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When our ancestors dipped their toes into the Red Sea to begin a millennial journey, they knew the world only as far as their eyes could see. In their entire life time, most had probably not ventured beyond the radius of a few kilometres from their birth place. In a deeply interconnected and interdependent world of today, such physical horizons have taken the shape of national borders, yet, thankfully, the human endeavour prevails and we continue to seek and connect beyond boundaries.
Historically, apart from warriors, preachers and adventurers, it was traders who had a big influence on the movement and migration of people. Businesses have thrived on opportunities generated by exploiting the two fundamental variables of abundance and scarcity. As we have seen over the past decades, these variables apply not just in the context of natural/financial/technological resources, but importantly, also in the supply of competent and motivated pool of talented workers. The 'war for talent' continues to rage, albeit with a twist.
In a fast converging world, the spin, especially in leadership roles, is on the 'global fit' - does the leader demonstrate a winning temperament that allows them to work seamlessly across cultures, inspire multi-national teams to deliver results and lead business engagements effectively? Same for the Global HR leader!
In a recent article in Forbes magazine, Prof. Paul Sparrow, Emeritus Professor of International Human Resources Management at Lancaster University Management School, remarked that while some of the challenges facing HR Directors are long-standing, "it's about continuing to build a global mind-set and leadership ever more deeply into the organisation and creating much better linkage between their international mobility and global talent management functions. Paradoxically, they will be doing this at a time the world is to varying degrees, de-globalizing. As the public mood begins to shift, there is increased scrutiny being placed on the sourcing and shoring strategies of many multinationals and on their ability to regulate and manage their global supply chains."
Several other converging issues, sparked by the unfolding technology revolution, are pushing slow adapting organisations - with industrial age structures and practices to change or perish. There is a strong need felt to re-design how work is being organised and executed to stay relevant and profitable. Take the drive towards digitization, automation and analytics. These are now becoming central to running operations and making business/people decisions. Just as organisations, leaders too need to be agile, adaptive and keep learning continuously. Another noticeable shift in expectations is the emphasis on generating an integrated - 'positive and inspiring experience' for the employee, personalising it to the extent possible, rather than just running traditional talent engagement and culture building initiatives.
And even as our HR folks keep trying hard to keep the powder dry, it is predicted that by the year 2020, there will be a strong emergence of the gig economy - an environment in which temporary positions are common and organisations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements!
HR Bot, anyone?!
To read the complete issue click here.
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