新作坊

RECRUITMENT FOR EFFECTIVE EUROPEAN CULTURAL WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

摘要：

The forces of globalization and the instruments (e.g. Erasmus, Europass, etc.) set by the EU are slowly, but surely, driving the growth of workforce mobility across Europe. In general, workforce mobility and diversity are positive aspects for competitiveness. For example, at a macro-scale, workforce mobility allows economies to adjust to new external market demands, inducing competitiveness. At a micro-level, companies can in theory benefit greatly of a diverse workforce (qualified resources, innovation and adaptability). However, as pointed by several researchers and by the European Monitor for Change, workforce mobility and diversity does not come without challenges and should be seen carefully. Company culture is determined by corporate DNA and by local culture. It is therefore likely that significant differences will emerge between local employers and foreign employees with regard to several aspects like leadership, work ethic or HR policies. To be able to face the impact of cultural diversity, companies should have a clear diversity strategy, which should permeate all key organizational processes. The European Monitor for Change emphasizes the importance of a proper recruitment process in order to address the challenges of workforce diversity. This is evidenced by several other researchers: “With globalization intensifying, knowledge of cultural differences becomes increasingly critical. In the area of recruitment, a cross-cultural knowledge base is vital as the demand for international talent poses escalating challenges to effectively attracting desirable applicants. However, we know very little about the effectiveness of recruitment practices across cultures because most studies have been conducted in the U.S.” (Mayer, R., Allen D., 2009, Recruiting across cultures, Dep. of Management, Fogelman College of Business & Economics, University of Memphis). Another study by the Intercultural Management Institute, also emphasizes how cultural differences can affect the way key competencies are interpreted. While skills and experience continue to be important for recruitment, research and practice increasingly point to the importance of the ‘motivational fit’ as a key differentiator in the selection process. In the DDI Australia Research Report, motivational fit is defined in two distinct ways: Job Fit Motivation and Organisation Fit Motivation. The most common and frequently cited element of Organisation Fit centres on the congruence between individual and organisational values. This is often referred to as Culture Fit. As the parameters of jobs continue to blur and workforce diversity increases, the Culture Fit is becoming increasingly important in ensuring successful recruitment. Research seems to show however, that recruitment professionals do not tend to incorporate this aspect of Culture Fit in their practices. REDIVE project (supported by the European Commission) aims at improving the multi-cultural recruitment processes in European companies to increase the effectiveness of workforce diversity. The REDIVE consortium proposes developing and running an extensive training program for effective recruitment across cultures. This will ultimately help ensuring the effectiveness of workforce diversity, enhancing competitiveness and reducing recruitment and retention costs. Our project can also support the effectiveness of programs like Erasmus and induce workforce mobility and successful diversity in Europe.