Published on 13/07/2019 by Any Business.Com.Au

Diversity in the Workplace

Bringing diversity into your workplace can be a very rewarding experience and also bring with it a number of benefits you may or may not have considered.

Along with opening up your business to new cultures and languages, it also means you may be able to market your goods and services more effectively both in Australian and overseas.

A Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) workplace means having employees who:

are from different countries, including English-speaking countries such as Canada

have different cultural backgrounds

can speak other languages besides English

are from different areas in Australia, including regional towns

follow different religions

Benefits of a CALD workplace

Australia is a multicultural society. Almost half of the population were either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas

Australia is also continuing to grow its international business networks. Our largest trading partners include Asian countries such as China and Japan.

It's therefore good business sense to welcome employees from CALD backgrounds, if they have the skills and experience you need. They can help you to:

understand Australia's multicultural consumers

provide better customer service by using their language and cultural skills

provide access to new market segments and networks

expand internationally to overseas markets.

Working with CALD employees

Make sure your workplace culture is ready to embrace diversity

For example, you can:

develop workplace policies and training that promote cross-cultural awareness

hold lunches and events that celebrate workplace diversity and encourage employees to share their cultures and experiences

set up mentoring arrangements that match employees from different backgrounds, to encourage open communication

find out when significant cultural and religious events and days are on, so you can anticipate leave requests and plan celebrations in the workplace

Employing people from overseas

Your business can benefit from employing people from overseas if you need skills that are in short supply, or if you want to discover new ideas and technologies.

Advantages of employing people from overseas

Employing people from overseas can sometimes be the best option for your business.

If possible, it's a great idea to employ locally. Even if you can't find the skills you need, you can train existing employees so they meet the demands of your business.

Unfortunately, this isn't always possible. You might have a position that needs to be filled and you can't wait for someone to be skilled up. Or maybe your business is just surviving and you don't have the time or money to provide training.

Whether you need skills that are in short supply in Australia, or want to bring in fresh ideas and new ways of doing business, employing people from overseas can be a great solution.

Skilled workers from overseas who are already in Australia

You can employ workers from overseas who are already in Australia and have rights to work in Australia, such as:

International students: Note that restrictions apply to when students are can work and how many hours

Visitors on working holiday visas: The working holiday maker program encourages visa holders to find short-term or casual work in specific industries in regional Australia.

Refugees: Anyone who has a protection (subclass 866) or refugee or humanitarian (all subclass 200s) visa is allowed to work and live in Australia as a permanent resident.

Skilled migrants: Migrants who have come to Australia on a skilled visa because they have skills that are in demand in Australia.

You can use your usual recruitment process to employ skilled workers from overseas who are already in Australia.

Your obligations

As an employer, it's your responsibility to make sure your employees are allowed to work in Australia:

Read information and examples of reasonable steps to take when employing legal workers.

Use the free online service Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) to check if your employees are allowed to work in Australia.

Check the conditions of your employees' visas for any requirements you need to meet as the employer.

You should also know that everyone who works in Australia has the right to basic protections in the workplace. You must provide the 10 minimum entitlements of the National Employment Standards to all your employees, including those from overseas.

AnyBusiness.com.au

Mary is the founder of AnyBusiness.com.au. She has a degree in Business from Monash University and been helping showcase businesses for sale for over 10 years. In the course of running her own business and working daily with business owners and brokers she has developed a keen sense of the Australian market for businesses for sale and shares her knowledge on this blog and others such as female.com.au

Author profile

Related articles

Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Small Business?

24/07/2025 by AnyBusiness.com.au

For many Australians, the dream of owning a small business is about more than just profit, it's about freedom, purpose, and building something to call your own.Despite some conjecture to the contrary, in 2025, market conditions are aligning to make this an especially smart time to step in and buy an established small business.Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, an investor looking to diversify, or a corporate professio...