Earlier this year, the Charlotte, NC office formed a local chapter of Protiviti’s Multicultural Employee Network Group, whose purpose is to promote an inclusive work environment for all. One of the main objectives of the group is to create a more collaborative work environment by focusing on understanding diverse perspectives and listening to our people. With that very thought in mind, Ashley, an Experienced Consultant in the office, coordinated efforts with her peer, Annalise, in the Canberra, Australia office. Together, the two who met at Protiviti’s training program, scheduled an international video conference!
You might be thinking, “what about that whole time difference thing?” — and that would be a valid thought. With 16 hours difference between the two cities, coordination wasn’t exactly easy, but the teams made it work! While the Charlotte group enjoyed their dinner on the call, employees in Canberra were snacking on their breakfast. Total, there were about 20 employees present to discuss everything from employee network groups to work culture.
In sitting down with Ashley, I was able to get some more perspective on the takeaways from the call. One thing that Ashley found to be interesting was the difference in some of the employee networking groups. The Canberra office had emphasized their wellness program, which focuses on health, fitness and well-being, and their women’s network presence was still growing. Charlotte has not formally started a wellness group (…yet!), although it sounds like this is something that may be in the works as an outcome of this call. Other discussion topics included perspectives on networking and how it is viewed culturally, as well as time spent just getting to know one another.
When asked what her biggest takeaway from the call was, Ashley stated, “even though we are worlds apart, across Protiviti, we are very similar in terms of the unity and cultural vibe”. In the future, it sounds like more international video conference calls may be on the horizon! We are thrilled that technology has allowed our employees to communicate so personally despite living in different countries.
– Cait
