Kira Rubiano's workshop during PayrollOrg’s 2023 Payroll Congress, "Navigating Cross Cultural Differences in Payroll and Championing Culture," was a captivating journey into the colourful and complex world of cross-cultural differences.
Attendees were immediately drawn into the conversation, as Rubiano, Vice President of Global Payroll Operations at Atlas, shared her personal and professional experiences, emphasising how culture shapes the way we communicate, perceive, and deal with others.
Throughout the session, Rubiano highlighted the importance of creating culture champions within businesses, with payroll leaders having a unique opportunity to inspire cultural change. Payroll professionals liaise with various departments, vendors, partners, clients, statutory bodies, local authorities, and colleagues from different cultural backgrounds, making it crucial to navigate these differences with sensitivity and inclusivity.
The Eight Scales of Culture—based on “The Culture Map,” by Erin Meyer—were introduced, which are crucial considerations that can impact those from different cultural backgrounds if not handled sensitively. Rubiano explored how different cultures perceive communication, evaluation, persuasion, leadership, decision-making, trust, disagreement, and scheduling, and explained how payroll professionals can use these insights to champion an inclusive culture, reduce the impact of negative feedback, and improve overall communication.
In addition, the importance of developing three core pillars to navigate cross-cultural challenges was discussed: building trust, communication, and relationships. It was also emphasised the need to raise awareness of how actions and communication styles may impact differently across different cultural backgrounds.
With a nod to the new world of work we find ourselves in post-pandemic, the cultural challenges and considerations we need to apply to virtual meetings were addressed. The importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity in the workplace has never been more important, and Rubiano’s insights serve as a reminder that payroll can be about much more than just paying people on time, compliantly, and accurately.
The workshop left attendees feeling inspired and empowered to promote cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity to foster inclusive workplaces for everyone. With practical and informative advice, these insights will undoubtedly have had a positive impact on every payroll professional in attendance, helping them to navigate the complex and colourful world of cross-cultural differences with sensitivity, inclusivity, and empathy.