There is a huge emphasis on hiring staff from within our country to benefit our internal economy, however there are many benefits to hiring international staff that you often can't replicate with people from a more local background. Here are just a few reasons how having a culturally diverse team can benefit your business.
Language - While the vast majority of your business may well be conducted in the English language, there is a high chance that not all of your clients come from an English speaking background. Imagine being in a foreign language speaking country, and the amount of relief and joy it could possibly bring you to conduct a difficult transaction in your mother tongue. Now, turn that on it's head, and imagine your client being so happy just by being able to communicate with you in their own language, and the repeat business it can potentially bring you. Hiring international staff massively boosts your chance of having a multi-lingual team that can communicate with a higher number of people, therefore boosting your potential clientele and countries you are able to business with.
Cultural barriers - It is a well known fact that not all cultures operate in the same way, and some religions or nationalities might even be offended by a gesture of goodwill and may have expected you to understand this before you offered it to them. Again, by having a culturally diverse team you are more likely to cover more of the cultural differences and barriers that would otherwise be unknown. If your clients feel like their culture is understood by your business, again you are rolling out the red mat for repeat business and more trustworthy transactions.
Skill sets - Some skills have been lacking in the US market due to a lack of enthusiasm in the younger generations, however this may not be the case for other countries who could well have an abundance of a skill needed in your business, driving the skilled worker out of their country of birth due to a lack of jobs in search of something elsewhere. Most of these workers will immediately seek out how to acquire qualifications or how to transfer their current qualifications into the noticeable equivalent when they arrive to the US, and may well demand a cheaper rate due to the comparison of wages between their country of origin and the US.
Anti-discrimination - Laws are always coming into effect to diversify the work force and to prove that the nations employers are not racist by providing opportunities for those form different backgrounds. If you can prove that you are hiring a culturally diverse team, there is much less chance of anybody trying to take you to court over the matter. Do just bear in mind that you should be hiring somebody due to their skill set and not their race in any circumstance, and sometimes you might have to prove why your average American citizen was indeed the best person for the job over an international candidate.
Networking - As well as transcending some potential language barriers, skilled workers from foreign countries can open up a world of opportunities for you and your business. It is likely that somebody who is well trained in your business area has a web of contacts from their country of origin, allowing your business to reach out to them and to collaborate with people who would otherwise have remained unknown to you. This goes for anybody, from potential clients, potential job candidates, ex-employers who could become your business partners, companies providing materials for you or even people you will be able to sell your product to. This obvious relates more to people higher up the chain of command over those who are lower down, but can be beneficial on all levels of the business.
Raising cultural awareness within your team - One way to boost staff morale and to make them more culturally tolerant is to introduce somebody to challenge their thoughts and ideas. By having somebody they can relate to but at the same time allows them to think outside the box a little will make them more culturally aware of people from all corners of our little planet. It can even inspire positive development if people want to understand their new co-worker on a personal level and start learning additional languages.