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Employers should take a more global perspective
Employees increasingly need to be able to work on a global stage, not just in their own local environment, a human resources expert told an international technology conference
To succeed globally, companies increasingly need to attract and retain the best talent available worldwide, but problems can arise when people speak different ’cultural languages’.
Dr Liza Howe-Walsh from the University of Portsmouth discussed global competencies and how to foster the softer skills needed for business at the International Conference on Technology and Business Management in Dubai. She was the keynote speaker.
She told the audience of leaders in the technology industry that a key indicator of global competitiveness was the development of soft skills.
She said: “People begin to lose relationship skills when they do everything online, especially if you work in IT and have offices around the globe. You need to work out how other people are communicating and come to a common ground – you need to learn to not
Dr Liza Howe-Walsh: breaking new ground in the Middle East
take offence when none was intended. Skills like this propel you to become more globally competent.
“You could be dealing with 80% of your customers coming from different countries and
cultures but it’s difficult to judge if your soft skills or a lack of them are getting in the way of business.“
She cited, as an example, how in some cultures it is acceptable to send emails in capital letters while in others that is seen as highly offensive.
“People need to be culturally aware and self- aware; they need to know how they appear to others, if business is to succeed internationally.
“Employers want and need development tools to help their employees operate globally and softer skills are vital in this respect.“
Howe-Walsh’s colleague Dr Sarah Turnbull also presented research at the conference, discussing career choices made by women in the United Arab Emirates.
Howe-Walsh said: “We were able to raise the profile of The University of Portsmouth in the Middle East and begin forging future research opportunities. We came away with several potential research leads for collaborative work. All in all, it was very worthwhile.“
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