Case study: Linguistic Diversity at Woodside

As a global company with a diverse workforce, Woodside celebrates the range of languages that our employees speak – both in the office and at home. Language, with its intricacies and complexities, enables us to connect with others and broaden our personal, social, and cultural horizons.

In August 2024, we celebrated this linguistic diversity and raised awareness of the benefits of multilingualism. Following a successful inaugural event in 2023, the Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) group hosted a global Linguistics Week campaign with events in our offices around the world.

In 2024, more than 240 languages and dialects are spoken in Australia, The events hosted in our Perth office offered a chance to explore and celebrate language learning through language lessons, quizzes, and fun activities. CALD also hosted two external speakers through the Woodside Navigator program. Rika Asaoka hosted an interactive session on “Culture, Brain, and Perspectives”, and Dr. Sandy Chong joined Woodsiders for a fireside chat that explored opportunities created when cultural and linguistic diversity are valued.

In the US, our Employees Beyond Race (EmBRace) group hosted University of Houston professor, Dr. Lauren Zentz, as a guest speaker. Dr. Zentz shared insights on linguistic bias and speaker judgments in diverse workplace settings. Raising awareness of linguistic bias that exists in our workplace and broader communities helps us to become a more inclusive organisation.

In addition to honoring linguistic diversity through Linguistics Week, CALD has launched a support service to connect employees who seek language or cultural knowledge with other employees who may possess these skills.