The breakdown of geographic barriers through technology has created a path toward the creation of truly global organizations. Today, geographic location matters less than a worker’s skill set in many roles. Global recruiting at scale poses challenges for human resources executives and their departments. To recruit, retain, and cultivate talent within an international organization, CHROs and their teams will need to integrate the right technologies into their hiring and communication practices.
Support human decision-making with the right technology
Before the rise of digital tools, hiring data was collected and decisions were made entirely by human beings. While these people were and are often highly skilled at what they do, they are limited to the amount of data humans can parse — and they are subject to using common shortcuts, like unconscious bias, as a way of managing that data.
“The conversation around unconscious bias is a big one, and the truth is we can’t train it out of ourselves,” says Ben Eubanks, principal analyst at Lighthouse Research. By definition, humans are not aware of their unconscious biases, but these biases often play roles in our decision-making as our brains rely on them to help us manage and make sense of large sets of information.
Supporting human decision-making with tools like artificial intelligence and predictive analytics can help HR professionals become more aware of unconscious biases, Eubanks explains. By evaluating the patterns and suggestions highlighted by AI, human staff can see potential areas of bias revealed to them, and they can respond to AI’s recommendations with a new understanding of the information presented.
The right human resources tools can address other problems as well, like the challenge of meeting legal and regulatory requirements.
Technology makes global recruiting and hiring possible and manageable, but it doesn’t erase national boundaries or the effects of laws enacted within those boundaries. “Different countries have different protocols, legislation, and policies to consider,” notes Anna Ruby at ICIMS. The right hiring software can help companies keep track of applicable laws and regulations as they hire global talent.
Within the U.S., hiring laws include laws that prohibit discrimination on a wide range of protected characteristics. The right technology can help companies not only avoid running afoul of discrimination laws but also boost companies’ abilities to reach their own diversity and inclusion goals in hiring and retention.
Build communication to build culture
Communication between human resources staff and employees is essential, especially when that communication focuses on career growth. Applying predictive analytics helps HR staff and employees understand how a worker’s individual skill set can develop into various career paths within the organization.
Companies can also use these tools to track promotions, lateral moves, and other career changes within the company, writes Tess C. Taylor, lead learning designer at LEO Learning. Tracking this information enriches the ability of predictive analytics to chart career paths for existing employees. It also helps HR teams “understand what the obstacles to career progression might be” so that these can be addressed, writes Taylor.
“HR executives are positioned to drive this conversation because they should have an understanding of long-term talent gaps at the organizational level,” says Dion Love, a vice president in Gartner’s HR practice. Using up-to-date talent intelligence software can help human resources executives deepen their understanding of skills gaps and career pathing within the organization. The human resources department can thus better connect with workers, while executives can make more informed decisions about hiring and business objectives.
Global recruiting opens up exciting new avenues for company growth, innovation, agility, and diversity. Yet it also poses challenges for CHROs and their teams. Choosing the right technology and prioritizing its use as a tool for communication and understanding can help guide HR teams in building a strong global organization.
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