Human resources professionals torn between global processes and local loyalties

Human resources is the only business function to express a preference for global policies and procedures whilst at the same time feeling their primary loyalty is to local colleagues, according to a new survey by Global Integration. The survey is launched today at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Developmentís (CIPD) annual Learning, Training and Development conference.

It makes good business sense to employ global policies and procedures and CIPD research shows a clear link between strong-shared values and high commitment. Where strongly shared values can be demonstrated, people are more likely to be satisfied, displaying higher levels of organisational commitment, lower quit rates, greater customer satisfaction, and lower levels of dissent or dissatisfaction over levels of pay.

Within Human Resources many activities are rooted with an understanding of local client groups, working within national legislation and to meet the needs of the majority of employees. But HR professionals are increasingly required to deliver global projects and support increasingly international lines of business such as functional reporting, career development and day to day activities cross distance, cultures and time zones.

Kevan Hall, Chairman of Global Integration, says, ìTo deliver effective performance, organisations need to work hard to create and maintain shared vision and values amongst the people who work for them. However loyalties are naturally local and global solutions may get in the way of local flexibility. We have to find the right balance in order to maintain a sense of community at the right level in the organisation. Only then will people want to succeed, enjoy working for successful organisation, and exhibit the discretionary behaviours that continue to build that success.

ìPressures to globalise continue and this requires employers to make the transition from local to regional or global. It is tempting to create organisation wide structures and programs to deal with this but in reality there are very different groups with different needs. The challenge is to be selective and focus on how to achieve the shared vision and values and to develop new ways of working rather than just repeating what worked in the past.

ìAt the top level, some organisations need truly global employees who are prepared to move from country to country and help to create a genuinely global workforce. At the local level, we may prefer local loyalty and local solutions. In the matrixed middle are the people who have to manage the balance and trade-offs on a daily basis ñ these people need new skills and support. By adapting to these different needs, employers will speed up the pace of strategically important international projects and teams and increase motivation.î

Fran Wilson, CIPD International Manager, says, ìEmployers must think of the organisation as a whole and should create policies and practices that can be adopted across the globe. This will enable employees to move from country to country and help to create a genuinely global workforce. ì

Kevan Hall is speaking at CIPDís annual Learning, Training and Development conference today on Building Leadership Capability for the Global Economy. The seminar will cover the following areas:

How can employers build alignment, involvement and effective cooperation in highly complex organisations spread across different locations, cultures and time zones?

How building community an loyalty can help us overcome the problems of ttoo much Control, Too many teams and meetings and Runaway Communication