Recruit Global Talent
Another option is to reach out for talent across the globe. Many countries are known for grooming highly intelligent and productive leaders, and limiting the company’s search to our borders narrows the playing field considerably. As with all human capital practices, the organization will need to create a global talent acquisition strategy that aligns with the vision and goals of the overall organization. This strategy may include using a number of resources such as recruiting firms, Internet advertising, global Internet job boards, referrals, media, professional associations, university relationships, etc.
Reaching outside of typical recruiting boundaries to acquire leadership talent can offer your organization the significant advantage of an increased understanding of global business opportunities, including international sales and global sourcing of products and services, increased cross-cultural learning, and new ideas for business from the new leader’s international perspective.
Tips for Recruiting Global Talent:
• Position your organization to attract international leaders by
– establishing your reputation for creating positive career paths for all your high-performing leaders;
– establishing a reputation of excellence in your field through published works, business school case studies, etc., which you can share with potential international candidates.
• Ensure internal recruiters assigned to this work have a global competence in executive recruiting and acquire country-specific knowledge when reaching out to formerly untapped geographies.
• Make sure that security is addressed in the global strategy to ensure that the individuals are both legal and not a terror risk.
• Engage a recruiting firm to assist that has an expertise in global talent acquisition. There are many details to consider in this approach and a firm that specializes in this work will lower your time investment and mitigate the risks.
• Understand that certain applicants and employees have ties to other countries. Foreign-born employees may need to travel farther to visit families—sometimes travel time alone can take four to five full days. Offering flexible time off that enables employees to leave for longer periods can be of tremendous value to foreign-born employees or those whose families live in foreign countries. It is important to remember, however, that giving special incentives or benefits to people based on their country of origin is illegal. Smart organizations will consider the needs of foreign-born employees, yet always treat all employees equally and never discriminate based on country of birth.4
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