Global Talent Management: 6 Keys to Unlocking Success

© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMXIV. All rights reserved.1
GLOBAL TALENT
MANAGEMENT
6 KEYS TO UNLOCKING SUCCESS

© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMXIV. All rights reserved.
As a talent management professional, you probably don’t
need anyone to tell you what the critical global talent
challenges are; you live them every day.
As a VP of Talent in a global manufacturing organization
recently told us:
“I know what I should do; I just need help doing it.”
2

Research and our work with clients around the world
confirm that global organizations consistently face
three primary challenges:
1. Global LeadershipDevelopment
2. Succession Management
3. Talent Acquisition
Nothing new so far…
3

To meet the challenges and provide your organization
with competitive advantage through people, you need to
know the barriers that will wreck even the best-intentioned
programs. Foresight, anticipation, and planning will help
ensure project success.
If the challenges are not new, identifying global barriers
and removing them through a series of defined enablers
positively is.
4

Organizations around the world utilize six primary levers
to break through barriers and enable project success.
Independent of product or solution, we call these levers
“enablers.”
1. Execution, process, and deployment
2. Consistency and scalability
3. Language and culture
4. Technology
5. Maximizing investment
6. Legal considerations
5

#1
6
Execution,
Process, and
Deployment

• Identify the organizational talent supply and
demand situation.
• Clarify the business case, gain stakeholder support.
• Decide what can be centrally controlled and what
should be devolved.
• Design, deploy, measure outcomes, adjust.
“The challenge is less about mandating differences,
more about managing differences.”
7 © Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMXIV. All rights reserved.
#1
Execution, Process,
and Deployment

When things go wrong,
the tendency is to
blame the content.
Don’t.
Implementation and
content go hand in
hand, but the majority
of focus should be on
implementation.
Execution, Process, and Deployment
8

#2
9
Consistency
and Scalability

Consistency of output is what the program should be
aiming for, not uniformity. Focus on output consistency
and how that will be scaled throughout a global project.
• Create multi-regional implementation teams.
• Define consistent standards, allow flexibility.
• Obtain clarity and perspective through data.
• Ensure teams have the skills and resources they need.
“View talent management as a journey rather
than a series of episodic events.”
#2
Consistency and Scalability

#3
11
Language
and Culture

Local culture runs as deep as a local language.
Deeper in fact. Work with it, not against it. Delivery
of programs in an acceptable language is important,
but cultural acceptance of the project is critical.
• Understand how individual activities will affect the
overall outcome.
• Know the cultural differences in your organization.
• Design a common leadership language.
“Beware of cultural bias that puts certain people
at an unintended disadvantage.”
#3
Language and Culture

#4
13
Technology

Effective and efficient technology systems are central
to outcome success.
• Do local regions have the software, hardware,
budget, and capability to work with the systems?
• Improved access to data will help better decision
making only if the data is current, reliable, and
precise. What process is in place to ensure that?
• Consider your “cultural” context. Do people use
smartphones or desktops? What is the reaction to
online and Social learning?
“If a system isn't usable, then its capability doesn't matter.”
#4
Technology

#5
15
Maximizing
Investment

Don’t assume that something that sounds affordable
and logical at the head office will be seen that way in
a region. Consider:
• Local market affordability.
• How the project is funded—don’t assume that local
is always cheaper.
• Involving local stakeholders early.
• Measurement of effectiveness and how you will
prove ROI.
#5
Maximizing Investment

#6
17
Legal
Considerations

Contemplate legal, economic, and political
considerations early. Operating across borders adds
complexity—both direct and indirect. Understand:
• Intellectual property laws.
• Differing data protection laws.
• Legal position of Expat assignments.
• Influence of unions and work councils.
• Gender or other diversity targets.
“Ignorance is no defense against a poorly or illegally
implemented program.”
#6
Legal Considerations

A Quick Recap
Think about the enablers as a set of tools to help you
break through the barriers and deliver effective global
talent programs:
1. Execution, process, and deployment
2. Consistency and scalability
3. Language and culture
4. Technology
5. Maximizing investment
6. Legal considerations
19

Ready to take your organization’s global
talent management to the next level?
Email info@ddiworld.com
and set up time with an expert.
20

Global Talent Management: 6 Keys to Unlocking Success

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