TALENT
three reports that their career has failed to meet their expectations. Paul Turner, professor of management practice at Leeds Beckett
University and co-author of Make Your People Before You Make Your Products, has also observed the need for a more broad-based, progressive approach to talent management than in the past. “The global recovery means that talent management
has come back onto the agenda for chief executives,” said Professor Turner. “There is a great demand for skills. What is different to before is that we now have an opportunity to take a fresh look at talent management, especially in the context of multigenerational, multicultural, global and more- transparent companies. “Alongside these social trends, organisational design has moved
on to matrix organisations and is much less hierarchical. In the past, talent management often relied on supporting an upward movement through an organisation. Now, talent management is different, as organisations are designed around matrices and networks, and often communities of interest that operate across silos and international borders. “Employers, therefore, need a new strategic narrative in terms
of talent that speaks to these new realities and makes sense of them for people in the organisation. “Today, talent management is less about presenting to an
audience and more about engaging and creating a community of talent. For leaders, this requires people who are confident in this age of ambiguity and complexity; people who can work with and understand technology and its implications; and people who can bring together diverse groups of people and have international experience and exposure.” Clare Moncrieff agrees. “To drive real impact on the talent
outcomes that matter most, organisations must integrate talent management goals and activities – both HR and line-owned – across teams and between individuals. Leaders must focus on encouraging productive collaboration across company lines to create the greatest enterprise-wide impact.” Approaches to talent management, the CEB research suggests,
therefore need to be more segmented, diverse and flexible, as companies seek to build the capacity for firms to be more adept in this fast-changing world.
Putting insights into practice: talent identifi cation Addressing the challenges of managing and leading through
ambiguity and complexity, research by Roffey Park Institute’s Peter Hamill, Alex Swarbrick and Sharon Varney, Leading International Teams: The Challenges and Competencies of Leading Virtual and Cross- cultural Teams, identifies nine characteristics of high-performing leaders. A passion for working internationally, energy and resilience,
flexibility and balance, communication, influencing, involving and valuing individuals, results focus, planning and organisation, and interface management are all key competencies for leaders working internationally in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. “Leading international teams can be rewarding and challenging.
The people we spoke with had a clear passion for international working, strong curiosity about local differences, and a willingness to learn, even with many years of experience under their belt,” observed the authors. “They influence widely, actively involve and value individuals,
demonstrate great range and flexibility in their style, and combine that with an ability to carefully balance multiple competing needs.”
Attracting talent With HR and GM both managing the issue of how to balance
local and global policies and approaches and segment offers to meet diverse needs, employer branding is playing an increasingly important role in attracting and retaining candidates with the attributes needed for today’s new work order. HR and global mobility practitioners are seeing greater
segmentation through the growing use of alternative hiring practices, for example, and the increasingly diverse assignee profile. Joao Araujo, UK and Ireland country manager for Universum,
an employer-branding specialist, explains what this means for Generation Y – one of the most sought-after groups. “International careers are definitely an important topic for
Gen Y. They have fully understood that, in today’s world, you are unlikely to be successful at work unless you have the skills to work in an international environment. “More than 38 per cent of Gen Y want to work for an employer
that offers opportunities for international travel/relocation, while interaction with international clients and colleagues is a preference for around 21 per cent.” Data from Cartus suggests that 71 per cent of its network
surveyed expects to see younger job transferees in the coming years. Janine Barnes, Santa Fe Relocation Services’ Asia director, has also observed the change in assignee profile and population needs across this diverse region. “Local talent pools are becoming much more competitive
for employers. Highly educated people who have sought-after international experience are returning to their home countries after graduating from top international business schools, universities and management programmes. We are seeing lots more young Chinese returners, for instance, and more intra-regional moves.”
Developing and retaining international talent Getting the balance right between global and local approaches
to talent management is, therefore, becoming a more critical issue. On the one hand, international companies that lack recognition
locally often struggle to fill highly skilled vacancies. In a less accommodating legislative environment, there is a risk that recruiting to key roles is made doubly difficult, particularly when faced with caps on expatriate pay. On the other hand, a strong push for global standardisation
might enable a company to build a large talent pool, but one that is less likely to offer the diversity needed. Some leading companies are finding that a more project-based
approach to learning and development opportunities is helping to bridge this gap. “International projects are a really good development tool,”
says Paul Turner. “They help to build cross-cultural experience and great teams across boundaries.” This trend is reflected in mobility sector trends, which have
seen the type, volume and length of assignments increase. So it seems that, while battles may be being won through
good company practice and insightful research, as technology and economics march on,
the war is still For a case study on global mobility’s contribution to talent management, see p46.
For the latest international assignments and talent management news and articles, visit
relocateglobal.com
to be won.
44 | Re:locate | Autumn 2015
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