Global HR Strategies

As a result of the scarcity of qualified managers which can lead to constraints on global office expansion for businesses, an effective global human resources strategy can be vital in building and securing a sustainable advantage over their competition. Good HR management requires an integrated approach, which begins to merge into career management. A cohesive network will ensure that the right people are in the right jobs, and that all costs are attributed appropriately. This can ultimately allow the business to identify good ideas on a global scale. Ultimately, the building of this network comes down to an effective global human resources strategy, and here, we’re taking a look at the ten steps businesses can take to ensure this is in place.

1. Ending favouritism

One of the fundamental steps towards building a global human resources strategy should be to end favouritism towards managers that are nationals of the country in which they are based. Whilst many companies consider nationals of their headquarters country as potential expatriates and refer to everyone else as ‘local nationals’, this should be reconsidered for numerous reasons. Ethnocentric companies put the most confidence in nationals of their headquarters’ country, and thus this is the reason why these nationals receive the better assignments and climb the ladder much faster. Most surprisingly, big contrasts can be found between expatriate and local national pay, including the bonuses and benefits they receive. In order to create an effective global human resources strategy, businesses must weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of using expatriates and local nationals to determine the best solution according to the desired outcome.

2. Identify activities that achieve success

The next step towards an effective global human resources strategy is identifying activities that best achieve success across the globe and identify the positions that held responsibility for ensuring their success. The positions that hold the responsibility for performing these good acts represent the ‘lifeline’ of a company. Once the activities that achieve success have been identified, businesses can then revisit the lifeline and role descriptions on a regular basis to ensure they accurately represent the business strategy.

3. Finding who & where your talent is

Once a company has identified the activities that achieve success, they can find who and where their talent is via a global database, focusing on more than just the top of the organization and considering middle managers in the country markets and potential stars leaping through the ranks. Organizations seeking to build a useful global human resources database must start with an array of personal-profile templates that ask questions that go beyond each manager’s experience to determine cultural ties, language skills, hobbies and interests. For overseas assignments, especially, Human Resources Directors must consider these skills and adaptability to be as important as functional skills if not more so!

4. The mobility pyramid

Another way for businesses to build an effective global human resources strategy is by constructing a mobility pyramid to easily evaluate managers regarding their willingness to move to a new location to gain experience. Whilst many human resources departments refuse to look at mobility beyond ‘movable’ and ‘not movable’, it is paramount that there is more behind the decision to transfer an employee abroad should they need to relocate, and even more so because managers can move up or down the mobility pyramid at various stages during their career. By constructing a mobility pyramid, businesses can find different ways to effectively use available in-house talent and encourage an increased number of managers to consider saying yes to an overseas assignment.

5. Leadership capital

The next step businesses need to take to create an effective global human resources strategy is to identify their leadership capital. One of the best ways for businesses to identify their leadership capital is by building a database of their company’s mix of managerial skills by requiring people to provide more information on their CV’s regarding their experience in management and skills they possess. This way, HR departments can kick-start the process by holding senior meetings and those in lifeline posts to complete the form first, prior to adding others from across the globe with the potential to progress in their career.

6. Bench strength & skills gap

The following step businesses must take towards an effective global human resources strategy is to assess their bench strength and skills gap. To do this, businesses must ask each executive to compare their skills and characteristics against the requirements identified for the executive’s current position. Not only is this an effective way to compare skills with ease, but it can also help close personal skills gaps through in-house training or by participating in outside courses to heighten global success.

7. Regular recruitment

In order to construct an effective global human resources strategy, businesses must search for new recruits on a regular basis in the local market, as well as in the headquarters’ country. Whilst this can be challenging from time to time, one of the best ways to attract national recruits is by demonstrating how far they can climb up within the organization, as this is one of the most appealing aspects job seekers look for. Recruitment and selection not only helps to ensure that the business has the necessary knowledge and skills required to fulfill objectives, but it also forms part of the strategic management of human resources.

8. Advertising internally

As mentioned previously, regular recruitment is a great way to attract new talent, but when a business advertises their posts internally, it allows a competitive internal job market to work across nationalities and genders alike, and proves to employees that they can in fact broaden their horizon and make a future in the company. Moreover, advertising internally helps attract those that may be in the process of finding an alternative job, and thus reduces employee retention and creates a positive work environment.

9. Succession planning

In regard to regular recruitment in order to construct an effective global human resources strategy, managers in a lifeline role should nominate at least three candidates who could take over that position in the upcoming week, three months down the line or within the next year. Whilst this will not resolve all succession questions, it will certainly go a long way and significantly help everyone involved to identify potential future leaders with ease. Moreover, succession planning provides businesses with the bigger picture and is paramount to sustain income and support expenses should a disaster occur.

10. Challenging & retaining talent

Lastly, another step to an effective global human resources strategy is to challenge employees in order to retain talent. The need to retain talented employees is increasing every day, and for good reason. Retention of talent is crucial for the continued growth and success of any business, which is why is it paramount that colleagues are provided with consistent and regular communication about what needs to be done, and feedback to ensure the business moves with the market. One of the most effective ways to retain talent is by being open to employees about their potential and future within the future, paying well and not pondering over promoting people who have shown rock-solid ability.

Businesses often struggle to construct an effective global human resources strategy because they are unaware of what an effective global human resources strategy should include, but with these ten steps, businesses can create a beneficial global human resources strategy with ease and confidence.