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Collaboration in a multicultural team
25 Oct, 2023
The HSO Data & AI team is exceptionally diverse. In the Netherlands, we have team members from Iran and India, among other countries. Additionally, our team consists of five colleagues working remotely from Macedonia. What effect does this diversity have on collaboration amongst team members? And how does the team handle challenges?
Marc Verbiesen, delivery manager Data & AI-team
Mark is living and working in the Netherlands
“Three years ago, I began putting together the team in Macedonia. We intentionally hired people that truly form part of our team in the Netherlands. That’s why it’s important that we are located in the same time zone. To ensure that everyone can participate, all our meetings are in English. Language is not a problem, but sometimes we do have to deal with cultural differences. For example, in the Netherlands, we are very used to directly raising questions when something is not clear in the workplace. That used to make the remote team uncomfortable sometimes, but they have grown quite a bit in that respect.
Through collaboration, on-site training and occasional face-to-face meetings, we bridge these differences and learn from each other. Another cultural difference came up when we sent the remote team a thank you gift after a project delivery. In Macedonia, a bottle of wine turns out to be a more welcome gift than a bouquet of flowers.”
Pavan Bangad, Senior Consultant
Pavan is originally from India and currently living and working in the Netherlands
“I find it very educational to be part of a team with diverse cultures and work styles. Are the Dutch direct? That’s true. But I see it as a positive trait. If you are stuck on an assignment, it’s good to be able to communicate that to your manager. That way you prevent a project from getting out of hand. At first, I was reluctant to ask questions, but I’ve learned that it actually has a positive impact.
Outside of work, I find the cultural differences very enjoyable. It’s unbelievable how many kinds of bread there are in the Netherlands. We do our best to get to know each other's cultures in a fun way. For example, my colleagues take me to the snack bar for cheese souffle and fries, and the last Friday happy hour was organized by a group of Indian team members, where we served Indian snacks and beer. That was a huge success!”
Filip Trajkov, BI Consultant
Filip is currently living and working in Macedonia
“In my opinion, diversity absolutely contributes to the success of a project. We can really learn a lot from each other’s culture. To illustrate that in a lighthearted manner, I gave a presentation to the whole team about the cultural differences. The Dutch are quicker to share their opinion, are very efficient and internationally minded. We (in Macedonia) are more creative and less individualistic. I’d be lying if I said these differences didn’t cause challenges every once in a while, but everyone eventually learns to adapt.
So far, I’ve been in the Netherlands twice and had the chance to join in some Dutch traditions. I thought the cheese festival in Alkmaar was fantastic. By meeting each other face to face, you learn to value each other more. I hope next year we are able to receive the Dutch team in Macedonia.”