Join Romina Morandini and Dario Kanevsky for their panel discussions about the avenues we encounter in a multicultural workforce, such as the complexity of languages, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in leadership, and the international interactions between companies.

5. Today’s Agenda
1. Romina and Dario’s multilingual journey in the
workplace
2. Current trends happening in multicultural
workforces in North America, Canada, and Europe
3. How leadership can infuse DEI in their workplace
through communication and awareness
4. Methods to reach your employees with various
heritages in meaningful ways
5. Initiatives to overcome the barriers that come with
the complexity of language

6. https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/tle/TLE_AugSept19_Article.pdf
Current Trends Happening in North America
In the US: Whites made up the majority of the labor
force (77 percent). Blacks and Asians constituted an
additional 13 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
American Indians and Alaska Natives made up 1
percent of the labor force.
Among Asians participating in the labor force, the
largest group was Asian Indian, making up 24 percent
of all Asians. Chinese made up 22 percent, followed
by Filipinos (14 percent), Vietnamese (11 percent),
Koreans (8 percent), and Japanese (5 percent).
People of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, who may be of
any race, made up 18 percent of the total labor force.
Source: US ( https://www.bls.gov/cps/demographics.htm)

7. Current Trends Happening in North America
A Point to Consider: The Immigration Policies Happening in North America

8. https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/tle/TLE_AugSept19_Article.pdf
Current Trends Happening in North America

9. Source : Laurent Martel, Director of Demography division at Statistics Canada.
Current Trends Happening in North America
All labour force scenarios show a strong increase in
ethnocultural diversity
● 2016: 1 in 4 were born outside Canada
● The % in 2036 will vary from 30% to 36 % according to
the scenario.
● In addition, the visible minority population is growing:
○ Immigration
○ Migrants already settled in Canada having
children

10. Current Trends Happening in Europe
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_aes_l24/default/map?lang=en
Drivers of demographic change in Europe
● Longer Lives
● Fewer Births
● Aging Population
● Smaller Households
● A more mobile Europe : free movement
of people within 27 states. In the last
35 years, Europe has been a continent
of net immigration. Since the
mid-1980s, each year more people
moved into the EU than left, resulting in
positive net migration
Source : https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/demography_report_2020_n.pdf

11. AUDIENCE POLL
Does your organization already have
programs or initiatives that recognize
multicultural or multilingual
employees?
● Yes
● Yes, but we need help
● I’m not sure
● No

12. Ways Leadership can Infuse DEI in their Workplaces
Discussion Time

13. AUDIENCE POLL
How many languages do you speak?
● 1
● 2
● 3
● 4
● 5+

14. Mapping Leadership Cultures (Erin Meyer INSEAD)

15. Methods to Reach your Employees with Various Heritages
Discussion Time

16. AUDIENCE POLL
Have you ever been stereotyped due
a language barrier or accent?
● Yes
● No
● I’m not sure

17. Initiatives to Overcome the Barriers that Come with the Complexity of Language
How can native speakers of English be
supportive to those not speaking English as
a first language?
- Slow down,
- Enunciate,
- Avoid overly local or regional or sports
reference ( football / soccer / basketball)
- Cut down on ‘regionalisms’ that are difficult to
explain to those from a different region / part
of the country.
- Use ‘International English’ aka more common
words

18. Further Resources
● Study: A CEO’s Decision Making Is Shaped by Whether Their Parents Were Immigrants [article]
https://hbr.org/2018/03/study-a-ceos-decision-making-is-shaped-by-whether-their-parents-were-immigrants
● The power of language: How words shape people, culture (stanford.edu) [article]:
https://news.stanford.edu/2019/08/22/the-power-of-language-how-words-shape-people-culture/
● Do bilinguals have two personalities? A special case of cultural frame switching. [article]
doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2004.09.001 (utpsyc.org)
● What Did You Say? 4 Tips for Understanding Accents at Work [article]:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/what-did-you-say-4-tips-for-understanding-accents-at-work
● The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business [book]
https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/
● Mapping Leadership Culture: A Short Intro [video]
https://hbr.org/video/embed/5476393165001/how-cultures-across-the-world-approach-leadership
● U.S. Businesses Need More Multilingual Employees [article]
https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/tle/TLE_AugSept19_Article.pdf
● Eurostat Data Browser [tool]
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_aes_l24/default/map?lang=en
● Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey [survey/tool]
https://www.bls.gov/cps/demographics.htm
● European Commission Report on the Impact of Demographic Change [article]
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/demography_report_2020_n.pdf