Cross-cultural communication and understanding Canadian work etiquette are important parts of the job search for international students and newcomers. When looking to kick off a career in a new country, different cultures have different communication norms, standards and practices.
As a result, it’s very important if you’re looking for a job in a new country to get familiar with those sets of norms and standards.
Recruiters and Hiring Managers have assumptions and expect certain behaviours. Hopefully, the hiring team has done some work to understand cultural differences. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
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When it comes to cross-cultural communication in the Canadian job search, it’s often the little things that count. Understanding the details can go a long way to bolster your candidacy as an international student or newcomer.
While it’s important to have a strong resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile, preparing for the cultural norms of the interview is very important too.
Here are tips for more effective cross-cultural communication as an international student or newcomer to Canada.
Tip 1: understand what your body language is saying.
Depending on what part of the world you’re from, body language can mean a lot of different things. Body language is how we move, and how you portray yourself physically in an interview. It is also interpreted to assess your overall level of professionalism and polish.
In the Canadian workplace context, there is a desire from employers for you to demonstrate confidence in a job interview.
To a Canadian employer how you move, sit, and physically interact will send a message about your level of confidence and professional polish.
During an interview or any formal meeting, it will be important to sit up straight and move intentionally. Gestures like fidgeting, for example, can be interpreted as a nervous reaction to the situation. These nerves may be seen as a lack of confidence.
Make sure each movement during a job interview and how you use your body is intentional. This will make you appear much more confident and polished. This can work to improve your overall credibility.
Tip 2: make appropriate eye contact.
In Canada, there is an expectation that you make consistent, but not creepy, eye contact with the person interviewing you. If you are being interviewed by multiple managers or recruiters, you should be sure to distribute eye contact across the group, depending on who you are addressing directly.
For example, if you are being interviewed by a panel of interviewers and only make eye contact with the men, this will be viewed as disrespectful to any women leaders on the panel.
Eye contact is interpreted as a demonstration of interest and engagement in the conversation. Making eye contact with people is also interpreted as a sign of honestly and respect.
Tip 3: skip the handshake.
Pre-covid, Canadian employers were looking for a firm and strong handshake. This was interpreted as confidence and respect. But since the pandemic started in 2020, there is a movement away from shaking hands.
Instead, be respectful of the interviewer’s personal space and practice social distancing.
Follow the interviewer’s lead on this and be true to yourself too. If the interviewer reaches out to shake your hand and you feel comfortable, go ahead and reciprocate. Make sure to demonstrate confidence with a firm handshake.
If you’re not comfortable shaking hands, simply address this professionally. ‘I’d love to shake your hand but I am practicing social distancing, I hope you can understand.’ And they likely will. Here’s more on how to avoid shaking hands.
Make sure to keep your statement short and sweet. There is no reason to share why you are practicing social distancing or any other personal details.
Tip 4: follow the dress code.
It’s important to understand the expectations for dress in Canada and the specific company you are meeting with.
In Canada, the dress code can vary greatly from company to company. This can make things complicated.
Some organizations may value suit and tie or business formal approach. Other companies may be more casual in their dress code.
The company’s dress code is often aligned with their type of business. For example, you might see a formal suit and tie dress code from a traditional employer like an established accounting firm. A casual dress code is more common in a startup environment.
When it comes to understanding what you should wear to an interview, look around. You can get great clues from the company’s website and social media. For example, look at their social account for employee events and see what people are wearing.
Take note of the norms and culture of the company. Feel free to ask any contacts you might have inside the organization to understand what is seen as acceptable attire for work.
It is also appropriate and recommended that you ask your interviewer about the dress code.
In Canada, business attire is typically a collared shirt and dress pants. Depending on the context, this can often include a blazer. Men should wear a tie.
For business attire, women could also wear a suit or a collared dress that has a hemline which sits at the knee or longer.
Business casual attire is typically khaki pants and a golf shirt for men. In some contexts, denim might be acceptable.
Common business casual clothing for women can include a collared or non-collared blouse, skirt, pants, high heels and modest jewelry and accessories.
You might also like this post Reasons To Work for a Big Company as a Black Professional in Canada.
Tip 5: practice the language as much as possible.
It’s important to be sensitive that different words could have different meanings depending on the cultural context. Words could perhaps have different connotations in different cultures. For example, while the word ‘ma’ demonstrates respect in one culture, it might be seen as disrespectful in another.
Language is complicated and this will often be a case of ‘practice makes perfect’. It will be impossible to understand every single possible scenario and connotation.
CBC is a reputable source and has created this useful list of commonly words and phrases you may want to think twice about using.
Still, with all the resources in the world it’s likely that you will make mistakes along the way. If you’re in a situation and you feel like you’ve made a misstep or done said something potentially offensive, the best thing to do is be honest and direct.
Offer a sincere apology and ask for feedback. For example, ‘I am sorry. I did not understand the connotation. Would you mind sharing why what I said was offensive so I can be sensitive to it in the future?’
This response demonstrates accountability and maturity. These are traits which are highly valued by Canadian employers. How you manage any mistakes like might end up impressing that potential future employer.
Conclusion: understanding cross-cultural communication is key to your job search success.
When it comes to cross-cultural communication in the Canadian job search, the details can be completely overwhelming for international students and newcomers.
Moving to a new country and job searching in a different culture is a complex undertaking. International students and newcomers should prepare to make mistakes along the way.
You’ll ace the norms and standards through practice, research and learning from others. As you build experiences and relationships you will also build your confidence.
International students and newcomers should beware of bad job search advice offered from well-meaning Canadians. It’s possible you’ll get bad advice from individuals that simply don’t understand your unique challenges and perspectives.
If you find yourself in a situation where the employer doesn’t demonstrate tolerance of the differences and challenges you’re working to overcome, that’s probably not going to be the place you want to work anyways.
At HireDiverse, we believe that all job seekers, including international students and newcomers, deserve to be treated with respect. After all, you’ve been forced to overcome additional challenges in your job search that can bring big value to your future employer.
