Global HR Leaders Meet in on the U.S. East Coast to Discuss Emerging Markets HR and Talent Trends

Although the bulk of the discussion revolved around local talent, it was agreed that multinational companies are generally not putting sufficient thought into the repatriation process. The group observed that expatriates are especially vulnerable towards the end of their assignments as they return to home market roles — and many separate from the organization at this time. Many of the HR Leaders felt their own companies were better at expatriating than repatriating their high potential global talent. They agreed that organizations should do a better job of putting the emerging markets skills and experiences to good use once the individual has returned to her/his home market.

Realistic Hiring Practices in Talent-Short Markets
Another central topic for discussion was the need for companies to align their HR hiring and retention strategies to the level of development of their HR model within the local environment. During the discussion, Matt Chapman suggested that it is often better to try to hire the ‘8 out of 10’ instead of the ‘perfect 10’ — and to hire HR talent based on attitude and potential. This is particularly applicable when the local HR organization is somewhat underdeveloped and cannot offer the ‘perfect 10’ employment experience. The ‘perfect 10’ employee is very hard to retain and the hiring of these elite individuals can create additional pressure for the organization to ensure the internal reality lives up to expectations. The group discussed the notion of hiring HR talent to suit the limitations of the local organization generally and also touched on the importance of tailoring roles to suit the individual in talent-short markets. A related discussion topic in one of the groups was the need for an organization to develop an employer brand which is attractive to prospective employees, yet in keeping with the realities of the local organization’s internal environment.

HR Delivery Models Being Tweaked and Transformed
Another high-interest subject was the large number of companies which are changing their HR delivery models — either through major transformation processes or frequent tweaking. Many of the HR Leaders reported that their organizations were grappling with identifying the right HR delivery model to get the job done, including trying to identify the right mix of global collaboration and local autonomy. A large number were driving major transformation projects on a global basis — some through the use of new technologies and systems; with others deliberately not deploying new technologies until the delivery model itself had been tried and proven. The length of time for the transformation process ranged from 2 to 5 years and there was considerable discussion around the order that markets were addressed (mature before emerging regions or vice versa). The consensus was that there is generally no perfect approach to a complex global transformation process.

Another observation was that complex or heavily matrixed organizational structures can be problematic in emerging markets. The HR Leaders agreed that in these situations, it’s important to ensure clarity and that even within a matrix; a single individual should have dominant ownership for any given function or task.

Matt Chapman, CEO of The Chapman Consulting Group concluded: "Leaders can no longer afford not to be actively taking an interest in the latest emerging markets HR trends. We believe this is why the sessions were so well attended".

The Chapman Consulting Group will be holding more global HR Leader networking sessions in the United States in mid-October. Locations will be San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Durham, NC. Further details will be advised in the coming weeks.

• Talent Management
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