Strategy Glocal-isation
Think Global, Act Local
In response to the worldwide talent shortage, multinationals are rightly attracted by the idea of creating a global talent pool: a bigger pond in which they can fish for the best talent. The world is now, effectively, a much smaller place and talent is seen as an asset that can be readily moved from one country to another. But the best way to create this talent pool is a subject of much debate. Sean Howard, Managing Director International at assessment company, Talent Q, believes ‘glocal-isation’ is the way forward…
…It is certainly possible to build and sustain a strong talent pipeline by using a globally-compatible selection process that is localised for different countries.
globally-compatible selection process that is localised for different countries. Roles can be advertised on each local website but, for economies of scale, the process can be administered from a central online system. The challenge is to allow for local cultural differences, while at the same time creating assessments that can deliver a comparable quality of candidate.
S
ome organisations are trying to impose a one-size-fits- all approach to their global graduate recruitment. The
problem with this is that it can only work in companies which have globally- standardised processes and operations. If your company operates differently in different parts of the world (which is usually the case, unless you’re McDonald’s or Starbucks), then there are significant challenges in trying to create a global graduate model.
For a start, you’d need to establish a consistent set of global competencies (the future behaviours you want), plus consistent definitions of future roles and a consistent understanding of exactly what constitutes potential. You’d then need a globally-standardised process that’s capable of assessing and predicting the potential performance of individuals against these behaviours.
This is possible but the biggest pitfall here can often be achieving local buy-in from the line managers and HR teams in each country. If they’ve previously been responsible for recruiting their own graduates, it can fuel resentment and
resistance if ‘head office’ suddenly takes this task away from them.
A key question worth asking is: are you recruiting graduates for future leadership/expert roles that may be more standardised (in which case, the above applies) or are you recruiting for jobs that need to be undertaken now? Frequently, line managers require graduates who can meet immediate local needs. The available roles in each country can therefore vary considerably. That makes it much harder to impose a recruitment process that is exactly the same in all locations.
The best way forward in this scenario is ‘glocal-isation’ - which means introducing a global standard of recruitment that is adapted in each locality. While the majority of multinational organisations strive to achieve a global consumer brand, they still need local graduates to work in each country because they offer a better understanding of local conditions, market needs and customer attitudes. The adage of ‘think global, act local’ applies.
It is certainly possible to build and sustain a strong talent pipeline by using a
For example, you could translate and adapt your assessments to take account of cultural issues in each locality but at the same time identify those who have the intellectual capability, the appropriate competencies to perform and the values that you’re looking for. The calibre of the resultant recruits might not be completely constant in all areas but the individuals who are appointed should at least have some common benchmark of quality that you can work with. Once they’re in the role, you can then assess their suitability for future positions with the benefit of some track record and performance information. This will help to reinforce the sometimes difficult process of identifying future potential.
As multinationals increasingly look to standardise their processes and replicate their successes across different countries, taking a wholly-consistent approach to global graduate recruitment may become the norm. But, until then, graduate recruiters should bear in mind that there’s a difference between recruiting for what’s needed for future leadership roles and recruiting for what’s needed now locally. Most businesses need talented graduates who can hit the ground running and perform in that first job. n
www.agr.org.uk | Graduate Recruiter 13
www.talentqgroup.com
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