Introduction
Change is a six-letter word that brings numerous benefits, such as fostering a culture of continuous improvement, inspiring others to embrace change, and unlocking new possibilities for growth and success. Embracing the role of change is vital in today’s rapidly evolving world. You need global workforce management to enable success for those looking to impact organizational transformation.
A global workforce gives the required talent your organization needs. What’s more, they help you retain the profits and working culture. The recent trend towards hiring global trotting employees because of Covid opened new doors for international business.
Today mega-corporations like Coca-Cola, Nike, and IBM are reaping the benefits of hiring employees without borders. Smaller companies have picked up this trend. But everything comes with a price. Let’s address the pros and cons one by one.
Pros
- Hiring in an international format gives you benefits like entry into new markets with business potential
- Quality Talent pool
- Increased brand awareness and market growth of the brand
- Increased talent pool directly proportional to easy solutions to obstacles
Cons
- It comes with its downsides like staff training can cost you very much
- Language Barriers
- Staff training can be very complex because of time differences
- Complex Labour and tax compliances. If not done correctly, it can lead to penalties for non-compliance
- Work can also be asynchronous because of the time difference.
The cons do not stop there. There are many religious differences that the business owner should be aware of. Also, managing global workforce management is a process. So you need some tips to navigate it effectively.
We, MME, have compiled insightful tips on how to build that momentum for change—at the same time, finding, cultivating allies, and leveraging diverse thinking to make a lasting, meaningful impact. Build a case for change in your organization with our nine valued tips.
Equipped with plans and strategies, you can become a change agent in your organization. So without further ado, let’s jump right to the tips.
Tip #1 – Embracing Flexibility and Adaptability
There is never a word ‘later on’ in the dictionary of business. NOW is the keyword. Today is the time to act and create profound change in the workplace. I was using every bit of resource that was available.
The critical attribute of any global workforce management should be putting a high value on adaptability. You can bet on the person willing to be mentored/adapted. Workforce management can help navigate the individuals in driving the change.
“Someone’s skill has less value than its ability to learn. Adaptability is one of the most key traits in today’s environment.”
Sandra Moran, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, WorkForce Software
Similarly, adaptability becomes important when encountering barriers to change. To enlighten when the barriers include other people within the organization. Ushering in change can often mean welcoming teams passionate about the known and unknowns.
With an adaptive mindset, the sky’s the limit. It unlocks the room of new possibilities. Learning to listen, engage and be curious cultivated prosperous personal connections. It contributes to
compromise and resolutions rather than stagnation.
Tip #2 – Building Unanimous Decision for Change
Change always brings in resistance. There is a reason why internal stakeholders always admonish change in policies. It is the greatest challenge, but know what? You can surely take it.
Make change the new reality by garnering support from stakeholders within the organization.
Taking time off to connect and empathize with those directly affected by the change in processes and standards is important. Don’t empathize or listen for the sake of it.
The power of active listening can go miles in bringing change.
Rather than giving a high hand, building consensus by addressing concerns and involving them in the decision-making process helps them understand the situation. Understanding their perspective and giving them a solution rather than an injunction gains more meaning and impact.
Listening is a critical part of the change. People do not change; they have concerns that need addressing.”
Mark Bryner, Product Director, HR and Payroll at CONA (Coke One North America)
An additional challenge is in learning how to bring others along. It’s not about initiating change within oneself but inspiring others to do the same in this process. If done effectively, teams that need to be more open about sharing the process can become more open about sharing the process.
Understanding their needs allows you to define concrete pathways for bringing change. Empathy plays a big part in relaying the change. Putting yourself in their place will help you understand why the resistance is coming up.
Additionally, with a diverse workforce, challenges are bound to arise. But with open communication, you can feel everyone is welcome. This way, employees with concerns can find new ways to exchange ideas and collaborate to grow the company.
Open communication brings forth one more advantage. The employees will trust the company more. What does an employee want?
Establishing smooth and proper channels for respectful and regular communication across time zones is critical. It’s your key to instill a globally minded and sensitive company culture. With smooth navigation of any bumps, your global workforce management can move mountains for the company.
As it becomes harder to hire talent, many companies are turning to global hiring strategies. But these companies also realize how much of a challenge it can be.
Tip #3 – Leveraging Existing Resources and Momentum
MME has discussed the importance of now time and again. But why emphasize it? Simple, leveraging existing momentum doubles the effects of change. For example, business leaders often look through the organization to develop a strategy to identify teams already doing groundbreaking actions.
That way, you will save time, money, and resources. Looking for people and riding the wave of momentum will only take your business higher. This strategy also applies to individuals taking the proper steps toward change. Identifying, promoting, and motivating agents of change creates a snowball effect that allows others to follow along.
“There are always people in your organization who are eager and hands-on to lead change. Tap into that 20% population ready to go, and the 80% will follow along.”
Nicole Neumarker, Chief Technology Officer at WorkForce Software
Additionally, the window must be open for flexibility. It is easy to get focussed on new processes implemented at scale. Therefore, understanding the big picture is essential.
Watch the video here to get more insights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hByPqdxTjg.
Tip #4 – Navigating Toward End Goals
You know, right, if you have won in the end. That’s all that matters. Nobody gives a no about the process. But many global workforce management are running towards other obstacles instead of towards end goals.
When faced with obstacles, it’s easy to feel discouraged and distant from the outcome. It’s natural to feel that way. You should redefine success and celebrate milestones. Giving yourselves and your team a pat on the back is okay. It only creates momentum and motivation to move forward.
To make change noticeable, seek evidence of the changes made. Rather than cribbing about unknowns, finding and promoting used case studies can demonstrate the actual value of desired change. We are helping identify success markers and convert skeptics into advocates.
“When change is going to take a long time, I search for case studies and proof of what change will look like. It’s important to find pieces of breadcrumbs that show we’ll get there.”
Paula Robinson, Delivery Manager at GroupeX Solutions
Becoming an effective catalyst of change in any global workforce management requires a willingness to engage in day-to-day activities. Therefore leveraging existing momentum, communicating actions to be taken today, i.e., preparing a to-do list and its actions that will contribute to the desired end state for today.
It is where #Tip 2 will come—listening to others and empathizing with blockers into concrete strategies to move the needle forward. A small tip for global workforce management employees: stay adaptable and have a willingness to unlearn and relearn.
By embracing the advice, you can navigate the complexities of change and positively impact our teams and organizations.
Tip #5: Be mindful of cultural differences both in and around the global workplace management
Access to top talent comes with challenges—for example, new and unique cultural mores. Awareness and awareness of these cultural effects and social behaviors outside the workplace are imperative. It directly influences breaking the ice and the work that needs to be done.
According to the Economic Times, 30 minutes late to a meeting in India is considered ‘on time’ and perfectly normal. Pulling this stunt in the UK would be deemed unprofessional. Let’s not talk about Japan.
It can ruin your meeting as well as your business potential. But working around the clock proves professionalism and dedication towards the work in Japan. The same could not be seen in France and Germany. They are not obligated to answer work emails after office hours.
A kiss on the cheek is a standard professional greeting in Argentina. It is the bow in China, while in the US, a handshake will suffice. Focusing on training to acquaint you with these polite gestures will only help your company.
Another point to focus on is nonverbal communication during Zoom meetings, as having business meetings between members of an international workforce over this application is quite common. Many minute details of face-to-face communication need to be recovered when interacting virtually. So recognizing the dos and don’ts becomes all the more important.
Moreover
For example, the thumbs-up gesture is standard across the USA, the UK, and most of Europe. But it is considered extremely rude in Nigeria, the Middle East, and South America. Similarly, laughing without covering your mouth in Japan isn’t polite. It is a show of arrogance if your hands are in your pocket in Turkey.
A bonus; the foreign employees will feel more at home in your company. Therefore diversifying company culture. Including cultural awareness will only help your employees. They can build lifelong relationships with a better awareness of cultural appropriations.
The ongoing discussion about prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace has led many organizations worldwide to become increasingly multicultural. After being a part of a diverse workforce, it is a no-brainer to meet their needs.
Therefore, there is no harm in including three core pillars of the modern workplace: Equality, diversity, and inclusion. Here are three ways to ensure sensitivity is ingrained and appreciated throughout the management.
Training
Cultural awareness training should be provided regularly during business hours. Given that, the business potential will increase every time. Therefore keeping up to date with cultural awareness will only help towards working in harmony.
First-person experience
Want to know which office across the globe is making profits? As an upper management member, the best way to get a hands-on appreciation found within the workforce is to visit the countries which have offices, employ workers, or engage the services of contractors.
Sharing of Culture and Multicultural Events
The training doesn’t need to be in a dry boardroom lecture. It can include exciting team-bonding activities such as celebrating multicultural festivals and overseas exchange programs. Taking foreign postings in different countries helps make new experiences and mingle with international cultures.
But with many offices, ensuring the culture applies across every site in every country becomes a problem.
What to do, then?
To ensure that global teams are coherent and compelling. HR must support all managers in internalizing and supporting the desired culture. It includes:
- Keeping things transparent with every manager, no matter where the location is.
- We are communicating the vision and mission of the company in clear terms to everyone working at any site in the world.
- Ensuring processes and workflows are implemented and supporting team members at every site.
- We are using communications technology and HR systems to support various initiatives. These can function as data hubs that support multiple languages. Also, have transparent workflows and structures.
Tip #6: Religious Room
When your company is trotting the globe, you will also have employees with different religious beliefs. With different cultures come different religions and different ways of observing faiths—all the more reasons to be more accommodating of all needs.
Tapping into full potential is only possible when you create a welcoming space for all.
Surprisingly, in US non-Christians have alleged that employers don’t recognize their religious needs.
You must ensure all holidays are observed and employees can take off the time needed for their religious beliefs. Thus, you have to add policies for accommodating different dress codes as well. You can comply with any discrimination regulations when accommodating all of these religions.
Also, your company culture is based on respect for diversity.
Construct inter-faith rooms
Providing global workforce management and employees with dedicated religious practice spaces. It is a fantastic way to show people of all faiths that the company is welcoming them
with open arms, they will find respect for religion in your global workforce management.
Offering flexible holidays
Not all religious staff in global workforce management will require time to practice their devotions during the working days. But some will. For example, Muslims strictly adhere to prayer times and may require breaks each day at regular intervals to pray.
International employees are also legally entitled to public holidays in their home country. For instance, Christmas is a national holiday in majority Christian-countries like Mexico and even atheist countries like Canada. In China and Japan, the Lunar New Year is an important holiday.
Likewise, the holy month of Ramadan is central to the Islamic faith. It is observed by Muslims all over the world.
Tip #7: Comply with the tax and labor laws of different countries in Global workforce management
When establishing foreign subsidiaries or a permanent presence, it is the duty to adhere to that country’s tax and labor laws. As multinational businesses, compliance soon becomes an everyday and regulatory issue, taking into account various countries’ compliance laws you must abide by.
A simple method of expanding compliance while avoiding potential penalties for non-compliance and misclassification of employees is to use Employee of Record services.
Payroll compliance
Employers are responsible for withholding tax deductions and contributions. These are related to health and social insurance, pension schemes, and more. The amount and method of calculating and depositing varies from country to country.
Finance departments must be equipped with knowledge of how to pay international employees and local tax authorities. These steps should be done according to the laws of each country you have a professional presence.
Labor law compliance
In Sweden, both parents of a newborn are entitled to 240 working days of paternity/maternity leave. In contrast, the USA offers fathers zero days of statutory parental leave. Complying with often highly diverse and conflicting labor laws of different countries is part of the juggling act in global workforce management.
Classification
The HR department is equally crucial to be well-versed in different national laws when given tasks for classifying employees versus independent contractors. In contrast, some countries like India offer liberal brackets of definition for freelancers. Others assume all people contracted to work on behalf of a company are either full- or part-time employees. Penalties for any mistake can be severe.
Apart from the above three, the biggest challenge in global workforce management with international regulations is hiring new employees. For instance, if getting hired in the States, the Wages and Fair Labor Standards Act should be adhered to. When hiring in India, rules differ from those in the United States. Since the set of rules has been updated
The rules determine wage laws, employee benefits, salary, termination, and tax regulations. If you are hiring, being up-to-date with changing regulations can be challenging. In comparison, there are different rules for hiring a full-time, part-time, or contractor employee.
There can be a lot of rules to follow. Therefore global workforce management must work efficiently.
Tip #8: Provide EAL (English as an additional language) support toward global workforce management
The English problem only arises with English speakers. In that way, they are lucky as English is the internationally-recognized language of business. Also, many non-English-speaking workers have a firm grasp of the language. Thanks to colonial rule.
Non-native speakers often find communicating in English in multinational English companies to be a handicap. Therefore making their working lives more challenging overall. To level the playing field for your global workforce management, consider offering EAL support to any employees.
Learn the languages and the do’s and don’ts of non-verbal communication. In addition to providing EAL support, you can familiarize yourself and your global workforce management team with the most commonly spoken languages. Many tools will help employers, for instance, immersive language training for employees and translation tools.
These tools will only enhance practical communication and better opportunities for collaboration. Also, you can hire local language and English speakers. There are 230 foreign languages in Europe alone, with a staggering 2000 languages in Africa, by hiring speakers of local languages and dialects proficient in English. You can bridge the gap between your brand and your new target.
Tip #9: Broaden your strategy in Global Workforce management
With all the challenges we have described regarding efficiency towards global workforce management, the cost of onboarding, training, and accommodating international workers can be high. Therefore it’s important to budget accordingly.
It may be taxing now, but it will reap profits in the long term in the form of employee retention, workforce competency, and overall productivity. These are just one problem we have discussed. There is more
Aware of time zone differences and capitalize on it
Remote work has brought the days of core working hours to a close. Flexibility is the new normal and can improve employee productivity and well-being. For instance, in Finland, labor laws have enshrined flexibility for decades. It is considered one of the happiest countries in the world.
But when expanding internationally, you must know that time zones can constrain synchronous work. But asynchronous work has many benefits. Let s count them:
- Company work is being completed around the TAT. At the same time, one person is working on one project in one time zone. In comparison, another employee in a different time zone is completing other projects.
- Due to the difference in time zones, customer support and engagement will be exemplary. It will be 24/7 through social media.
- Communication can be flexible, not limited to core working hours.
Adopt Flexibility in Cohort with Technology
A multinational works best when flexibility is given to employees and internal structure. Running the business in a rigid leadership style is a yesteryear game plan. Using flexibility, innovation, and adaptability as the core elements of business structure ensures you are ready to absorb new challenges through global expansion.
Also, being armored with the right technology and working in remote conditions enhances your employee’s productivity. For instance, many AI employment solutions will help hire and onboard employees from other countries. An HRIS or HCM can be invaluable in codifying workplace standards and codes of conduct. Use HR tech to access documents quickly.
Therefore, every employee is on the same page regarding the organization’s norms, values, and expectations. The technology also helps you give data insights into the changes that can enable true workplace transformation. The memo includes employee job training, scheduling, pay rates, recognition, feedback, and communications.
With the above data as a helpful tool, it can help you make essential decisions in your business and inform your strategies. Using data models and insights with dashboards and visualized reports can help understand the job market and get replicated in every country.
Why do you need Global Workforce Management?
When you are hiring talented individuals all over the globe, you may look for niche skills or well-versed experience. However, you want to widen your talent pool. A diverse employer will be open to new ideologies, cultures, and norms. It will enable global workforce management teams to find the best talents. Therefore enhancing your employee team.
Also, the combination of a good onboarding process will ensure that employees stick around. Therefore improving retention rates. It will make it easier for employees to complete a new project faster.
Further, onboarding international employees is an even more challenging task. But you can still use tools to understand roles at your company. The best strategy would be hiring a PEO/EOR company with an excellent global workforce management strategy. MME is there to help you in navigating the myriad challenges.
Conclusion
We will help implement these strategies and give you the time to run your operations at your pace. Also, the above tips are time-consuming. It does look like small steps but requires meticulous planning.
Why falter time in these when you can focus time, energy, and resources on better work? For instance, running operations in multiple countries, improving customer engagement and daily operations.