How do you manage a multicultural team? (the 2025 guide)

Multicultural teams can be a real company asset. They’ll adapt a marketing campaign to each customer’s culture, know which products will work in which country, and use the right wordplay when targeting a particular nationality. However, handling a multicultural team can also be challenging for management. Let’s examine these challenges and look at ways to overcome them.

We’ll cover various issues in this article before providing some tips, so you can manage a multicultural team without a hitch!

Multicultural team management: the 5 major challenges

1. Language barriers

Even though most international teams communicate in English, not everyone has a good command of the language. This is why language barriers can hinder understanding and become a managerial challenge. This is especially true when American or English employees use little-known nuances, slang, or phrases.

2. Different ways of communicating

Each culture has its way of communicating in the workplace. Some people have a no-frills approach, while others are less direct. This can create friction within an organisation.

📌 For example: a tongue-in-cheek phrase in English may be considered offensive in another language. Similarly, non-verbal language (gestures, facial expressions, hand signals) may also have another meaning.

3. Working habits

Some countries, such as the Nordic ones, emphasise punctuality and set working hours. Others are more easy-going provided employees meet the company’s objectives. This disparity in working practices can create tension within international teams. A manager who wants to manage a multicultural team without a glitch will have to take these differences into account so that team members feel included and not judged for who they are.

4. Different time zones

Different time zones present another challenge when managing a multicultural team. A one or two-hour time zone difference between colleagues is easy to deal with, but once it exceeds three hours, things can get tricky. Delays, difficulties in scheduling meetings, coordination problems… This geographical distance between employees can lead to damaging communication problems.

5. Local laws and regulations

Employment laws and regulations vary from country to country. These impact the treatment and employment contracts for international team members. For example, in the Philippines, a “13th-month salary” is a legal requirement that employers must honour with non-managerial employees. This begs the question: if your team includes a Filipino, should all your employees receive this extra month’s salary?

📝 In short, various specific challenges must be dealt with if you’re to create an inclusive work environment. The aim is for every team member to feel heard and valued, regardless of their background.

We’ve compiled some tips to help you better manage this type of team.

How should you manage a remote-working multicultural team?

An Upwork study revealed that 22% of the US workforce will work remotely by the end of 2025. And with remote work increasingly popular among Europeans, it’s likely to see a surge in coming years. Management-wise, companies should prepare for this in advance.

Here are our tips for managing a remote-working international team while factoring in cultural differences.

1. Acknowledge differences

Acknowledging your employees’ cultural differences is a must. By doing so you can tailor conversations according to the team member you are talking to. It’s wise to be proactive by asking your employees questions to help you recognise, understand and accept the specifics:

• How do they like to communicate?
• How would they like you to address them?
• Do they appreciate humour in the workplace, or do they find it inappropriate?
• Do they prefer emails or video calls?

These simple questions will help you break down barriers and forge a mutually beneficial, productive relationship.

2. Translate all your in-house documents into several languages

Translating all your in-house documents into the languages spoken within your company is a good idea. This way, everyone in your company will be able to understand the intricacies of any paperwork they consult. Paid leave policy, code of conduct, remote working guidelines… A professional translation is best for lots of these types of documents.

Your business will also benefit if you translate its website into the languages spoken within your company. For example, if you translate your e-shop into languages your staff speak, they’ll promote your company to customers in their native language.

📌 Example: if your product sheets are well translated, your front-facing employees will correctly inform your customers about the characteristics of your products regardless of their nationality.

3. Developing an international work environment

If you have various subsidiaries abroad, all team members must have the same objectives and limits, regardless of where they live. We therefore recommend you create an international working environment. A remote-working company culture that comprises a common framework and rules will strengthen your employees’ sense of belonging.

4. Avoid stereotypes

We all have character traits and opinions, regardless of our country of origin. Management should get to know team members without relying on pre-conceived ideas or stereotypes.

What sports do they like? What’s their favourite drink? What kind of music do they listen to? Kindness and sincerity are universal languages. To successfully manage a multicultural team, it’s essential to draw on both.

5. Leverage diversity

Despite the above challenges, heading a multicultural team can be a real asset. Each employee will bring their personal experience, a fresh perspective, or a concept already in place in their country to the corporate table.

Plus, they will be familiar with the cultural or linguistic codes of their country/region. They are therefore well-placed to guide you when implementing international strategies.

We highly recommend you foster this cultural diversity to get a better understanding of international markets in your sector of activity.

Managing a multicultural team: the key takeaways

As you can see, managing a multicultural team provides plenty of positives as well presenting challenges.

Among the pluses is you’ll reap the benefits of the varied skills brought by employees and their deep understanding of the local market.

Challenges include language barriers, how you communicate, time differences, workplace habits and country-specific regulations.

Now that you’re up to speed on the ups and downs, we’re sure you’ll implement the right solutions.

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