Each week, as part of Envoy’s Global Talent Adviser guest blog series, HR influencers will weigh in on topics of global talent and workforce management and planning. This week, we welcome Jennifer McClure, business adviser and founder of Unbridled Talent.
As a speaker and consultant in the human resources and talent acquisition spaces, I have a mantra that I frequently preach on stages, and in boardrooms to business leaders around the world.
The primary way that HR and recruiting professionals contribute to the strategic plan, and add value in the organization, is by ensuring that the organization has the right people, in the right place, with the right skills, at the right time, and at the right price.
Now, I know that’s no simple task to accomplish, but I firmly believe that by staying focused on this path, there’s no need for HR pros to worry about things like a “seat at the table,” or being considered a “strategic partner”—because delivering on this objective is the single most effective way to make a positive difference in the organization, and also to achieve both of those goals.
But just like we all know that in order to lose weight, we need to stay focused on eating less, and exercising more, it’s one thing to know what to do – and do it effectively – and another thing entirely to actually execute effectively on the plan, and see the desired results.
Why? Because it’s hard. Life throws us curveballs, and places obstacles in our path. But it’s still possible to succeed – if you have a plan, engage support to ensure your success and work the plan.
The Challenge: Competition for Qualified Talent
The war for qualified talent is extremely tough. To attract and recruit top talent, it’s no longer possible to just place an ad online, and sift through hundreds of resumes to find “The One” – who also happens to be located just down the street, and doesn’t even require relocation.
In fact, it’s becoming more and more unlikely that the talent that your organization needs is located nearby – or even in your country. Due to growing talent shortages and skills gaps, as well as global demographic and population shifts, employers are increasingly being forced to reach beyond their borders to find talent. But while doing so can expand the pool of available talent, hiring globally can bring quite a bit of complexity into the hiring process.
The Plan: Look for Talent Beyond U.S. Borders
HR professionals need to think proactively about incorporating the complexity involved with global hiring into their talent acquisition strategies. Establishing processes, procedures and choosing trusted partners will ensure that the process is consistent, cost efficient and effective.
Navigating Around Potential Roadblocks
If you’re proposing changes in your organization – considering global talent, hiring internationally, and moving away from expensive legal retainers and attorney fees, you MUST present a business case to your leadership in advance to get buy-in and approval.
The first step in developing a business case is to define the problem. Using your own data, and data available from LinkedIn, job boards, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s likely that you can clearly paint a picture of the demographic and geographic challenges that your company is facing in hiring the talent it needs.
These same resources can also be used to show where the talent is located in the world that has the skills and experience necessary for your company to achieve its objectives. You’ll also need to compare and contrast the time and costs required to hire talent away from competitors, develop talent internally (or externally), or hire internationally to make your case.
Engaging Support
Once you’ve made the case for recruiting in the global talent marketplace, it’s important to be proactive in your approach, and ensure that you and your team have the processes and partners in place to deliver hires in an efficient and cost effective manner.
This will likely include partnering with an immigration services provider that has expertise in assisting both employers and prospective employees in navigating through the immigration and visa application process.
By outsourcing these services to dedicated experts, you can make the process of recruiting and hiring talent from the global talent pool easier, more consistent, and more cost effective. You’ll also develop a partnership and relationship with a provider that can ensure that the candidate experience that is provided to your international hires is a positive one.
Work the Plan
By moving from a reactive cycle of processing candidates who need sponsorship to approaching global hiring strategically, companies can better access the global workforce, expand their capacity, and hire the best and brightest – regardless of location.
And you, as the expert in talent in your organization, can fulfill your most important mission: right people, right place, right skills, right time, right price.
Jennifer McClure
is president of Unbridled Talent and a sought-after business adviser. She combines her expertise as an executive recruiter with practical strategies to help organizations deliver results.
