What is global human resources?
Global HR applies HR principles internationally. Understanding and addressing three core differences is essential for successful global HR:
- Geographic: Whether you’re responsible for recruiting employees or setting salary schedules, you likely consider geographic differences in your work. For example, wages may differ by country.
- Cultural: For your company to succeed in another country, your team must understand cultural differences and adjust HR policies and benefits accordingly. For example, some cultures may emphasize individual achievement and reward while others may value teamwork and group-based recognition.
- Linguistic: To succeed in other countries, your company must also adapt to linguistic differences between cultures, such as grammar rules, dialects and accents. Adapting to linguistic differences can help you communicate more effectively with candidates.
Managing HR globally: Important considerations
Expanding HR operations globally requires careful planning and adaptation of standard HR functions. Here are some key areas to address:
Recruitment and selection
Your hiring team helps ensure you have the right number of employees to keep your business running. If you plan to recruit and hire employees in another country, you may need to make the following adjustments:
- Job descriptions: Job titles and responsibilities may differ from one location to another. To make your global hiring program successful, consider hiring a professional translator to select the right phrases.
- Interviewing: Some cultures emphasize direct communication, while others focus on building relationships. If you’re involved in the hiring process, consider potential differences in interviewing styles. For example, to create an inclusive and effective interview process, consider offering multiple formats, such as panel discussions or assessments.
- Hiring channels: When recruiting internationally, consider using alternative hiring channels to attract quality candidates. This might include partnerships with local universities, leveraging region-specific job boards and engaging with professional networks.
- Job qualifications: Not all countries have the same degrees and technical certificates. Before publishing a job description, make sure it aligns with local guidelines or regulations.
- Onboarding: To ensure a smooth transition for all new employees, consider incorporating cultural training into your onboarding process, particularly when individuals are joining a team or location with a different cultural context. You may also consider implementing mentorship programs to pair new hires with local employees for smoother onboarding.
Learning and development (L&D)
When planning international expansion, consider adapting existing training programs to accommodate diverse learning styles. For example, while some cultures may respond well to lecture-based training, others may prefer more interactive methods like group exercises.
You may also localize your training programs to make the content more relevant to employees. For example, if you frequently use case studies, you could feature a local business instead of using the same case studies in every country.
Providing training materials through various learning methods, such as digital courses and peer sessions or workshops, can enhance engagement and encourage inclusivity.
Compensation and benefits
Global HR may involve managing complex compensation and benefits, as employees in other countries may have different expectations regarding benefits.
Consider conducting market research on compensation trends and partner with local benefits providers to create appealing packages.
Performance management
Culture can often influence how employees interpret feedback. For example, some cultures may favor direct feedback, while others may rely on indirect cues.”
It may be helpful to offer cross-cultural communication training and clear performance evaluation criteria that align with global best practices to support people managers..
Employee relations
A strong employee relations program may help you maintain positive connections with employees. This generally requires active listening, effective communication and strong conflict-management skills. In a global HR context, geographic, cultural and linguistic differences can all affect communication and conflict management.
Cultural norms around work-life balance are diverse. To accommodate these differences, organizations can implement wellness programs, provide additional paid time off and offer flexible work options.
Why is global HR important?
Global HR is essential for building positive relationships with employees around the world. When your HR team understands the differences between countries, they can update your policies and processes accordingly.
