Empowering Your Team: Essential Tips for Managing Intercultural Hires

cultural competence

We Interviewed Valentyna To Learn How Ukrainian New Hires Feel

Integrating into a new country, job, and team when you are used to different game rules in society and the workplace is a challenge employers rarely have tools to help with. However, good integration support can make all the difference for Ukrainian workers facing change and inevitable difficulties in all aspects of their new lives abroad.

But how do you know what to do?

Most new hires won’t come out and tell you what they need, let alone what’s on their mind.

In this interview below, you’ll get first-hand insight from Valentyna, a skilled professional working for a Finnish shoe production company who arrived from Ukraine during the current crisis. It’s your turn to be a fly on the wall and learn how to understand, support and build your new workforce to their full potential.

Read on to learn what all HR and managers working with diverse teams should take away from her thoughts. These tips will be beneficial for professionals currently supporting Ukrainians.

What were your biggest fears when you decided to take on a job in Finland?

"My biggest fear was the fear of cheating. I was worried that nobody expected me at the new workplace and that what the consultants told me was untrue.

Another fear, or maybe apprehension is the right word, was related to the possible difficulties of travelling from Ukraine to Finland. I had experience working abroad, but it was in Poland, where the language is similar to Ukrainian and Russian, and the language barrier was not so high.

I was afraid I could not explain myself in Finland since I didn’t know Finnish or English. I thought this would lead to difficulties when I move."

What happened when you arrived? Were your fears realised?

“No, in both cases, my fears were not realised. The trip from Ukraine to Finland took several days, and over those days, a factory employee from Ukraine was in touch with me. She regularly asked me where I was, and everything was under control. I understood everything was OK.

As for the trip, I was lucky with the carrier. The transport company took me from Kyiv directly to my new place of residence in Finland. That was unusual since all the carriers indicated they travelled from Ukrainian cities to Helsinki.

I was worried about how much effort it would take to travel from Helsinki to the town where my place of work is. But in my case, the carrier had passengers in the area of my new work site, and they took me directly to my new home. So I am very happy about it."

What are your first experiences like where you live now?

"I am very pleased. I am delighted with the housing size and all the amenities available. Everything for a comfortable stay is there."

What about your new work? You are experienced in what you do; what were your first observations at the workplace? Is anything different in the management style and work roles, induction, or how the work is organised?

"I have been working in the industry for a long time, so I am well acquainted with the work. Now I am busy with separate operations, although earlier I had experience in complex work. I perform individual operations much easier than the complex assembly of shoes. This is much easier for me.

My immediate supervisor explained to me what I needed to do. I then did some work as a test with the supervisor. They checked whether I understood everything well and was doing good quality work. Further, the supervisor periodically comes to my workplace to ensure everything is OK.

At first, when communicating, we used other employees as an interpreter several times. But then we learned to understand each other quite well. To solve simple questions, a personal demonstration of the sewing process, sign language, and the use of a translator on a smartphone is enough.

There seems to be more discipline here than in those places where I worked before.

On the other hand, work supervision is less frequent here compared to my previous jobs. The supervisors in Ukraine performed more inspection and control over the quality of the work performed.”

What about asking for help when you need it?

“I can ask questions if something is unclear, no problem.”

And how do you think people work together as a team?

"I am new to the factory. My colleagues are from different countries. Probably, now, the main problem in communication is the language barrier. For example, we greet our Finnish and Taiwanese colleagues but do not really communicate because of the barrier. There are employees from Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR. We greet and exchange a couple of phrases, but I'm still 'looking' at them."

What are the main differences to how you are used to working?

"I am familiar with shoe production operations. They are practically the same compared with those I saw earlier. The biggest difference is the modern equipment and machines we use here. Also, the approach to supervision and control is somewhat different compared to my previous jobs."

Did anything surprise you so far in Finland or the workplace?

"Wonderful nature. Finnish cities look unfamiliar to me. In my hometown, there are mostly high-rise multi-storey buildings. Here it is different, there are multi-storey buildings, but many small houses are also present.”

Would you like to add anything else?

“So far I like everything.”

We want to thank Valentyna for the interview and for sharing her experiences settling in a new country and workplace. As you listen to her, it becomes clear that employers need to actively provide support at the right time and recognise resources such as colleagues who speak the same language.

But when it comes to integration and things that can get in the way, there are also more subtle things managers should not be missing.

What managers and companies hiring Ukrainians should take away from this

Here are the key things that we think every manager should note:

Building trust is crucial. In Ukraine, initial trust in unfamiliar systems and people is often low. To create trust, share information about how things work, the laws protecting workers, and keep your word.

Communication and the feeling of support provided by supervision are important. The language barrier and cultural differences can make it difficult for Ukrainian workers to ask questions (showing that you don’t know something can be bad) or understand your expectations (because these expectations feel different). Providing detailed instructions, checking results, and offering conventional supervision can help.

Foster a sense of community. Team building activities can help create a sense of inclusion and psychological safety, which can improve workplace performance.

Are you aware of the cultural differences related to a difference in power distance? For example, in Finland, the manager often assigns work, expects good work and assumes the worker will take responsibility for their tasks.

During the induction period, in egalitarian countries like Finland, the new employees usually show initiative and ask many questions. They might say "Have I understood correctly that this step should be completed in this way, or is something else needed in addition?" They might also give suggestions for changes according to their previous experience.

This way, workers give a professional and knowledgeable image. If something needs clarification after the induction, it is the worker's responsibility to find out and seek assistance. After the induction period, the managers assume the worker knows what to do, and any additional questions usually concern the process details.

In countries with a higher power difference, like Ukraine, a crucial supervisor role is to assign precise tasks and inspect and control the work's input, output, and outcome. The workers should comply and show no or little initiative.

Workers are used to it, as Valentyna explained. As an employer, it can be good to realise people from this type of workplace background often expect and are happy with being supervised in this way. Knowing they are not in charge of the process can give them a feeling of safety. The work gets approved by someone higher in the hierarchy.

It is helpful to know that workers from high power distance cultures tend to expect the supervisor to take full responsibility for the output. As a result, workers might not be as ready to bring up problems or issues - after all, no one wants to look like they are doing a bad job. The supervisor checks everything is OK regularly and offers support, instructions, and advice if something needs to be improved.

Valentyna's employer has shown great responsibility for the well-being and workplace integration of the new hires. As a manager, you can learn from their example. You can take action steps to avoid pitfalls in cross-cultural hiring with science-backed tools (like the Hofstede 6D model that covers power distance) for dealing with cultural differences. They will provide you with the kind of everyday toolbox for effective communication and processes, smoothing the way for your diverse workforce and helping you create an inclusive and productive workplace environment.

So what’s next? Implementation.

It’s one thing to read about it, and it’s another to take action to give your Managers the tools to implement this new knowledge.

You could have a big meeting, create new processes, and hope it all works or…

You can get direct support.

Join our Online workshop for bridging the gap between European and Ukrainian work cultures

In 90 minutes, you’ll get actionable tools you can use with your team to integrate your new hires and get the best out of them. Learn more HERE