Senorics is a culturally diverse company and so inclusion plays an important role in day-to-day business. Management encourages cultural sensitivity and employees make an effort to be aware of differences as well as similarities within their teams and to use them in ways that are beneficial for the work environment. For this article we have asked a few employees what their views on diversity and inclusion are and how they think these core values are being implemented at Senorics.
How do you define diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
“To me it means working with people from a wide range of cultural and demographic backgrounds and creating an atmosphere that welcomes different ideas and encourages collaboration. I think this is especially crucial in startups.” – Fares Abassi, Lab Assistant
“For me diversity includes many factors such as different working styles, genders, religious beliefs, preferences, cultural backgrounds, and languages. It also includes people with disabilities or highly sensitive people. Inclusion means to create awareness for differences and similarities and the huge benefit both can create within teams. People can inspire each other with their different ways of thinking, making diversity one of the biggest assets a company can have.” – Hannah Szynal, Sales and Marketing Manager & Team Lead
“Diversity and inclusion for me are two sides of the same coin. For me diversity refers to a variety of behaviors, cultures, personalities and knowledge, and skills among employees. Inclusion means the way in which an organization aligns its culture and internal processes to ensure that each of the diverse employees gets treated equally and nobody feels excluded.” – Sunny Sidhartha, Sales Manager
Senorics' team photo captured in June 2023
What do you think are the benefits of having a diverse team?
“I think that a mix of backgrounds and experiences can lead to a broader perspective on how to approach new projects and address challenges. Diversity often sparks enhanced creativity, and a diverse team tends to make more informed decisions based on multiple viewpoints. By embracing diversity, companies also gain access to a larger talent pool, avoiding the limitations of hiring only from a specific demographic.” – Alexandru Rosca, Software Developer Mobile Applications
“I believe that teams with members from different cultural and educational backgrounds have a wider spectrum of ideas and knowledge and work more innovatively. Diverse teams also tend to have a broader market reach, which can speed up market targeting and benefit a company’s visibility.” – Fares Abassi, Lab Assistant
What do you think is the most challenging aspect of working in a diverse environment?
“The most challenging aspect of diversity is to be empathetic towards others. We are often so immersed in our own mindset that we rarely try to understand other people’s perspectives. For most people this kind of empathy doesn’t just come naturally, so it’s important to make an effort to be aware of one’s own thinking and to stay open to the opinions of others.” – Sunny Sidhartha, Sales Manager
“I think one of the most challenging aspects is the potential for miscommunication due to language barriers or cultural differences in expression. Additionally, varying norms and values can result in differing work ethics and expectations. There's also the challenge of potential unconscious biases, which can inadvertently affect decision-making and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, managing conflicts that arise from differing viewpoints or beliefs can demand a higher level of sensitivity and diplomacy. Ensuring inclusivity and equal representation is a continuous effort, requiring organizations to be proactive in their strategies and training. However, it's essential to remember that while these challenges exist, the benefits of a diverse environment usually outweigh the difficulties, especially when approached with understanding and openness.” – Alexandru Rosca, Software Developer Mobile Applications
How do you think companies can create a more inclusive environment for employees from diverse backgrounds?
“Companies need to ensure that each employee is on the same page and aware of the complexities of diversity. To achieve that, it is imperative to hold trainings and share current information on the topic. A small but meaningful gesture could be to celebrate festivals from different countries or religions in small ways or to encourage the sharing of trivia about people’s backgrounds and customs within diverse teams.” – Sunny Sidhartha, Sales Manager
“It starts with management hiring people with diverse backgrounds and ensuring that everyone feels welcome. Team leads should have access to trainings and coaching and should be encouraged to learn about the benefits of diversity. Inclusion begins with being aware of one's own behavior, way of thinking and cultural background. Without being self-aware it is difficult to be aware and to respect other people's perception of the work environment. Offering flexible working hours, time, and space to pray throughout the day, cultural awareness workshops or language training are further possibilities. In addition, people who don't feel included should be encouraged to talk about their experiences to a trustworthy person within the company.” – Hannah Szynal, Sales and Marketing Manager & Team Lead
CTO Robert Brückner in a meeting with his team members
Can you give an example of how you have integrated diversity and inclusion into your team dynamics?
“The sales and marketing team at Senorics is a very diverse team, speaking three different native languages. One colleague is working remotely from New Zealand, another colleague spent the last year in Taiwan and another one is permanently working remotely from another city in Germany. So, on top of cultural differences, we are also dealing with different time zones and hybrid meetings. There are also different working and communication styles within my team. Sometimes this is really challenging for everyone, but it’s also a big asset.
I try to make sure to get the sales team at the same (virtual) table at least once a day, which is especially important for staying connected to our remote team member. When providing feedback or discussing new tasks I keep in mind the different working and communication styles to give everyone the chance to share their thoughts and stay motivated. I believe that open communication is the key to inclusion. My team members know that they can be honest with me and I’m also very transparent about what I do and why I do it.” – Hannah Szynal, Sales and Marketing Manager & Team Lead
In your opinion, how does Senorics ensure that these core values of diversity and inclusion are met?
“I count the diversity in our teams as one of Senorics’ biggest strengths and key to its success. Teams consist of people from various backgrounds, and they are all provided with respectful workplace policies. Additionally, flat hierarchies contribute to diversity and inclusion by promoting collaboration and equality of all voices.” – Fares Abassi, Lab Assistant
“In my experience, one of the best things about Senorics is the company culture. Since day one, I have felt welcomed and included. It also helped that the team that I am a part of is quite diverse - not only culturally but also in terms of personalities. But the open and friendly culture was evident from all teams across Senorics. I remember numerous occasions where the management automatically switched to English language, internally as well as with customers, when I was the only non-native German speaker.” – Sunny Sidhartha, Sales Manager
What are you thoughts on diversity and inclusion at the workplace? Does your company support policies that celebrate diversity and encourage inclusion? Let us know in the comments or tag us on LinkedIn.
If you are looking for a new professional challenge in a diverse working environment, make sure to keep an eye on our job openings for any future vacancies.
