Multinational Work Culture Insights with Otto
Multinational Work Culture Insights with Otto
In this age of global connectivity, workplaces have transcended borders, creating a dynamic and diverse work environment. To shed light on this evolving landscape and its impact on the young Nepali workforce, we hosted an enlightening career discussion titled “Navigating Multinational Work Culture.”
Our special guest was Otto Dargan, the visionary founder of Home Loan Experts and Alaya. It focused on addressing your career aspirations, effective networking, stability in multinational corporations, communication styles, and insights into Australian work culture.
Here are some key takeaways from the session:
Mapping Out Your Career Journey
The first step is to chart your desired career path strategically. Take the time to choose your direction wisely. We encourage you to explore the concept of IKIGAI (ee-key-GUY), a Japanese philosophy that uncovers the perfect blend of your strengths, passions and viable income sources.
Building Your Personal Brand and Networking
Boosting your career opportunities starts with excelling in your field, adding value, and honing your skills to gain recognition. Platforms like LinkedIn can aid in career branding. In Nepal, personal relationships are pivotal, so attending events and staying connected with friends, family and college mates is invaluable. Mentors can provide valuable insights and access to professional networks.
Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals
Remember, a career is long term, while a job is short term. Focus on long-term gains and choose optimal learning environments. Craft a personal development plan and seek guidance from experienced mentors. Avoid rushing into quick promotions that may leave you unprepared for new responsibilities.
Alaya Offers Stability
Working at Alaya exemplifies the stability and advantages of the Australian mortgage industry. For 15 years, Alaya has consistently provided job security, never having to lay off any staff members. Dargan shared that this longevity requires taking financial responsibility, having minimal debt, and proactively anticipating industry trends.
With rare challenges and remarkable opportunities, particularly in roles such as Mortgage Broker, Alaya offers a secure and promising career path, spanning both managerial and specialist roles, making it an exceptional choice for those seeking success in this industry.
Benefits Of Working In A Multinational Company
- Cultural Enrichment: Operating exclusively within one cultural work environment often leads us to perceive our own culture as the standard. However, engaging with diverse cultures can expand our horizons and prompt us to adapt our viewpoints.
- Skill Enhancement: Multinational corporations stand out for their capacity to provide exceptional training and expertise, enabling employees to acquire valuable skills that may not be easily attainable elsewhere.
- Access to Expertise: Employment within multinational corporations grants individuals access to experts in their respective fields, nurturing continuous learning and fostering professional growth.
- Long-Term Financial Prospects: Multinational corporations typically offer progressively higher compensation packages over time, paving the way for substantial long-term financial opportunities for their employees.
Bridging Cultural And Communication Differences
The book, The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business, by Erin Meyer, is a valuable resource that offers insights for understanding diverse workplace cultures and effectively interacting with colleagues from different backgrounds. It has three key principles:
- Cultural Awareness: Encourage individuals to delve into one another’s cultural backgrounds and foster a deeper understanding among one another.
- Cultural Adaptation: Highlighting the significance of adjusting one’s approach to align with the preferences and communication styles of others. As Otto puts it, “You can see the way someone communicates to you, which shows how they want you to communicate with them.”
- Conflict Avoidance: Advocating for conflict prevention through the demonstration of respect for cultural differences and diverse work methodologies. It’s equally important to assist others in understanding your own cultural background by offering explanations when needed.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance
At Alaya, our top priority is the wellbeing and satisfaction of our employees. To promote a healthy work-life balance, we emphasise the following steps:
Embrace Stress In Moderation: We encourage our employees to acknowledge that a certain level of stress can be beneficial, as it motivates growth and learning. However, it’s equally important to recognise our limits and avoid pushing ourselves too much outside of our comfort zone, as excessive stress can hinder productivity.
Personalised Stress Management: Stress management is a highly individualised endeavour. Each of us relieves stress differently. It’s essential for individuals to identify the strategies that work for them in alleviating stress.
Australian Work Culture and Alaya’s Values
Australian culture is characterised by its emphasis on fairness, minimal hierarchy, a strong results-oriented focus, individual accountability, open and collaborative communication, and a reward system based on employees’ work and effort.
At Alaya, we prioritise three core values:
- Care: At Alaya, care extends to our team members, customers, business partners and the community as a whole. We support various charitable initiatives and foster a supportive environment.
- Passion: We hold a profound passion for continuous learning and improvement. We encourage our team members to embrace this passion as a personal and professional development driving force.
- Oneness: We are one unified team, treating everyone equally and providing equal opportunities.
If you want to work at Alaya, we highly value three qualities:
- Growth mindset: You need to have a strong appetite for ongoing learning and development, as we believe in continuous growth.
- Personal Values: You have to be able to align with our core values of care, passion and oneness, demonstrating a commitment to these principles.
- Passion: You must have a passion for learning, improvement and making a positive impact.
