Author: Future Manager Research Center

 
For companies that are looking to benefit from the opportunities presented by today’s increasingly globalized business environment, the need to recruit people beyond national level is at the forefront of their strategy and planning tactics.
Managing a recruitment program comes with its fair share of challenges, but for those companies that are looking to expand abroad or to further expand their international presence, those challenges multiply considerably.

The key issues for any company for a successful international recruitment activity are:
1) the cultural difference
2) the competition for talent at local and global level
3) the communication barriers due to geographical distance

1) Culture: A Single Approach Doesn’t Work
First of all, firms looking to expand globally need to be aware of the different variation of the recruitment approach: building a single approach around one geographical database won’t necessarily translate in an international success. Facts such as education level, the standards of living and the working conditions should be taken into consideration.
2) Competition: Top Talent Competition Ascends
Deep roots into markets aren’t built overnight; and local competition, that has the advantage of proximity, makes it difficult for foreign companies to attract talent; moreover other global businesses are also looking for the same local talent, toughening the search.
3) Communication: geographical distance is still present
Geographical distance is without doubt still one of the biggest barriers for a successful recruitment at international scale. In the digital age, it is tempting to perform international recruitment processes completely over the internet. However, this isn’t going to attract the talent you want.

Remote recruitment can negatively affect the chances of outperforming competitors as face-to-face interactions are still considered important, and do not have the same results as a video chat.