How to Build a Scalable Cultural Training Program

Workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse, and the rise of virtual meetings and global business interactions means people are now collaborating with colleagues and clients all around the world.

There are endless possibilities for global collaboration. But without one key business skill—cultural agility—navigating cultural differences, time zones, and communication preferences can be challenging.

Data from Grammarly’s 2024 State of Business Communication shows that miscommunication in the workplace costs US businesses an estimated $1.2 trillion every year.

Strong global collaboration depends on people’s ability to navigate and adapt to diverse cultural contexts. 

A 2024 Gartner survey of nearly 18,000 employees revealed that only 29% are satisfied with their collaboration at work. This is down from 36% of employees who reported they were satisfied in 2021. 

With the right cultural competency training program in place, your organization can avoid the high cost of miscommunication and empower healthy, thriving teams that embrace global collaboration.

The key is to build a cultural training program that doesn’t just meet your needs today but scales seamlessly as your organization evolves. 

Let’s explore how to create a scalable cultural training program.

1. Define clear goals

The foundation of any successful training program is a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Start by defining the program’s goals. Are you aiming to:

• Improve global team effectiveness?
• Reduce cultural misunderstandings?
• Enhance collaboration among global teams?

Conducting a needs assessment can help you define goals that will meet the needs of your employees. This might include:

• Surveys and interviews with employees to identify challenges.
• Reviewing past incidents of cultural miscommunication.
• Gathering feedback from existing training initiatives.

Clear goals ensure your program is focused and measurable. Consider how you can align training goals with organization-wide business goals to prove value and measure progress on strategic initiatives. 

2. Evaluate Resources

Once you’ve defined your goals, outline the resources you have available and will need:

• Budget: Determine how much you can allocate to the training program. This will influence the modalities of delivery, technology, and external expertise you can incorporate.
• Scale: Decide whether the program will be rolled out company-wide, within specific departments or teams, or in stages over time.
• Stakeholders: Identify who will be involved in designing, delivering, and participating in the program. This may include HR, leadership teams, external consultants, and employees.

By addressing these logistics early, you’ll set realistic expectations and ensure alignment with organizational resources.

3. Select Training Modalities

Tailor the training experience to your organization’s needs and resources. Common modes of cultural training include:

• Self-guided learning: online courses, learning modules, or activity checklists that employees can complete at their own pace
• Facilitated workshops: in-person or virtual sessions led by trainers or cultural consultants that include immersive learning experiences that replicate real-world interactions
• Blended learning: a mix of self-guided and facilitated training to balance flexibility and engagement

Selecting the right mix of delivery options ensures the training is both accessible and impactful. Partnering with a cultural training provider can open access to multiple modes of training delivery. In addition to program facilitation, they can host open-enrollment workshops, utilize industry-leading work-style assessments, and provide AI-powered tools for navigating cross-cultural interactions.

4. Prepare Program Delivery

Determine how the training programs will be delivered. Will you run the trainings internally or do you need to work with an external cultural training partner? If you decide to work with a training provider, here are the questions you should keep in mind during your selection process. 

Additionally, consider if you have all of the resources you need to conduct all aspects of the training program properly. Here are some program delivery items to consider:

• Technology Platforms: Learning management systems (LMS) are helpful for hosting content and tracking progress.
• Scheduling: Ensure training sessions are scheduled at convenient times for participants across different time zones.
• Customization: Adapt content to reflect the specific cultural contexts and challenges relevant to your teams.

Communication: Be sure to communicate the program’s purpose, structure, and expectations to all participants clearly.

5. Measure and Iterate

To ensure your program achieves its goals, establish metrics for success and continuously refine your approach. Key steps include:

• Pre- and Post-Training Assessments: Measure knowledge and skills before and after training to evaluate its impact.
• Feedback Collection: Use surveys or focus groups to gather participant insights.
• Business Metrics: Track improvements in team collaboration, employee satisfaction, or conflict resolution.

Regularly review these metrics and adjust the program to address new challenges or opportunities.

6. Sustain Learning with Cultural Resources and Tools

Cultural training should not be a one-time event but an ongoing journey. To make cultural agility part of your organization’s DNA:

• Incorporate it into employee onboarding: When you hire new employees, incorporating cultural agility tools and resources into their onboarding process will help them build successful professional relationships with new team members and colleagues in different departments and locations.
• Provide open access to cross-cultural tools: Employees can utilize tools like the GlobeSmart® Profile to understand more about work styles across cultures and Aperian Copilot for instant access to expert advice on 100+ cultures.
• Recognize Cultural Intelligence: Celebrate employees who demonstrate cultural competence and inclusive actions.

Building a scalable cultural training program is an investment in your organization’s future. By fostering cultural awareness and inclusion, you’ll empower your teams to navigate the complexities of the global workplace with confidence. Start small, measure your impact, and expand your program as your organization grows. The results will speak for themselves.

Aperian partners with organizations around the world to help their global teams thrive. Start a free trial of Aperian to see how tools and experiences—including the GlobeSmart Profile, the Inclusive Behaviors InventoryTM, and live cross-cultural training programs—can help your organization succeed.