Daniel Pena is co-founder and CEO of DevSavant.
The trend toward globalization has significantly increased the use of international workforces across nearly every sector of the economy. The impact of nearshoring and the advantages of offshoring have increased drastically and will likely continue to boost the demand for globalization. Dealing with the complexities of global workforces is both challenging and rewarding for human resource executives dealing with intercultural engagements, cultural nuances and communication gaps. Here are some tips for harnessing an effective strategy that can optimize output from a global workforce.
Immersing In Local Regions
Understanding needs in local markets involves not just arming yourself with regulations, but also establishing a presence in the region where you operate. Personally nurturing the relationships is crucial to creating trust, communicating effectively and strategizing to enhance future performance. Appreciating and respecting diverse perspectives and using them as an opportunity to connect to shared values is key to success in a multicultural environment.
Open Communication Channels
Clear channels of communication are also vital for amplifying a diverse organization’s core value of respecting every team member, listening to their opinions and giving positive feedback. Achieving this goal involves taking meaningful approaches that encourage open communication and let each group share their perspectives. Training programs that raise employee awareness and appreciation of their colleagues’ cultures can also help achieve honest and open communication between team members.
In some cases, having employees distributed across an array of time zones can make communication challenging. Organizations that rely on nearshoring may have an easier time with this, as similar time zones ease the burden of geographical barriers.
Embracing Technology
Technology is imperative when managing a global workforce. Investments in video conferencing tools, project management software and instant messaging applications, along with newly evolving AI models that integrate with existing platforms, add value toward reaching new thresholds in the global environment.
Focus On Employee Development
Investing in your employees’ development is crucial for retaining top talent, and many companies do so by providing access to training courses and workshops. Mentorship opportunities that provide career paths and goal setting can also ensure your workforce feels valued and motivated. In a global setting, incorporating cultural styles into this training is crucial to the overall success of the distributed team.
Measuring Success And Motivating A Global Growth Mindset
Some subtle ways to support your global employees include praising their identity, which means focusing on a person’s inherent traits and effort. Acknowledging a person’s intelligence and strong work ethic creates an environment where employees build a growth mindset and reduce their limitations. Simply calling out successes and failures can reduce a person’s self-worth and not allow them to learn and grow, but understanding how different cultures perceive praise and recognizing these nuances can enable human resources executives to develop tailored strategies for each region or individual.
Managing Stress For Positive Results
Combating stress in a global workforce setting can make a tremendous impact on creating a growth mindset. Stress often makes it challenging for individuals to adapt, innovate and learn new coping strategies. For HR managers with a global workforce and a growth mindset, mitigating that stress and channeling it into productivity can improve problem-solving skills and help employees flourish. Nearshoring may be a helpful tool for this as it can allow employees to work remotely, which fosters a better work-life balance and helps them manage stressful situations more effectively.
Expect Both Challenges And Rewards
Companies that want to successfully manage an effective global workforce should expect to consider a host of factors, such as maintaining channels of open communication and providing respect for different cultural beliefs, work styles and reward systems. It’s imperative to immerse yourself in each region where you plan to conduct operations to build trust, communication and inclusivity. Lastly, remember that focusing on praise for effort and using stress as a tool for growth can help you create a resilient, motivated and high-performing global workforce.
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