Management
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Resolving Cross-Cultural Differences in the Recruitment Process

September 1, 2021

The Cross-Cultural Differences

A multi-cultural workforce can provide significant benefits for a company instead of fulfilling legal compliance. The market is expanding worldwide, and organizations that take an interest in cultural awareness investment will be able to explore more talent in international markets. Recruitment practices are necessary to attract the right talent in the highly competitive global market. In the recruitment process, we faced candidates with cross-cultural differences that behave and think differently from us, for instance, in recruitment for global corporations, off-shore, or immigrant recruitments.

Cultural differences have a significant role in international recruitment, to ensure that onboarding of the candidate experience is optimal; it is valuable to get acquainted with the cultural, customs, and rituals differences between different countries. Knowing these differences make recruitment more influential and increases the chances of growth when you, as a recruiter, can respond to them.

For better lead, a nonprofit leader needs to invest in their staff and themselves. A positive organizational culture will bring relationships and resources to the organization instead of negative perception.

“Culture eats strategy for lunch.”

Peter Drucker, Management Guru

The power distance between countries

Within Europe, some different cultures and values result in candidates having different values and norms. According to the cultural dimensions of Hofstede, there is greater power distance between employee and employer in eastern and southern European countries, which means there is more grading in an organization. Employees find it essential to be addressed with the right title, more formality, and employees rely on the decision of the boss, and there is often a dress code. At a lower power distance, as in Sweden and Netherlands, there is a casual atmosphere on the shop floor, and it is more usual to use first names after a first assembly.

An organization that is operating worldwide may use recruiting techniques that are followed in the US. But these guidelines will not necessarily be followed by other countries due to their unique cultural norms. That is why it’s essential to build cross-cultural awareness to manage people in the global environment with more credibly. Job seekers from different cultural backgrounds may find the skills that they consider appreciated to recruiters differently, which leads to many approaches to how they polish their profile and present themselves during the interview process.

Culture Management Begins with Committed leadership

The leaders of any business are vital to communication and the creation of their workspace culture. But the relationship between culture and leadership is not one-sided. Leaders are the principal pillar of culture, and proper management depicts the leadership and culture image. The managers are responsible for evolving the culture of their workspace. A well established and deeply embedded culture illustrates how people should behave, which could help employees to accomplish their mission. This framework leads to the satisfaction of the employees and makes them feel a leader is helping them complete a task. Leaders can be created and also influenced by different cultures in the workspace.

Following legal and global issues can be considered during Cross-cultural differences in the recruitment process.

Legal issues

Employers that highlight cultural fit in their recruitment and selection process can be at risk of discrimination claims if they are careless.

HR professionals should confirm that selection practices and hiring decisions based on a cultural fit reasoning does not result in discriminating against any candidate who may not be “just like” the panel member.

Employers should also be responsive that many organizational cultures (for example, cultures that are highly protective or male-dominated) may be likely to spread gaps in promotions, in terms of employment and compensation. Those disparities may violate anti-discrimination terms and conditions.

Global Issues

According to the research of Kwasi Dartey-Baah (University of Ghana), the national culture has more effect on employees than the organization culture. HR professionals and leaders of organizations should recognize the national cultural values in the countries in which the organization runs to ensure that HR practices and management are suitable and will be useful in procedures in operating countries. National cultural differences should be considered when implementing organizational culture management initiatives in businesses worldwide. Managers must be able to answer back to tones in communication styles and deal with different prospects that employees have of their leaders across national cultures.

These issues become even more complicated in global business unions. Success in international mergers depends on the compound organization’s readiness to enable people with different cultural perspectives to engage in meaningful and valuable discussions about the new business.

Factors Influencing Human Behavior

The Organization in which a lot of people work affects their feelings, thoughts, and actions. These factors influence organizational culture. A simple way to determine human factors to think about these aspects, individual jobs, and its impact on people’s health-related behavior. In today’s diverse work culture, the staff and organization should accept and learn the value of different cultures to create a more cooperative and comfortable and workspace. For example, I company invites candidates from different cultures and hire based on criteria not based on personal belongings to the candidates that it will add more values to the company growth.

In today’s diverse work culture, the management, as well as staff, should learn and accept different cultures, values, and standard protocols to create a more productive and corporate culture. The following organizational and management factors can influence the behavior of human:

  • Management based on one-way communications
  • Poor health management and safety
  • Poor SOPs
  • Poor work planning which leads to work overload
  • Depression and lack of confidence
  • Inadequate responses to previous events
  • Deficient responsibilities and coordination

The human being’s performance is influenced by organization, culture, and environmental factors. That’s why management should make an incredible strategy for company growth as well as employees. A company’s culture always depicts the belief and values of its leader. Essential leadership set examples for their followers. For instance, Leaders must be passionate about the establishment of healthy cultural norms, actively engaged in the adoption of different cultures. Because leadership behavior tackles throughout the company.

Employees care about how workplace changes affect them, and with each move they face, they determine whether it has had a negative, neutral, or positive effect on their job.

Effective Communications

Effective communication between employees and leaders is essential to obtain buy-in and reducing the effects of organizational changes on employees. It ensures that employee understands why these changes are taking place and on board with the implementation of the differences. When the workers are allowed to voice their anxieties and provide changes feedback, they are more likely to participate and accept change in the management process, ensuring the changes take place successfully and productively.

The need to realign a whole range of HR practices

A well-planned strategy clarifies the role of the HR team. It explains the structure, size, and cost of resources required for delivery, and it ensures all HR activity is aligned to the needs of the business. A deeper understanding and knowledge of your business modal can identify the opportunities in the quality and quantity of Human resources required for your business.

HR team recruitment is an essential process; if we recruit the HR team across different cultures, it will boost company growth. HR team, which is closely involved with the organization’s culture and ambitions, can lead to these initiatives. A group of different cultures can give more credible ideas for company growth and provide development solutions to deliver improvements.

Some hiring practices to confirm cultural fit include:

  1. Looking at each piece of the organization’s mission, vision, and values statements.
  2. Conducting a cultural fit interview, it will let you know about candidate abilities.
  3. Leave discussion part of company culture for later. Do not tell candidates about culture in front of them.
  4. Making sure at least three people are involved in the hiring process will add more value and ideas about the right candidate.

The cultural difference determines people’s relationship with their external and internal environment of workspace. Providing such benefits while inviting suitable candidates to your business and a well-planned recruiting strategy can lead to good hires, increase productivity, and eventually customer satisfaction.

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