Large multinationals and even some small and mid-sized companies now depend upon being able to develop a pool of talent that can operate flexibly and internationally.

The difficulty arrives in advising clients how to source their marketing talent. The debate rages on: should they recruit ‘globally’ or ‘locally’?

First, there’s no such thing as a ‘global manager’. There simply is no universal approach to management. It’s only the inexperienced that believe that it’s appropriate to transfer best-practice ‘management’ from their home country to elsewhere. Of course, some people can adopt culturally appropriate behaviours and translate their managerial or technical skills as required, but they are few and far between.

Secondly, recruiting anywhere but in-country for a post, according to a report published by the US-based consulting firm, ORC Worldwide cites the following reasons for assignment failures:

1. The inability to adjust to the foreign culture
2. Security concerns
3. Career Concerns – although the role may have been sold as a pathway to future promotion, being away from ‘headquarters’ causes insecurity

One common flaw with recruiting internationally is that we forget that our approach must be local, targeted, and precise. For instance, if we are to recruit a team in China, you might think, “Ok, how do I find a candidate in China?” When we recruit locally, we ask much better questions, for example, “I wonder if Professor Heng Yue at Nanjing University would recommend any of his most outstanding Computer Science grads?” Having knowledge of the real local market equates to success.

At Marketingmoves we have developed in-country networks that take into account important local information about candidates. For example, we look at the networking dynamics of the Universities that our candidates attend and our continued conversations with candidates’ means that we have developed advocates in the communities in which we need to recruit. We are always looking to develop the next generation of talent for you locally, where you can be assured of success.

Contact Melvin Day at mday@marketingmoves.com or on +441932 253352.

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