The definition of our Thomas E. Strauss, Inc. value, Diversity, is to welcome ALL coworkers and guests regardless of real or perceived differences.

As I consider this value and the way we have defined it, I think to myself frequently how wonderful it is to work with a group of humans that are a vibrantly diverse combination of cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. The fact that we have over 10 different languages spoken by our team is just a small representation of that diversity. The way that we learn from each other about various cultures and can have the occasional spirited conversation about what is happening in the world while still being able to treat each other with respect and dignity is something that I find to be especially awesome about our team. 

Let’s visit the many different languages spoken by our team members (at least that we know about); Spanish, French, Arabic, Albanian, Dhurjati, Hindi, Italian, Haitian Creole, Ukrainian, Hmong, Swahili, German, and English.  Impressive, right? And this may not be all of them. This allows us to communicate better with our guests in the event they are not fluent in English. Know this is a real opportunity for Thomas E. Strauss, Inc. and helps us make sure our guests feel valued.  

These 13 languages represent significant number of countries from around the world, which gives us all the added opportunity to learn many new things about different cultures and societies. So, as our team members work alongside each other and take the opportunity to really get to know their co-workers – they share and learn about not only the things that bring us together but also the things that make each person unique.

Building this diverse team has caused us to retool some of the things we have always done. We have been fortunate to be able to rely on our team members that are able to speak multiple languages to help translate key information in the hiring process. This ensures that everyone who joins our team fully understands what is presented and taught in our orientation and onboarding.  Thomas E. Strauss, Inc. owes a huge debt of gratitude to all who have helped us with this effort.

To close, allow me to personally thank each and every team member for being open-minded and accepting of the broad and diverse group of fine people, cultures, languages, beliefs and backgrounds that we all have the pleasure of working with every day.  This diversity truly makes our lives and experiences richer and our work family stronger.

Tom