Global talent is ‘answer to skills shortage’

Sectors of the economy from financial services to the tech industry might be bemoaning the lack of skilled applicants to fill ever-increasing job vacancies but the talent shortage is "a myth", according to a leading global mobility specialist.

David Sapsted

16 March 2022

Mark Hedley, vice-president of recruitment at Globalization Partners, based in Boston, Massachusetts, maintains that companies should rethink their talent acquisition strategies and, instead of looking locally, should focus on hiring global, remote employees.

Overseas recruitment is becoming the new 'norm'

Mr Hedley, who will address the HR 'Talent Summit' taking place in Dublin on March 24, contends that companies are not looking in the right places for talent and might be approaching recruitment problems in the wrong way.

“The talent shortage is somewhat of a myth,” says Mr Hedley. “There might be shortages locally or in certain sectors, but if you take a global approach, there is talent out there.”

"If a company is in a particular business and needs to have people physically based in certain locations, then that presents more of a challenge.”

“However, if the company is in a knowledge-based industry, there is no shortage if they open up the aperture. There is talent everywhere, but you have to be comfortable hiring people in countries you haven’t had experience with previously.”

"Thinking globally is not a new thing for certain businesses, or sectors, but it can be new in terms of their approach to talent search in many cases.”

Related reading from Relocate Global

In an article in the Irish Times, Mr Hedley says that the explosion in remote working during the pandemic should prompt a change in mindset among companies trying to access the global talent pool.

“Many companies are looking for talent in the wrong place. They are saying they want to fill the same chair in the same place with a different person. It’s a supply and demand equation. If you take that approach, you will be looking at a very limited pool of talent,” he says.

“If you look at an organisation which says it is five days a week office based, the pool of available talent will be reduced and the number of people who will apply for jobs there will be less than before the pandemic.

"If it has a hybrid model with three days in office and two days working remotely, the available talent pool will be about the same as it was before the pandemic as employees still need to be within commuting distance of an office.

"But if you leverage our global employment platform that enables you to recruit from anywhere, the pool will be much larger. You can hire people in as many different countries as you like.”

Globalization Partners launch strategy to help build the international recruitment barriers

Mr Hedley points out that, in 2021, Globalization Partners launched G-P Recruit, which gives customers access to a selection of recruitment specialists in key markets around the world.

He says the service goes much further than simply finding and recruiting the best talent, but also deals with the legal, tax and other potential challenges that can represent a barrier to employing people in international markets.

What this means, he says, is that companies, regardless of their location, can overcome local shortages by accessing the global talent pool.

“It’s about the democratisation of job opportunities,” Mr Hedley maintains. “People no longer have to travel to other countries in search of opportunities. Work is now moving to people, and we are seeing companies become a lot more comfortable with that.”