Intercultural Toolbox

Nannette Ripmeester reviews how culture impacts recruitment and what recruiters fishing in the global talent pool can do to make their hiring processes more culturally inclusive.

0.00 Intro

Hello to our guest

2.10 What is happening in recruitment?

The stop and start of the recruiting in the pandemic. New post-pandemic interview questions. Where do we see ourselves in five years’ time?

5.09 Nannette’s story

Her life and work. What is employability? What chance event led to a life in culture and employment

11.30 The recruitment scene

Who are the major players?

13.55 Culture and employability

The importance of intercultural skills in recruitment has risen to near the top of the list. Researching the benefits of spending time abroad. The new cultural etiquette of video meetings.

20.58 Recruiters and culture

What the intercultural field can offer to recruiters to develop their intercultural skills. Guidance on asking interview questions is from a Western point of view.

24.56 Culture-specific knowledge

Recruitment outside the interview. The CareerProfessor profiles. Cultural differences in CVs (resumés) and the whole cycle of recruitment.

30.35 What does a recruiter need to know about cultures?

Diverse practices in presenting your skills. Who should adapt: employer or employee?

37.15 Employer brands and culture

Are organisations known for reflecting their national culture?

41.23 Nannette Ripmeester’s contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox

A map which makes us see the world in a new way.

45.22 Contact info

Web and other contact details for Nannette Ripmeester and ELM (Expertise in Labour Mobility)

Culture Count

Coming up in conversation were Netherlands (3), UK (2), Finland (1), India (1) and Brazil (1).

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/how-to-recruit-across-cultures

Elaine Teo is an interculturalist who has integrated mindfulness into her coaching and training practice. Listen if you want to experience how she models a mindful moment deployed as part of a corporate training programme.

0.00 Intro and Elaine’s story

Elaine’s story and how she started with Mindfulness. 

About the over-concentration on the intellect. In addition to intellect: heart, body, spirit.

Books and resources (see links on the episode on the webste)

Discovering mindfulness’s effectiveness. Overcoming things which stand in the way of effective intercultural training.

11.47 Business story and personal origins of intercultural thinking

18.21 Different approaches to mindfulness

25.17 Resources for interculturalists

29.13 Mindfulness and culture

35.29 A mindful moment with Elaine

40.57 Introducing mindfulness in organisations

49.19 Starting mindfulness with people and processes

1.01.35 Benefits and biases

1.13.30 Elaine Teo’s contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox

1.19.29 Contacts and events

Culture Count

Coming up in conversation were: Singapore and Singapore Chinese, France, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vietnam, in order of mentions.

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/how-can-you-be-a-more-mindful-interculturalist

Fiona Price tells the story of her work with international names: a highly intercultural specialism yet highly unusual in the intercultural field

0.00 Intro

Getting Fiona’s name right.

3.08 Fiona's story

How did Fiona develop her unusual specialism? A smash hit idea.

5.53 First impressions

How much do first impressions matter? What is the role of names in that situation? Why do names matter?

7.33 Names in theory

Where do names fall in the theories of cultural competence? Being good at names as a practical skill.

9.41 More about Fiona’s work

A practical approach. And some targeted workshops.

13.20 Fiona’s work with names

Books, workshops, coaching, reading

16.43 What can names tell us about a person?

Cultural info encoded into names

17.38 Why do people change names when they change cultures?

Switching names in China (both directions). Names appropriate to the context.

21.39 Name sensitivities, practices and rules

Crazy Rich Asians (movie). Dominant cultures

23.15 Localising names

McKay/McKay, Nguyen. Pronunciation, spelling and changing names. Who sets the rules? Pressure to use names in a local or foreign way.

30.29 Honorifics

Oscar-winners, princesses and Osama Bin Laden

34.57 What is the cost of getting it wrong?

Being inclusive with names

39.10 Are we getting better at international names?

Recognition of sensitivities. Skills.

41.35 What’s available if you want to get better at this?

Availability of help. Different phonetic spelling in different English-speaking cultures.

48.07 Fiona’s contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox

A pronunciation website: https://interculturaltoolbox.org/tools/forvo-the-pronunciation-helper

50.14 Contact info

Web and other contact details for Fiona Price

Culture Count

Coming up in conversation were Asia, China, Australia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Africa, West, Indonesia, Middle East, Nigeria, Vietnam, USA, Iceland, South Korea, in order of mentions.

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/saying-name-right-the-most-forgotten-intercultural-skill

Grazia Ghellini shares stories from her work as a professor of intercultural ethics

0.00 Intro and Grazia Ghellini’s story

Her multicultural life and multiple roles. On being an intercultural game maker.

12.16 What is business ethics?

What business ethics tackles and how it connects with intercultural themes

14.09 Ethics in a real, diverse world

Some examples of ethical questions in action. Including nepotism, gift-giving, human rights.

18.01 Ethical solutions

How can ethics help us solve real-world dilemmas? Some frameworks include the Stakeholder approach. Trompenaars' reconciliation of dilemmas. Mitton Bennett’s Constructionist approach. Values & Knowledge Education method: VaKem

27.31 Ethics for interculturalists

Designing simulations. Gamifying cultural and business dilemmas.

32.21 How to get started with ethics as an interculturalist

Recommeded resources include Cultural Detective and Diversophy, Trompenaars' latest book. Christoph Barmeyer’s 2016 book.

38.28 How do businesses do ethics?

Find the ethical people in business!

41.00 What are the trends in the world of ethics?

DEI, Harassment, AI, Whistleblowers, Global citizenship and climate change, CSR and more. Business ethics as taught in business schools. Risk of dogmatic universalist approaches to business ethics.

53.46 The role of an intercultural coach or teacher in real ethical dilemmas

Some examples where Grazia Ghellini has faced a real dilemma.

1.00.19 Grazia Ghellini’s contribution to the Toolbox

A cultural conversation starter

1.04.04 Contact info

Email and Linkedin details for Grazia Ghellini

Culture Count

Coming up in conversation were France, Italy, China (three or four times each), Japan (twice), and at least once: Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, United Kingdom , USA, Western cultures.

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/what-should-interculturalists-do-about-business-ethics

Guy Bondonneau shares stories from his paid and unpaid work as an interculturalist mediator and treasurer

0.00 Intro

Why SIETAR matters to so many interculturalists. This episode's Culture Count.

2.15 Guy Bondonneau’s story

His life and work. Naming an intercultural business. ESSEC mediator qualification.

12.40 Volunteering in general

Why volunteer when you have paid work?

17.40 Volunteering for SIETAR

Volunteer roles at SIETAR

38.00 Role reversal

Guy Bondonneau's contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox

41.20 Contact info

Phone and email details for Guy Bondonneau

Culture Count

Coming up in conversation were France, United Kingdom, England, South America, Sweden, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Uruguay, in order of mentions.

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/why-volunteer-for-sietar

In this episode interculturalist Miroslava Hristova shares insights into her digital transformation projects and other change programmes. Culture is often a factor, so we hear how she raises awareness and develops intercultural competence for her clients.

3.48 Miroslava Hristova’s story
Her life and work. Bulgaria, Morocco and France. Discovering professional interests in international organisations. The Pizza model of culture.

14.00 Organisational cultures: origins and influences
Leaders, legends, history. The relationship with national culture. Uncovering unconscious cultural influences in Romania.

17.45 The role of leaders in change management
Awareness of leaders. An American company doing business in Europe. How much do leaders recognise cultural issues?

25.18 The day-to-day work of an intercultural change manager
Starting up a new project. Conversations with the most resistant people. Communication, training, coaching, and intercultural awareness.

30.00 Project management and the human aspects of change
Delivering change in harmony with people. Trends in digital transformation. IT and other kinds of change management. Mergers and acquisitions

36.42 How does culture impact change management programmes?
Some typical key issues include time, written commitments and building trust.

47.22 Intercultural training for the inexperienced
Miroslava Hristova's contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox. Engaging students in cross-cultural training, The Villager game simulation. Giving intercultural experience to those who have none.

55.08 A book and contact details
About the book written by Miroslava Hristova. And contact details.

Culture Count

Coming up in conversation at least three times were European cultures, Germany and the USA.Arab countries came up at least twice and the following were also mentioned: Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Morocco, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden

https://www.interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/culture-in-change-management

In this episode, interculturalist Hana Bui gives some personal and cultural context for her work in Myanmar and we hear how writing and publishing her first book led her onto the best seller list in her category on Amazon.

3.42 Hana's story

Origins, work, publishing

5.29 The opening of Myanmar

What it was like to end six decades of isolation.

7.46 More of Hana’s story

Travel, co-founding Hotjobs Myanmar, studying globalisation in Leicester, UK and some inspirational books.

14.07 Books about cultures

Doing a deep analysis as well as providing a practical how-to guide. Other books that are available about cultures.

17.15 When Global Meets local - the theme

Myanmar culture dates back thousands of years. Foreigners bring in the global.

20.28 About Myanmar

Current problems and a historical intercultural analysis.

28.46 About the book

About working with a publisher… or not. The writing schedule. Skilling up for publishing and writing.

32.00 The research and writing process

Brian Tracey’s books on Sales. Professional support on editing, graphic design

38.22 Marketing the book

Test marketing, book launch, using the media and influencers

44.20 What to do after Book One

Plans for future books. Lessons learned from last book.

47.57 Hana's Contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox

The 6/9 perspective image

52.14 Contact

How to get in touch with Hana Bui

Culture Count

In order of frequency, these cultures came up during this conversation:

Myanmar, Vietnam, South East Asia, Cambodia, England, Finland, Laos, Thailand, USA

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/writing-an-intercultural-book-about-a-country

In this special bi-lingual episode, interculturalist Margarita Celedón looks at our field from a Latin perspective. We switch to Spanish at 55 minutes, hosted by Francisco Queriuga, President of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Full episode details at https://www.interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/what-is-intercultural-in-spanish

4.45 About Margarita

Margarita Celedón: her life and work

7.35 Margarita Celedón as author

About her recently-published book

10.40 A Latin perspective on the intercultural field

Intercultural terminology in Spanish, a Latin vision, prioritising different topics such as emotion, decolonialisation

14.30 A community for Latin interculturalists

A new group for Latin interculturalists in Europe and Latin America

17.43 Definitions

What are Latin cultures?

20.06 Diverse Latins

A unified community?

28.26 Training participants from Latin cultures

Intercultural training for Latin people - how does this differ from training other cultures? How much PowerPoint should you prepare?

38.45 More about the new Latin interculturalists group

The new group for Latin interculturalists in Europe and Latin America

49.24 Intercultural Toolbox contribution

Proxemics

52.30 How to contact Margarita Celedón

Links on Margarita's page on interculturaltoolbox.org

55.00 Margarita Celedón interviewed by Francisco Queriuga

About Margarita's book, about international trade, about looking at some of the world's cultures from a Latin perspective.

Culture Count

In order of frequency, these cultures came up during this conversation:

Latin, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Germany, United Kingdom , Africa, Anglo-Saxon, Belgium, Brazil, China, Peru, Romania, USA, Argentina, Asia, England, Europe, Inca, Japan, Portugal, Scandinavia, Arab countries, Australia, Aztecs, Equatorial Guinea, Europé: southern, Finland, Germanic, Guatemala, Hispanic, Inuit, Italy: south, Mapuchi, Mayans, Middle East, Netherlands, Nordic countries, Romans, Russia, South America

...and in the Spanish-language conversation:

France, Chile, Brazil, Latin, Spain, Peru, Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Africa, Romania, England, Portugal, Arab countries, Germanic, Russia, Dubai, Islamic cultures, Latin America, Malaysia, Pakistan, Uruguay

Visit https://www.interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/what-is-intercultural-in-spanish

Agnès Domercq shares her experience of working on Olympics preparation as an interculturalist

3.12 Agnès’ Story

How Agnès entered the intercultural profession while working for a Japanese company, some Olympic experiences and her current work.

8.35 The behind-the-scenes landscape of the Olympics

About the IOC, the IPC, the Host City and the way they work together. Olympic inclusiveness through the "Universality slots".

13.55 Why does the Olympics need interculturalists?

Interculturalists don't simply help avoid organisational problems. They are working to build a "human legacy" for each games.

21.20 Agnès Domercq's Olympic intercultural work in practice

Agnès’ roles at the Olympics and her current project on the transfer of knowledge between the games in different cities.

27.25 Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 - particular cultural issues

“Why” people and “how” people. Brazil's brilliant problem-solvers. Running a games during a pandemic. The unique experience for the people working in Olympic roles.

37.20 Intercultural issues among the Olympic organisations

Differing perceptions of time are a key thing for Olympic organisers. Hierarchy and acceptance of requirements are also key: how much will a host city challenge the requirements of the organising committee? A tension between universalism and particularism sometimes arises when ideas about diversity are brought to harmony-based societies.

46.10 How special are the Olympics?

Working as intercultural under the spotlight of the world’s media.

49.20 Dealing with sceptics

How to win over sceptical intercultural training participants in country-specific training.

52.10 Toolbox tool

A contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox by Agnès Domercq

56.04 Contact

How to contact Agnès Domercq

Culture Count

• 1x German, Africa, Switzerland, Mongolia
• 2x Spain, USA
• 3x Brazil, France, Senegal
• 6x Japan

https://interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/winning-olympic-gold-for-intercultural-competence

We talked about shooting images, using image banks, cliché, legal issues, a training case, Brenda's life in culture and photography and of course we hear what Brenda is adding to the toolbox.

1.28 When it was shocking to see an intercultural image

Benetton became the norm

3.25 Brenda's story

Her multicultural origins. Explaining cultures from an early age. The Greek uncle who got her into photography. Her early photographs of the cosmopolitan areas of London.

4.40 What makes an image intercultural?

About the combination of cultures in photography

5.35 Themes in Brenda’s photographic work

How walls tell stories, from advertising billboards, posters and street art. Brenda’s love-hate relationship with walls. “Life should be a festival”. Brenda says "I travelled with my eyes open. I zoom in."

11.00 How to use images in a training situation?

The case of the “intercultural photo journey”.

12.40 Generating your own images

Tips on getting images for intercultural training

20.00 Humanised and inclusive images for intercultural training

What criteria should we use when selecting images?

27.10 How to do marketing with intercultural images

The kind of advice you get from an image consultant

31.35 Using a professional photographer

Working with a pro to get intercultural photos

35.00 Karambolage on the Arte TV channel

Can you identify the cultures in the image? A photographic video resource you can use in intercultural training.

37.45 Brenda's contribution to the Intercultural Toolbox

A carnet de couleur (colouring book) all the way from China

45.30 How to contact Brenda

"Brenda Turnnidge": an easy name to put into your favourite search engine

https://www.interculturaltoolbox.org/episodes/how-to-make-an-image-intercultural