Personally, i see the biggest challenge for HRM in the
global market is (as you've already stated) - to understand cultural differences
& to invest in human resource. Essentially, as the world becomes more homogenous
(share & enjoy similar food, fashion, tastes...) you would think that
recruitment, employment etc... would simply follow this pattern - but culturally we are
all very different and have different expectations or needs. For example, in New
Zealand, at the interview stage it is quite normal to bring support people with you. In
'European' culture this might be viewed as being quite strange considering it is you
trying to make a good impression on a potential employer- whereas for Maori or Pacific
Islanders having support (be it family members or friends) is quite normal. In fact
employment law dictates here that this option must be made available and cannot
prejudice the outcome! Hmmmmmm......
Other cultural
differences i am noticing are C.V.'s with photos. Ten years ago it was considered
'showy' or unprofessional to include a photo (aka passport/driver's licence) on the
front page of your c.v. whereas today many applicants/institutions insist on a photo
(photoshop et al) so they can 'remember you'. I'm not sure if this habit emerged from
Asia's rise but i can't say i've ever seen a c.v. from a Chinese/Korean without a
photo!
I also think that in today's climate it is not
merely enough to be tertiary qualified (fairly normal these days) but it is expected
that most workers are 'life-time' learners with 'extra' qualifications added later
(usually job specific grad/postgrad diplomas). Employers need to make more use of
'other' skills that could be valuable for an organisation. The main one of course is
language skills. Being able to communicate with staff whose 1st language is not english
is a major asset for companies today. Other skills could include leadership,
organisation, group work....
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