While speaking at a HR conference in Bermuda today for one of the largest hospitality organizations in the world, the theme of the event that was repeated over and over again was "think globally, act locally."
This theme is the theme that Knowledge Infusion uses on a daily basis when working with client whether operations solely in the US or whether a multi-national, global enterprise with locations all over the world. Talent Management is a global function and continues to change the face of HR forever. Whether dealing with regulations or local unions, HR for the most part has been able to focus on where the business does business. This is no longer as organizations strive for any competitive advantage in recruiting talent from around the world.
On the SuccessFactors blog today, Erik Berggren does a good job of recapping this theme as well and a read for all looking at talent management and the impact that technology MUST have today for HR to be successful.
HR is a global operation and will be from this point forward. It is an imperative to build your HR and talent management technology strategy in this way or you will lose competitive advantage very quickly.
Another infusion of knowledge...
Jason:
You are absolutely right on that talent management, and therefore HR, is now a global function. And I emphasize the word "global", as opposed to "multi-national". HR has functioned multi-nationally for some time, creating policies, processes and procedures that are geogaphically specific to the country or region in which business is being done. In the age of global talent mobility - moving talent from region to region, office to office, in order to leverage business models, experience, competencies and culture for competitive advantage, the "multi-national" perspective won't work simply because the perspective is siloed (geographically, rather than functionally). Today's high-potential, high-performing employees expect seemless transitions between opportunities - seemless compensation, seemless benefits, seemless HR support.
They also expect continuity of career opportunities: if I take a global assignment for 2 years, what will my career path be upon my return to the States? If a global organization is not prepared to support global talent mobility with appropriate HR support, rewards, opportunity, and infrastructure, competitive advantage may be rather difficult to achieve.