Empathy is Key When Building Diverse Teams

Building a strong team requires more than just hiring individuals with the right skills and experience. As a hiring manager, I’ve discovered that one of the most transformative ways to create a harmonious and productive team is by hiring people who are different from you. Seeking out individuals with diverse perspectives and life experiences allows you to learn from one another and build an environment where everyone feels valued.

However, building a diverse team is just the first step. Empathy is also crucial in fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace. At Trendyol, we make it a priority to find individuals who not only had the necessary professional skills but could also empathize with others’ experiences and were empathetic themselves. As a hiring manager, I focused on candidates’ ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, creating a more diverse team that better represented the world around us and ultimately made better decisions because of it.

In this article, I will share my observations on the steps that Trendyol takes to build strong employee relationships and create a more inclusive world, with a focus on the importance of empathy in team-building.

Empathy is about understanding what someone else is feeling

Imagine a world where we all understand each other’s emotions and experiences. A world where we don’t just hear what others are saying, but truly listen and connect with them on a deeper level. That’s the power of empathy.

At Trendyol, we know that empathy is the key to building a diverse and inclusive culture. It’s not just about being polite or kind — it’s about valuing and respecting each other’s unique perspectives and backgrounds. And that’s why we prioritize empathy in our hiring process, seeking out candidates who not only bring diversity but also demonstrate a deep understanding of others’ feelings.

But empathy isn’t just for managers — it’s a vital skill for every member of our team. We know that everyone comes from different backgrounds and identities, so we make it a priority to create a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels heard and understood.

To foster empathy, we promote direct and open communication among our team members. We also organize team-building activities and events, bringing us closer together.

Empathy can improve productivity and collaboration on any team

Collaboration is a beautiful thing, but it can also be a challenge when you’re working with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Each person brings their own unique perspective and way of communicating, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings and conflict.

That’s where empathy comes in. When team members are able to understand and appreciate each other’s differences, they’re able to communicate more effectively and work together more harmoniously. When people feel understood and accepted, they’re more likely to share their ideas and thoughts, which leads to more innovation and creative solutions. It’s like a domino effect — once one person opens up, others feel more comfortable doing the same.

At Trendyol, we use some best practices to foster empathy and collaboration within our teams:

• Active listening: We encourage team members to really listen to each other during meetings and brainstorming sessions. By giving each person the space to share their ideas and perspectives, we’re able to appreciate and understand each other’s differences.
• Cultural awareness: With team members from all over the world, we make an effort to understand and respect different cultural norms and communication styles. This helps us avoid misunderstandings and ensures that everyone feels valued and heard. We take good care of our international communities based across Europe by providing culture-based workshops and awareness-focused Happy Hours and help our colleagues based in the company headquarter in Turkey to understand our cultures better.
• Regular check-ins: We schedule regular check-ins to ensure that everyone is heard and to give team members the opportunity to share any concerns or feedback they may have. This helps us address issues before they become bigger problems.

The Importance of Empathy in Hiring and Retention Decisions

Empathy plays a critical role in the hiring process, going beyond just keeping employees happy. It allows employers to see past stereotypes and make decisions based on individual merit rather than assumptions about their identity. For instance, a candidate who has been out of work due to personal reasons might not have the same level of traditional experience as others on paper. But, when approached with empathy, their dedication and resilience in their personal life could be the traits that make them the perfect fit for the team.

At Trendyol, we understand that candidates come from diverse backgrounds and may not always have the same level of experience as others. Hence, we focus on their strengths and potential, not just their experience. By prioritizing empathy during the hiring process, we can find the best fit for our team. We even provide training for our hiring managers to help them develop their empathy skills, such as workshops on understanding unconscious biases and practicing empathy during interviews.

In the end, empathy is all about valuing people for who they are, not just what they can do for us. By prioritizing empathy in our hiring and retention decisions, we can build more diverse, inclusive teams that reflect the world around us.

Conclusion

Empathy is a superpower that we all have within us. It’s not just a tool for building diverse teams, but it can also be used to improve our relationships with others in every aspect of life. When we take the time to understand what others are feeling, we can communicate more effectively with them. It allows us to put ourselves in their shoes, to see the world from their perspective. This type of understanding is crucial for creating a productive and welcoming work environment.

At Trendyol, we saw firsthand how empathy transformed our team. By hiring individuals who could empathize with others’ experiences, we were able to build a collaborative team that made better decisions and created innovative solutions.

So the next time you’re facing a challenge, take a moment to pause and reflect on what the other person might be feeling. It might just be the key to unlocking a more harmonious and productive outcome. With empathy as your guide, you’ll be able to build better relationships, make better decisions, and ultimately achieve greater success.