Diverse minds, revolutionary workplaces: Rethinking how we build tomorrow’s teams

Boxers & Briefs Podcast #13: Insider tips on inclusive hiring with Simon Milne

In a world obsessed with cookie-cutter solutions, what if the most revolutionary act was simply seeing people as they truly are? Recruitment maverick Simon Milne shatters conventional thinking about diversity and shares how breaking invisible barriers can unleash untapped creative power in your business.

The invisible architecture of bias

New Zealand’s workplace landscape is evolving, but beneath the surface lies an intricate architecture of assumptions that shapes who gets hired and why. As the founder of Job Cave, Simon Milne has a front-row seat to this hidden dance between perception and reality.

“Most businesses are owned by white males,” Simon observes, “and then a lot of the workforce are from the Asian community. You often find that a business owner might want to avoid immigrants based on their own view of the impact on their business.”

This isn’t just about demographics—it’s about unleashing potential. Every time we allow unexamined assumptions to guide hiring decisions, we’re essentially putting blinders on our own business vision. We’re reducing the possible futures our companies could inhabit.

The pendulum problem: When good intentions create new barriers

The diversity conversation has evolved dramatically, but sometimes the pendulum swings too far. Simon notes that major Fortune 500 companies are now dismantling prescribed diversity quotas—a trend he views as healthy.

“From a macro business level, it’s unhealthy to operate with rigid quotas,” he explains. “You squash entrepreneurial spirit, and people do business for the wrong reasons.”

The revolutionary approach isn’t forcing diversity through percentages but redesigning our thinking to naturally embrace different perspectives. This isn’t about lowering standards—it’s about recognising that excellence comes in countless forms we might never have imagined.

The language revolution

What if the key to workplace transformation was as fundamental as language itself? Simon shares a profound insight: “One of the reasons we discriminate is because we don’t understand, and language—especially language barriers—is a thing.”

This goes beyond simple communication. When we learn another language, we don’t just acquire vocabulary—we gain access to entirely new thought patterns, cultural frameworks, and problem-solving approaches.

“Within language comes understanding,” Simon explains. “If I knew Mandarin, I would have a natural inclination to being more appreciative of what Mandarin speakers bring to the table.”

The revolutionary act isn’t just accommodating different languages but recognising that multilingual teams create cognitive diversity—the ability to see challenges from multiple angles simultaneously. In a world of complex problems, this isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic advantage.

Rewriting the stereotype script

We all carry mental shortcuts—those quick assumptions about certain groups that shape our decisions before we’re even conscious of them. Some stereotypes appear positive (‘Asians are better at math’), while others are overtly negative (‘women can’t handle leadership positions’), but Simon argues they’re all ultimately limiting.

“Stereotypes are bad when you use them as an absolute blanket rule,” he explains. “You should always be challenging your own bias and stereotypes.”

The revolutionary approach isn’t pretending these mental shortcuts don’t exist—it’s consciously choosing to override them through curiosity. “Acknowledge that it’s there, but then wait—hang on, I want to see if it’s actually true,” Simon advises.

This isn’t just about fairness—it’s about business innovation. Every time you challenge an assumption, you open a door to possibilities your competitors might never see.

The process revolution: Systems that see beyond surface

So how do we break free from these invisible constraints? Simon’s answer is refreshingly pragmatic: revolutionise your hiring process.

“We might not know what good actually looks like,” he acknowledges. “With that in mind, we put a job description together, but we’re going to cast this net wide. We judge candidates according to criteria which is about skill set and what they bring to the table—not where they come from, not their language, their origins, etc.”

This isn’t diversity for diversity’s sake—it’s about designing systems that capture talent your competitors miss. When you create processes that evaluate candidates based on their actual capabilities rather than your assumptions about them, you gain access to talent pools others can’t see.

The experiential breakthrough

Perhaps the most powerful insight Simon offers is about the transformative power of direct experience. “You’re always afraid of things until you work with them,” he notes. “But now that I’m sitting next to so-and-so, all good—in fact, we’re becoming mates.”

This is where theory meets reality. No amount of diversity training can replace the mind-expanding experience of working alongside someone whose life journey differs completely from your own. These interactions don’t just change workplaces—they reshape our mental models of what’s possible.

The creator’s path forward

For businesses seeking to harness the creative power of diverse teams, Simon offers a framework that balances pragmatism with vision:

1. Challenge your invisible architecture: Regularly audit your assumptions about what makes someone ‘qualified’ or a ‘good fit.’
2. Focus on processes, not prescriptions: Design hiring systems that evaluate actual capabilities, not surface characteristics.
3. Value cognitive diversity: Different thinking styles and problem-solving approaches create innovations uniform teams simply cannot access.
4. Learn the language: Invest in understanding the cultural contexts your team members bring—they’re assets, not obstacles.
5. Create experiential opportunities: Nothing transforms thinking like direct collaboration across perceived boundaries.

The future belongs to organisations that see diversity not as a checkbox exercise but as the fundamental creative engine driving innovation. In a world where businesses increasingly compete on creativity and adaptability, teams that harness multiple perspectives won’t just participate in the future—they’ll create it.

This article and podcast was created in collaboration with Gilligan Sheppard, the problem solvers in business who believe in thinking differently.