The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) notes the crucial role of intercultural dialogue for attaining peace and sustainable development.¹ The workplace is not excluded. Diversity goes hand in hand with inclusion. For example, workforce diversity describes the variety of differences, such as physical ability, gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and more.² Meanwhile, an inclusive workforce recognises, appreciates and accepts that diversity, ensuring equal opportunities for all employees.
Benefits of valuing equality and diversity
At an international company, we often have to work with people who have come from different backgrounds, share different beliefs and live their lives based on a range of cultural norms. This interaction teaches us the importance of having respect for and listening to each other, as well as making the effort to understand our differences. In such a diverse space, we learn to empathise with others, regardless of cultural gaps. And in the process, we gain opportunities to develop our soft skills, namely embracing multidimensional points of view, patience in working across cultures, cultural sensitivity etc.
All of the above is exactly what I am experiencing and learning during my internship at Medline Europe. Headquartered in Arnhem, the Netherlands, it is a healthcare company with 57 unique nationalities and a strong culture of onboarding a diverse group of people. But inclusion cannot be calculated based on diversity in identities, genders, sexual orientations or nationalities in a company. Instead, it is the existence of equal treatment and organisational behaviours that promote equality and diversity that is an effective indicator.
How inclusive is Medline?
This is quite easy for me to answer. But, first, let me tell you a little about myself. I am a 26-year-old intern from Vietnam, who is currently studying at a Dutch university in Arnhem, a city and municipality in the eastern part of the Netherlands. As a communications student in a new environment with different cultural norms and multiple languages that are different from my mother tongue, it is important for me to feel like I belong and can contribute equally. That is what I have witnessed.
At Medline, I work in the marketing and communications department with a team of people from countries including, France, Germany, Jamaica, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, the United States and Zambia. And since the beginning, I’ve truly felt heard, supported, empowered and trusted. This is also true for colleagues from other departments who I’ve worked with. In particular, I can be myself and feel comfortable when working in the office, and I can even recognise changes in my attitude over time. As a result of my time there, I consciously try to ensure I understand and respect everyone around me, not just in the office but also in daily life. And by that I mean, it is becoming second nature for me to facilitate the respect and equal treatment that everyone deserves, regardless of what their identity includes.
Still, it was a challenge for me at the beginning of the internship. Since I have been working in a diverse team with 9 nationalities, there is a wide range of barriers, such as different working styles, language differences, cultural nuances for proper behaviour and so on. During some occasional small talk, at lunch for example, I could not immediately understand the jokes or stories from other colleagues. However, over time, I’ve realised that my team has found ways to bridge the gaps between each person, after years of working together towards common goals. Some things we may never fully understand about each other, but we can definitely learn to appreciate them while focusing on what is similar between us.
So, eventually, I could listen to my colleagues’ stories and conversations and recognise moments where even I can also share, which helps them to understand me better. What is that they say in English? … Everything in time! Nonetheless, without a team and environment that cultivates diversity and inclusion in the workplace, my gradual adaptation to international life so far, would not be possible.
So what’s your internship like?
Tuyen Kim Duong
Web Intern, Medline Europe
Tuyen, who comes from Vietnam, is a communications student at HAN University in the Netherlands. She has been doing her graduation internship at Medline Europe, working with the web team within the marketing and communications department. Outside of work, she enjoys watching nature documentaries, travelling and cooking. Learn more on LinkedIn.
References:
[1] United Nations, (2023). World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, 21 May. Retrieve from https://www.un.org/en/observances/cultural-diversity-day
[2] Utah State University (n.d). Understanding the Dimensions of Diversity. Retrieved from https://extension.usu.edu/employee/diversity/dimensions-of-diversity
25 July 2023
