Global HR Thought Leaders
Fostering a Global Mindset
MOBILITY Magazine, June 2008
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Along with factors such as obstinate immigration regulations fueled by nationalist sentiment, one of the largest difficulties facing global mobility is fostering a global mindset in the workforce. Those unable to shed their cultural biases limit the potential of cross-border business. In the global business world, open doors (or markets) must be passed through by open minds.
S. Chandrasekhar is vice president of people relationships management for Capgemini India, Mumbai—an IT consulting, outsourcing, and technology company with nearly 18,000 associates in India. Chandrasekhar is responsible for recruitment, compensation, performance management, learning and development, mobility, and employee administration for Capgemini’s India entities.
He has worked for more than 27 years with private and public sector companies in steel, IT education and training, and telecommunication. Prior to joining Capgemini, Chandrasekhar was in charge of human resources (HR) for the start-up Reliance Communications, Mumbai, and helped it grow to be an employer of 35,000 people in more than 1,100 locations.
Chandrasekhar has an executive MBA from the Leeds University Business School, Leeds, United Kingdom, and a Ph.D. in organizational behavior. He also has been invited to the board of the National HRD Network, a professional body of HR professionals in India.
Q: What do you see as current barriers to global mobility?
A: Four things: (1) inadequate global mindset; (2) myopic, protectionist, and short-term national policies toward immigration; (3) a simple transactional view of mobility by those of us who are busy using up a shrinking market rather than creating new mobility demand by proactively promoting globalism in the market; and, finally, (4) the inadequate preparation by countries, companies, and people in building global skills in order to expand the expat talent pool.
Q: You maintain that the world’s workforce is not yet global. What do you mean by that?
A: The world’s workforce is not global on many counts. The top two are: lack of a global mindset—I mean a mindset that accepts, adapts and, where required, assimilates the diversity of our world and is able to see the interconnectedness of the world. Such a mindset is not very common yet. People still see all issues largely from national, cultural, religious, or ethnic silos, which cannot be called a global mindset.
The second most important aspect is the sheer inertia around cross-border travel, and the ability to feel at home in host countries and perform the simple task of truly being Roman in Rome.
In my view, the best of expats are still not Roman in Rome. They somehow try to remain British, American, or Indian while in Rome—thus slowing down the process of being global. Therefore, I say the world workforce is not global yet.
Q: How does this inadequate mindset affect global mobility?
A: This affects global mobility in many ways. The most important being a non-expanding—if not shrinking—market size for the global mobility industry and suppliers of mobility services. If people were more global and cross-border movements happened to their full potential, the mobility industry would have grown exponentially.
Q: What are the emerging trends in global mobility?
A: The trends are mixed and sometimes contradictory. Sometimes we are seeing a spurt in mobility needs as more and more people are now moving both within developing countries and across the developed and the developing countries. At other times, we are seeing an increased reluctance and often sheer inability of people to move across borders, particularly in the advanced West.
Q: What is your advice to transform mobility from the mere transactional to the truly global for the following groups: countries and regulators, corporations, human capital professionals, mobility service providers, and individuals?
A: For countries and regulators, welcome immigration in areas where you have shortage of skills and talent. Ensure that the governmental intention to welcome expats actually is supported by the operations at the ground level. Sometimes the ground-level bureaucracy in clearing visas and the like can be very frustrating.
For corporations, invest in expanding the talent pool with global mindsets and cross-cultural competencies. Send expats to localize the company and not just clone your headquarters elsewhere.
For human capital professionals, assist and facilitate corporate intention to build a global workforce by hiring, training, motivating, and developing true global skills in employees. Put in place integrated frameworks and do not just handle the “transactions” of immigration.
For mobility service providers, partner with companies and governments in expanding the globally mobile talent pool. Just delivering relocation and, for instance, spouse assistance programs are important but not adequate to create a sustainable global workforce. Participating in advocacy and constantly preparing the legislative and administrative framework to facilitate easier cross-border movements is a corporate social responsibility of mobility service providers.
For individuals, cultivate a truly global mindset—which essentially consists of respect, tolerance, inclusive approaches, and adaptation. Understand the interdependence of the world. Realize that it is possible to love one’s country and culture, and be a global citizen at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.
Q: Do you have any final advice to all of us who are “stakeholders” in global workforce mobility?
A: Let’s create a more global world together. Don’t fight over the current cake. Invest time and energy on enlarging the cake of mobility so that each of us can have a bigger piece.
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