office celebrations that honor employees' cultural backgrounds.
- 5Modern HR executives must prioritize active listening, pay meticulous attention to detail, and anticipate future challenges to navigate the rapidly changing world of work effectively.
What most organizations get wrong
In José's words
“I'm not the typical HR guy. So, and because I don't have this like a typical HR career, so I, I have been working in several different industries, uh, different kind of business and, but also different kind of functions.”
This highlights a non-traditional career path that provided diverse experiences, shaping a unique HR perspective.
“When you are working with the multicultural teams and you need to understand them, you need to understand where they are coming from or where they are. So not just if they are in different locations, not just the time zones, but everything that is around them.”
This emphasizes the holistic approach required to lead diverse teams, going beyond logistics to cultural understanding.
“I am a big defender of flex benefits. So what we do in some countries that we give a certain amount in a flex benefits platform and then the person can invest that money or can use that money wherever they want. Because what is important for me, maybe it's not important for you.”
This quote champions personalized benefits as a key strategy to respect individual needs and enhance employee experience.
“We did, for example, we did some special events connected to the countries where they were coming from. So like, for example, I had one colleague from Morocco. We did a Morocco day and we did Morocco food, music. We created the environment in the office so they can feel at home.”
This provides a concrete, low-budget example of how to celebrate diverse cultures and foster inclusion within an organization.
“I think good advice would be we have two ears and one mouth. So it's an old proverb that we need to listen much more, need to pay attention to details and anticipate.”
This concise advice summarizes the core principles of effective leadership in a fast-changing HR landscape: listening, attention to detail, and foresight.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Companies struggle to effectively lead and manage multicultural teams due to a lack of understanding of diverse cultural values, work styles, and personal lives.
- •Communication breakdowns occur in global teams, especially in written form, due to varied cultural norms around directness vs. politeness, leading to potential conflict and misunderstanding.
- •Organizations face challenges in adapting standard HR processes, like onboarding and benefits, to be culturally relevant and impactful across different regions and employee demographics.
- •HR teams find it difficult to maintain employee engagement and foster a strong sense of belonging for remote and hybrid teams in multicultural environments.
- •Designing compensation and benefits that are universally valued and respected across a diverse workforce remains a significant hurdle, often leading to dissatisfaction if not personalized.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
José Rodríguez is Global Senior HR Director at Mobilium
Jose Rodríguez on His Career Journey
How do you lead and manage diverse teams effectively in your work
The Importance of Multicultural Teams
There are challenges in working with multicultural teams and different regions of the world
The Challenges of Working With Multicultural Teams
How can organizations leverage employee experience in a multicultural environment to engage and retain talent
Employee Experience in a Multicultural Environment
Edward: Remote or hybrid working is the best option for many companies
How to manage a remote team with a traditional office?
José Torres offers some parting advice for HR executives today
How to Lead People: Built by People
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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