What is Cultural Competence Training?

Cultural competence training is a structured way to educate employees in cultivating skills and perspectives necessary to thrive in diverse global workplaces. It empowers individuals and organizations alike to better understand, communicate with, and positively interact with people from differing cultures.

These types of initiatives are not limited to making an impact on the local community. Rather, the goals of cultural competence are applicable globally, across industries and geographies. We’ve created this guide to help entrepreneurs and global business leaders gain clarity on what training for cultural competence is, who it benefits, and how it supports successful international business operations.

Defining Cultural Competence and Training Objectives

The central focus of cultural competence is the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact with people from cultures different from one’s own. This is something that requires a combination of awareness and action, in which knowledge of other cultures influences one’s behavior during interactions and daily tasks.

This training is aimed at providing a well-structured program to boost the skills required to develop and improve employees’ awareness of differing cultures, their attitudes toward them, and the practical abilities that ensure engagement with people from diverse backgrounds are positive and productive.

This training commonly encompasses a range of business objectives. These include reducing unconscious and conscious biases, improving communication between culturally diverse parties, and generally making workplaces more inclusive environments.

Why Cultural Competency Training Matters in Global Business

There are various reasons that cultural competency training is being more widely sought and embraced. Primarily, in an increasingly accessible international marketplace, ensuring all staff and leaders have solid abilities to navigate multicultural interactions is a direct influencer of successful operations. 

Where companies hire staff in various geographies, competence supports more effective collaborations. It also ensures managers can lead diverse teams with empathy; strengthening performance, boosting engagement, and minimizing turnover. Indeed, when staff are using individual relocation services to join new offices abroad, competency supports solid interactions. This includes overcoming cultural hurdles that we’ve found are common in answering the question, “What is temporary housing?”

Cultural competency training also has a role to play in ensuring relationships with international clients are more positive. Knowledge of differing cultures and interacting with them can help leaders avoid misunderstandings with current or potential partners. Furthermore, training provides behavioral insights that can boost negotiation outcomes.

Core Components of Cultural Competence Training

Some of the primary aspects of competence training are:

• Awareness-building – Trainees will explore unconscious biases and how these influence perceptions, alongside how cultural norms impact interactions. The aim is to encourage participants to be more aware of their own cultural thinking and open to adapting.
• Communication skills – Trainees will participate in cross-cultural communication development, including developing their active listening skills and utilizing empathy for better perspective-taking.
• Frameworks and customs – Training will introduce participants to various global cultural frameworks, customs, and etiquette standards. This helps equip them to confidently manage international business interactions and collaborations with diverse colleagues.
• Practical activities – Participants will be introduced to real-life case studies about interactions in different cultures to illustrate theoretical learning. Role-play exercises are also commonly used to simulate intercultural challenges and how to navigate these.

Formats and Delivery Methods

Cultural competency training is not delivered through a single session. Rather, it is often an ongoing process that is regularly updated and provided in formats that fit the company’s needs and the knowledge required. 

Firstly, in-person workshops led by experienced trainers or facilitators is one of the more common approaches. This is because these offer direct interactions with a knowledgeable party and trainees gain immediate feedback. 

Alternatively, online modules can offer a more flexible approach to classroom-style learning. Usually still led by a live or recorded facilitator, online modules tend to be more practical for remote or international teams.

For many organizations, a blended learning model that combines self-paced online modules and live sessions is effective. This can be effective where teams work largely asynchronously.

In some instances, businesses will build cultural training into onboarding programs to ensure new hires are prepared. It can also form part of ongoing development training to level up competency in ways that are aligned with the responsibilities of new roles.

Who Needs Cultural Competence Training?

A range of professionals require this training. Firstly, global entrepreneurs and business owners who are expanding operations across borders use it to prepare for increased cross-cultural engagement.

Human resources (HR) professionals, particularly those responsible for international recruitment and onboarding, also need training to ensure interactions are inclusive and diverse needs are met. Where multinational corporations are managing cross-border teams, insights from competence training supports productive working relationships and mitigates potential conflicts. 

Beyond business, professionals in education, government, healthcare, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are frequently involved in international collaborations. Cultural competency courses can be essential for navigating unfamiliar environments and achieving objectives effectively.

Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Awareness vs. Cultural Intelligence

Term	Definition
Cultural awareness	The first step in cultural competence. Involves recognizing that differences exist between cultures, without necessarily having the skills to navigate these.
Cultural competence	This builds upon cultural awareness. Individuals are equipped with actionable skills and knowledge, helping them engage effectively in diverse environments.
Cultural intelligence (CQ)	CQ is the measurable capacity to function in culturally diverse situations. It incorporates a range of cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dimensions.

Benefits and Measurable Outcomes

So, why engage in or facilitate cultural competency training? Well, aside from the ethical imperatives, there are some clear benefits and measurable positive outcomes. Firstly, it tends to enhance communication among diverse teams, as training empowers team members to express themselves and interpret others in a more culturally mindful manner. 

This, in turn, can markedly improve team cohesion, ensuring relationships are built on empathetic foundations. Furthermore, the number of conflicts caused by misunderstandings or overlooking others’ cultural perspectives is reduced. The result is often that morale gets a significant boost, which influences engagement, turnover, and even innovation.

Furthermore, companies tend to find they’re more competitive in global environments. The skills cultural competency training provides leaders and staff enables more authentic exchanges with clients, partners, and consumers from varying backgrounds. This enhances satisfaction, which affects ongoing engagement.

Common Challenges in Implementing Training

While competency training has immense benefits, it can also be challenging to execute. Some hurdles to navigate include:

• Resistance – Some organizations experience resistance from workers or management who aren’t familiar with the importance of cultural competency or don’t fully understand its value.
• Stereotyping – When training sessions are poorly designed or executed, trainees may receive information that is based on overgeneralizations or misinformed stereotypes. This tends to undermine the intended positive outcomes.
• Measuring efficacy – It can be difficult to empirically measure the efficacy of training or the changes in behavior that result from it. This can make it harder to evaluate return on investment.
• Budget constraints – Deploying consistent and high-quality training across a global workforce requires significant investment. Budget or resource constraints can negatively impact the quality of training that can be provided, particularly in smaller enterprises.

How to Choose a Quality Cultural Competence Program

Similarly to the issue of how to choose a moving company when relocating for business, not all cultural competence programs are alike. It’s vital to choose one that is likely to have the most positive impact. You should start by assessing how relevant each available program option is to the industry your company is part of and where in the world it operates.

From here, evaluating trainer expertise is essential. Prioritize programs that are led by professionals with verifiable credentials and—wherever possible—extensive first-hand experience working in multicultural environments.

While theoretical information is useful, programs that have interactive and practical components are also likely to be more engaging and useful for trainees. Look for curriculums that include workshops and role-playing activities.

Finally, ensure that the training being offered is applicable to a global context, rather than focusing on limited regions. This helps ensure that the program provides skills that leaders and staff can apply flexibly in diverse international interactions.

FAQs

What is cultural competency training?

It’s a structured learning process designed to help individuals gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively in culturally diverse environments.

Why is cultural competence training important?

It enhances communication, mitigates conflict, and improves outcomes in international business and multicultural workplaces.

Who should take cultural competence training?

Those working in cross cultural settings, especially business leaders, global HR professionals, and international service providers.

How is cultural competence different from cultural awareness?

Awareness is recognizing differences, while competence involves taking informed actions based on that recognition.

Can cultural competence be measured?

Some programs use tools to assess cultural intelligence or pre- and post-training assessments to evaluate progress.

References

Ihtiyar, Ali, et al. (2015, April). The Impact of Intercultural Competence on Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction. Research Gate.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269701805_The_Impact_of_Intercultural_Competence_on_Service_Quality_and_Customer_Satisfaction

Gino, F, et al. (2021, September). Unconscious Bias Training That Works. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/09/unconscious-bias-training-that-works 

Marr, B. (2022, September 5). Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Is An Important Predictor Of Success. Here’s How To Boost Your CQ. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/09/05/cultural-intelligence-cq-is-an-important-predictor-of-success-heres-how-to-boost-your-cq