Cross cultural competencies and Technology

Globalization is becoming a reality, in many ways, for the first time. Go to a computer
anywhere in the world, and you’ll see that the person sitting at it is familiar with eBay.
Yahoo! or Google! And it’s not only the application of technology but technology itself that is
making pluralism at a global level a genuine possibility. Advancement in technologies has now
resulted in ‘follow the sun’ models, which dictate that the work never stops. This enables
teams across countries to work as one unit, cutting across every cultural and physical
barrier. They work with one goal and hence, come up with faster solutions.

Old business and hiring structures are both being replaced by a global sourcing model that
places emphasis on doing the work place where it makes most sense, sourcing resources
from where they are the cheapest and of the best quality, and delivering where there is the
best client interface. This has led to the formation of a global workforce that collaborates
seamlessly to create profit for the host country and the country where the organization is
headquartered.

Globalization of IT has led to extensive movement of professionals from one country to

another. Though this has been largely characterized by migration from the East to the
West (specifically the USA), the reverse trend is also now being seen It is becoming
common to see IT professionals from abroad working on short and long term projects in
Asian countries. This made the government concerned interfacing with each other in areas
such as labor regulations, visa rules, work permit quota etc., to enable a smoother flow of
professionals from one country to another.

As companies seek talent and talent seeks global companies, there is dramatic change
waiting to happen in the way we work. Our work world is challenging and presents a number
of opportunities.

Companies increasingly encourage and expect employee to have cross-cultural competencies

and international experience. It indicates an added dimension of appreciation for cultural
diversity, different approaches to communication and different ways to solve common
problems.

Most IT organizations like Google, also specially made programs to facilitate internal
movement of talent across geographical boundaries. The idea is to find the right blend of
work and expertise without location as a constraint. We offer the ‘Jumpstart program’ that
supports Google’s international expansion through selective remote project opportunities.
The Jumpstart Program allows outstanding employees to have the opportunity to improve
their knowledge and expand their cultural horizons in Google’s international offices,
providing a benefit to outstanding contributors. In addition, this program helps unify our
global workforce as employees can serve as ambassadors on the local level across regions.
Technology also has the potential to change culture and economic structure. These changes
in behavior, technology, demographic resources and global competition are forcing
businesses to strategically adapt to new ways to ill talent scarcity gaps. It is interesting to
note how different companies around the world are sourcing talent to fill their needs.

Companies are recruiting talent to immigrate back to their homelands from all over the
world. And money is not the prime motivator for global movement as people are willing to
make the move for less. It’s the improving quality of life around the world that compels
talent to consider such a move.

During the nineties, recruitment by IT companies was largely geography based. Thus, almost
all intake by an organization centered in India would be from within the country. This is now
changing especially in the case of the larger IT companies, which are taking conscious
measures to build a global workforce either through recruitment from foreign universities,
or through lateral intake. Another trend is the split between recruitment and development.
Thus, an IT company can be headquartered in Mumbai, recruit programmers from the
Philippines, and deploy them in the UK.

To remain competitive in the current recruitment market, organizations are also investing in
developing robust internal growth opportunities. Companies are more open to hiring fresh
graduates and investing in their training both for technical skills as well as domain
knowledge.

Newer locations globally are now becoming the hiring base especially at the entry level.
More in at senior positions to be based out of India. Senior executives are relocating with
their families to India whereas till sometime back, it would not be so.

It has been proved time and again that the forces of talent necessary to accomplish work
are never planned for but seem to rise to the occasion. The talent forces that are emerging
to fill scarcity gaps in our time are from every conceivable part of the globe and are
adapting to the flat world faster than you think. —