If 2023 was marked by one thing, it was the dawning of AI. However, talent management in the United States this year has a very human focus. Expect companies to look inwards, and not just at regular employees—managers and global leaders are included in the assessment as well.
Organizations are also transitioning towards a more skills-based and agile approach to talent management. And let’s not forget that the jury’s still out on whether to carry on with remote work or impose RTO (return-to-work) policies.
It’s shaping up to be a dynamic and people-first year. Here are the top five global talent management trends in the US you need to prepare for in 2024.
1. Organizations will invest in developing global leaders
Global leadership is essential as organizations continue to expand beyond their borders. It’s becoming more important because companies want leaders who can effectively manage dispersed teams. Global leaders and managers are expected to work in multiple countries and understand different cultures, economies, and business environments.
To effectively manage employees from an array of cultures, global managers have to connect with them in their environment and learn how their culture impacts their world of work. Leaders have to take into account the aspects of work that matter most to them and their sense of camaraderie. Understanding the cultural nuances of each team builds stronger relationships and helps leaders create strategies to make those elements work in their favor.
To make this possible, companies are using meaningful assignments, 360-degree feedback, and cultural exposure to improve global leaders’ cultural and emotional intelligence.
Whether in-person or virtually, the goal is for leaders and managers to skillfully adapt as they coordinate with different cultures. This makes the company more agile and prepared to handle change as it occurs.
2. Remote work will remain a priority for job applicants
The new normal of remote work post-pandemic empowered companies to widen their talent pools to attract and retain the best cross-border talent. Remote work remains a determining factor for employees when choosing a job, and thus it is a key motivator for American employers to keep it around.
Despite this, 52% of employers worldwide have begun asking employees to return to the office, saying the decision is necessary to rebuild or maintain a connection and uphold company culture, as well as facilitate collaboration among their employees.
Depending on the country, some employees are also looking for a closer connection with their coworkers and employers. For instance, employees in Asia and Europe are more likely to fear losing out on social connections, while Americans are more concerned with the flexibility of remote work.
This ties into heightening your company’s and its managers’ cultural intelligence. You can implement what’s right for each team and regional market.
3. Organizations will encourage a global mindset
Having employees distributed around the world naturally leads to intercultural experiences with coworkers, customers, and managers from different backgrounds. For some, this interaction could be their first. This is an issue when you’re planning to expand quickly.
Companies are working to cultivate a global mindset to help navigate these situations and better serve an international customer base. Employees can interact and perform their jobs better when they can understand the culture of the customers they’re interacting with.
A global mindset empowers them to adapt to a variety of cultural, social, and economic markets. Being able to adjust allows them to see the nuances, complexities, trade-offs, and opportunities in the company’s various locations.
Leaders and employees can then adjust their strategy and how they interact with each market. These are the skills needed to integrate into overseas markets and help with selling, negotiating, and conducting business in other countries.
4. Businesses will focus on becoming skills-based organizations
Businesses in the US are becoming more skills-based and have reassessed the traditional work model of static job positions. Now, businesses are looking for the skills they need to accomplish company goals.
In 2024, organizations are taking inventory of the skills they possess and hiring to acquire the skills they lack. They’re also looking at employees’ motivations and career goals. Collectively, the information is used to pair the right tasks with the employee best suited for the assignment, not the job.
Developing a workforce strategy with fixed job positions isn’t flexible enough to keep up with accelerated growth and expansion. Industries and economic markets constantly evolve, and the skills required to succeed change with it.
Learning, developing, and hiring for these skills ensures your business has what it needs to continue growing.
5. AI-driven productivity
Resolving productivity challenges will be a priority for most US organizations, and they are utilizing AI to increase it. While many employees thought AI was going to replace them, it’s instead meant to work with them to improve their work output.
AI can streamline and simplify the mundane tasks of employees’ jobs, but since AI allows employees to focus on more important duties, there’s a risk of overloading workers and causing burnout. This is making company decision-makers pay closer attention to capacity planning and workflow designs to prepare employees for an AI-augmented future.
Preparing for the shift in talent management
Getting to know your distributed teams and their skills are the centerpieces of global talent management in 2024. This year is about improving cultural intelligence to make the best strategies and decisions, no matter where you operate.
This starts by developing global leaders who can cultivate a global mindset among an international workforce, all while becoming a skills-based organization that is agile and adaptive.
Of course, this is easier said than done, especially when juggling multiple teams in various countries on your own. Multiplier offers global payroll, multinational compliance, EOR services, and more to simplify and streamline your global talent management, so you get all of the benefits with none of the hassle.
Speak with a Multiplier expert to find out more.
