Globalisation, and the effect that it has had on the theory and practice of selection and hiring personnel, has attracted the attention of numerous researchers and practitioners alike. Although problems and challenges associated with expatriation are at the centre of international human resource management (HRM) practice and discourse, the assimilation of superior business processes associated with the concept of impatriation (hiring foreign nationals for fixed-term temporary employment) is not widely adopted. This is true of many corporations that are based in the UK and the US as well, even though they “rely heavily on impatriates to develop and sustain their economies” (Woska, 2007). What follows is an overview of factors to be considered and provisions to be catered during the process of hiring employees from a global pool of workers.
Moreover, since the employment of a foreign national involves political formalities, the hiring process should be designed in this broader international framework. For instance, the national policies for immigration control and national security of the host country need to be provided in advance to the prospective employee in order for him/her to take necessary steps in fulfilment of them. And this is inevitably the function of the HR department. Also, informing the candidates of the rights and duties expected of them within the “politico-legal system” of the host country, such as “freedom of expression, women’s dress code (applicable to some conservative societies), and mixed-sex associations” should be another crucial component in the hiring procedure (Bjorkman, 2006). Other considerations for the HR department include taking steps to make sure that the
“Essential needs are being met based on the consideration that impatriates seldom belong to a homogenous culture, ethnic group, race, religion, or nationality. For example, some groups may find it easier to acclimatise to the weather than others. Some may adjust to the culture effortlessly; others may not. Further, efforts taken at the national and regional levels in shaping the general attitude of a country, a culture, and a populace to foreigners, particularly when they are present in large numbers, is another key factor in facilitating adjustment” (Honeycutt & Kurtzman, 1996).
In addition to the politico-legal considerations discussed above, the HR recruitment process need take into account the issues raised by the micro environment of the workplace. Moreover, certain international standards pertaining to performance, supervisory controls, job specifications, organizational culture, human capital, etc need to be taken. It is a well known fact that when a UK based company recruits too many local personnel for its offices abroad, it jeopardises its time-tested and functioning set of values and core-processes that have come to represent its corporate culture. And the indigenous culture of personnel abroad may be quite incompatible to the way the company is used to operating (McNerney, 2006).
The following list serves as a useful guideline for designing the selection process in such a way as to make adjustments for cultural differences:
a. “Establishing and implementing a comprehensive recruitment system–a complete set of procedures including pre-screening, studying, and evaluating application forms, administering psychometric tests (there are no specific tests for cultural adjustment), conducting preliminary and in-depth interviews, and exit interviews.
b. Identifying recruitment needs as per the manpower needs.
c. Identifying potential sources for recruitment to meet recruitment needs within the stipulated guidelines given by other national governments.
d. Selecting and evaluating internal and external recruitment agencies”. (Al-Rajhi, 2006)
Given the fact that available technology has changed the hiring process (with the advent of web-conferences, virtual interviews, etc), certain new challenges are posed of the HR team. A primary concern in this scenario is the ability to gauge the literacy and skill levels of the candidates across the Internet. A recent survey had revealed that nearly forty percent of international job applicants lack essential literacy skills, let alone more specialized professional skills. Even more difficult to learn are the following two parameters that are required of all employees:
1. Their level of commitment to the hiring organization before being recruited for job assignments,
2. Ensuring that these employees remain loyal to the organization once they return home from their overseas work tenure (Stibbe, 2004).
Hence, properly designed hiring procedures can increase management’s understanding of expatriate commitment and effective career counselling will communicate future planned responsibilities to these expatriates.
In the United Kingdom, discrimination laws applying to employment procedures cover reference checking as well. It is imperative that persons conducting interviews with former employers or other individuals refrain from “questions addressing race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disabilities, and other protected categories. Reference decisions are to be based on objective job related facts”. (Peterson, et.al, 1996) Some appropriate questions during the interview that would not violate the rights of the candidate are:
1. Explain the job duties/tasks that were part of your previous work experience.
2. Describe your strengths as observed in the performance of duties.
3. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses and how do you think they will affect your performance.
4. Describe what job specific skills that you’ve mastered.
5. How will you describe your general approach and attitude to work?
6. How good are your interpersonal skills that will help you operate in a team environment?
These questions not only help the interviewer in assessing the suitability of the foreign candidate to the employment position under contention, but also they don’t invite unnecessary lawsuits from offended candidates.
It is the duty of the employer to investigate the foreign candidate’s background, especially when the position hired for requires trust and integrity of the employee. Usually, the scope of the investigation prior to hiring …
“…should correlate to the degree of opportunity the prospective employee would have to do harm to third persons. A minimum investigation consisting of the completion of an application and a personal interview may be satisfactory for a clerical position, but a full background inquiry including an application, criminal record check, and reference checking would be necessary for a safety or security position. Also, cases such as these are significant in establishing a nexus between liability, actual or constructive knowledge, and the totality of the circumstances surrounding the hiring”. (Honeycutt & Kurtzman, 1996)
While the Criminal Records Bureau’s help has been traditionally sought after for performing these background checks, the governmental agency is gaining a reputation of late, of being inadequate to deal with the increased demand for background checks on staff (Willmott, 2002). And finally, inadequate attention to the “soft” or “delicate” issues is an area that requires special attention. Most firms tend to focus on the issues that directly affect the bottom line, like taxes, cost-of-living allowances, premiums and the like, and overlook the “soft” issues.
References:
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McNerney, D J (June 1996). Global staffing: some common problems – and solutions. HR Focus, 73, n6. p.1(4).
Willmott, B. (Sept 10, 2002). CRB warned of backlog over background checks. Personnel Today, p.7.
Stibbe, M. (March 2004). Going that extra mile: recruiting senior staff from abroad is a fine art, that will not only put your benefits package to the test, but will require legal and tax know how, cultural sensitivity and a whole raft of family issues.(International: senior staff). Employee Benefits, p.S13(2).
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