S
Soundbites | Catalyst
Smart organisation development
is essential for global mobility
MICHAEL DICKMANN
Professor of International Human Resource Management at Cranfield
University School of Management
What happens when, despite a collective desire to be
internationally flexible, individual employees are unwilling
to commit to global work? Michael Dickmann, author of last
year’s annual report for The RES Forum, offers suggestions
for businesses to encourage international careers.
Where should businesses start on their journey to global mobility?
Global phobia is a challenge for corporate branding, in the sense of
working abroad becoming attractive for job applicants and existing staff.
Businesses should consider operating two marketing ‘campaigns’: one
to convince individuals who have little international work experience
that global careers are worth pursuing, another to advertise their
cross-national work value proposition to existing globalists.
The former requires celebrating successful cases and pointing out
the benefits of working internationally. The latter may take the form of
PR or social media initiatives, but the key is to broaden, or rethink your
target audience and recruitment strategies. Selecting candidates based
on emotional intelligence, cultural agility and other qualities atypical of
the usual head-hunting process is advantageous. The organisation has
to live its global value proposition.
Minding the
future skills gap
The digital skills gap is a
worldwide problem. In Building
a Better Working Europe, for
example, EY reports that digital
skills shortages are damaging
the continent's economy. Such
shortages could cost the UK
close to $150bn over the next
10 years. We spoke to Jason
Fowler, director of HR for the
UK and Ireland at IT services and
solutions provider Fujitsu, about
future digital skills needs.
How has the digital economy
changed skills requirements?
I think this falls into two categories.
First, the digital economy demands
How do you suggest they do that?
An overseas placement has to be worth it. Instilling internationality
into the fabric of a successful career means rewarding people for
their global mobility.
Think beyond the successful recruitment of an internal or external
global careerist and develop a long-term retention strategy. Are you
giving them the best chance of career progression by assigning a location,
duration and job role that complements their own plans; for example,
allowing them to acquire global business acumen? Are your global-
mobility programmes specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused
and time-bound? How will you manage and monitor them? An ideal
programme would consistently assess progress against key objectives to
ensure that global mobility benefits the individual as well as the business.
AI in HR
When it comes to using
(Source: Littler Annual Employer Survey)
31 %
HR strategy and
employee management
4 in 9 g a % nd hiring
Recruit
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