‘Embracing a global mindset’ may be necessary for the future of work

Both employers and employees are seeing the benefits of a global job hunt as opportunities domestically become harder to come by.

Research from G-P revealed that candidates are interested in joining global organisations, leaving many companies struggling to secure in-demand talent.

In fact, the report found that 79 per cent of Aussie respondents are keen to move to a global organisation, and 69 per cent are already seeking new opportunities or will be assessing a change within the next six months.

The perceptions of employers have altered as a result, as three-quarters of Australian executives highlighted troubles with securing skilled talent, forcing them to seek opportunities globally.

“Significant talent shortages have impacted the Australian workforce in several sectors, including IT, construction, healthcare and more. This requires employers to take strategic actions to attract and retain the talent at risk of leaving in favour of global opportunities,” said G-P Asia-Pacific general manager Charles Ferguson.

“These measures include enhancing compensation packages, expanding their global recruitment reach and investing in upskilling initiatives.”

This double-edged approach to job seeking has placed added emphasis on globalisation. Could this prompt the breaking down of borders?

Mr Ferguson continued: “Embracing a global mindset, thinking beyond geographical boundaries, and creating a workplace culture that fosters international teamwork will not only help overcome talent limitations but also position businesses in Australia for sustainable growth and success in an increasingly interconnected world.”

It’s no huge shock that organisations are seeking opportunities across borders as the country tries to maintain adequate employment levels. Tech Council of Australia revealed that an additional 600,000 people will be required to hit its goal of having 1.2 million tech jobs in Australia by 2030.

At the moment, G-P noted that 82 per cent of organisations are engaged in global hiring, with another 70 per cent open to the idea. This is reportedly on the rise, no doubt due to talent sourcing issues, with the country seeing a 107 per cent increase in hiring of workers based in the US.

As the globalisation of companies becomes increasingly prevalent, employers may need to adjust processes to cater for the change. According to G-P, there are some considerations to make before commencing global work:

• Setting clear boundaries: “For positions that require working with teams across multiple time zones, 92 per cent of respondents said clear boundaries were necessary and non-negotiable, over half (51 per cent) prefer that team leaders are online during at least some of their working hours, while 48 per cent advocate for the scheduling of team meetings that consider as many time zones as possible, ensuring inclusivity and convenience.”
• Inclusive leadership: “Company leaders play a vital role in fostering inclusion within global teams. Half the respondents (50 per cent) from Australia expect leaders to ensure company updates are sensitive to different time zones and languages. Additionally, 44 per cent emphasise the importance of leaders making in-person visits to all global regions.”
• Managing global teams: “For enabling an everywhere workforce, Australians value their leaders’ ability to adapt and remain flexible (56 per cent), followed by creativity and problem solving (51 per cent) tied with empathy and compassion (51 per cent).”