Practical Applications and Recommendations for HR and OD Professionals in the Global Workplace_8 docx

continuedSystems Office systems—computers, telephones, filing Courtesies—protocol, etiquette Hours of work, timesheets Absence from work—annual leave, bank holidays, sickness Commun

Figure 7.1 Cultural Difference in Communication: Context

Versus Content.

High Context

High Content

Japan

Africa Middle East

Philippines

China Latin America

India Singapore Greece

Spain Italy Malaysia

France

Swiss Germans

England Austria USA

The Netherlands Germany

Australia Scandinavia

It is important to add communication to this framework,

as exchanging information is fundamental to assimilating into

a new culture A useful distinction to consider is high-contentversus high-context communication Different cultures vary onthis continuum, as shown in Figure 7.1

Most of the information is conveyed in words in high-contentcultures as compared to high-context cultures where information

is carried through nonverbal communication and is more implicit.Unspoken topics and environmental cues are as important aswords spoken in high-context cultures where communication

is often described as indirect, subtle, warm, and personal In

contrast, high-content cultures are experienced as more direct,impersonal, objective, and logical (Hall, 1976).

A comprehensive on-boarding approach focuses on bringingthe new hire up to speed on the internal culture of the orga-nization and the local culture Table 7.3 shows a list of specificelements that contribute to the culture of an organization

Table 7.3 Elements That Contribute to Organizational Culture.

Awards and

Ceremonies

How are employees recognized for performance? Are there service awards or retirement events?

Social Events Are there routine informal events, such as

informal gatherings at local pub, or sporting events?

Dress Code Is the dress code formal or more casual?

Feedback Does feedback occur frequently and informally, or

more formally during scheduled sessions?

electronically, in meetings, one on one?

Speed What is the sense of urgency in the company, to

respond to e-mails, telephone messages, work tasks?

Training What is the type and frequency of training provided to

employees?

Work Hours When are employees typically in the office? Are

employees expected to work weekends, holidays?

The new hire’s line manager and colleagues play an importantrole in articulating the internal culture of the organization Thiscan be effectively accomplished by sharing stories that convey what

it is really like to work at your company Written materials such aspolicy manuals, internal newsletters, memos from senior leaders,press releases, and so on should be gathered and shared with thenew hire as these can also help describe the unique personality

of the company and its local operations Line managers andcolleagues and people from the new hire’s country of originare also instrumental in describing the local culture Additionalsources of information such as history books, local art, traditionalfoods, holiday celebrations, and the like can be very informativeabout the norms and values of the local culture Be explicit toinclude local cultural aspects as well as internal company normswhen reviewing the elements shown in Table 7.3

Stages of On-Boarding

Because socialization is the foundation of effectively on-boardingnew employees, or individuals new to role, we will illustrateon-boarding practices according to the stages of socialization:Anticipatory, Accommodation, and Role Management (Feldman,1976) Anticipatory socialization occurs before an employee entersthe organization This stage involves practices related to gettinginto the organization Accommodation socialization occurs as theindividual enters the organization and begins to understand whatthe organization is really like and attempts to become a partic-ipating member In the role management stage of socialization,the individual masters work tasks, settles into the job role, andbecomes a contributing member of the organization

Stage 1: Anticipatory or Pre-Entry

Research has shown that the attitudes that newcomers developtoward their new employer form very early and are relatively stableover time (Bauer & Green, 1994) This highlights the importance

of paying attention to every detail associated with the candidateselection process as the first stage of on-boarding New employeesbegin to develop an impression of the organization based on the

professionalism of interactions with recruiters and organizationalmembers Individuals involved in recruiting and interviewing pro-cesses need to provide candidates with a realistic view of the role,the challenges he or she will likely face, and, most important, aglimpse into the culture of the organization They need to makecandidates feel comfortable and welcome while gaining informa-tion necessary to make an accurate assessment of the candidates’skills and degree of ‘‘fit’’ within the organization.

Structured interviews are a valuable tool for assessing a date’s organizational fit; the results from these interviews can be

candi-an indicator of the individual’s success or failure in role (Lomax,2001) Structured interviews designed to assess organizational fitshould focus on character traits deemed essential by the company.For individuals moving to roles outside their home company, traitssuch as openness to experience, flexibility, persistence, and empa-thy have been identified as key predictors of the individual’sperformance in role (McCall & Hollenbeck, 2002)

GlaxoSmithKline has institutionalized a ‘‘Candidate Care’’model which is a process and prescribed set of behaviors thatapplies a customer service model to candidates’ recruitment expe-riences Treat prospective employees in the same manner as yourvalued customers, not as traditional job applicants Ensure thatall applicants, those who successfully gain employment and thosewho do not, have a positive story to share with others Lou Manzi,vice president of global recruitment, views GSK’s candidate careprocess as a competitive advantage, one that enhances GSK’s rep-utation as a preferred employer while increasing the firm’s brandequity

Practical steps for global hiring managers include thefollowing:

• Provide each applicant with a positive and realistic ing of the company

understand-• Excite them about your brand by clearly and concisely ing what your firm stands for

describ-• Involve people from diverse perspectives (that is, nationalities,functions, tenure) in the interview process

• Don’t overpromise and underdeliver

Stage 2: Accommodation or Organizational Entry

Effective on-boarding practices implemented during the comer’s entry into the organization tap into the individual’sinnate motivation to understand and make sense of his or her newenvironment During this phase, three areas require focus: trans-actional basics, performance expectations, and initial orientation

new-Transactional Basics

The transactional basics truly represent a double-edged sword:when executed well they are not sufficient to create an effectiveon-boarding experience, but any lapses here will destroy even themost comprehensive on-boarding effort

Post-Offer Acceptance Communication Communicate frequently with

the new employee after she has accepted the offer to welcomeher into the organization Carefully craft any formal announce-ment that will be issued internally or externally to introducethe successful candidate Include not just the candidate’s titleand background but introduce the audiences to his mandate:what is he going to bring to the organization? Be sensitive tocultural norms when announcing new employees or employeestransitioning to a new role For example, announcements inWestern countries may be more detailed and highlight individu-als’ accomplishments whereas Asian cultures may downplay pastsuccesses

The Move A sound corporate relocation policy is essential to

ensuring a successful relocation Though this sounds very basic,

it is surprising how many multinational corporations have vaguepolicies regarding relocation, whether for a new organizationalmember or location moves for existing members The policyneeds to be reviewed frequently to ensure relevance and it shouldadequately address adaptations and exceptions Service providers,such as move management companies, cultural awarenesstrainers, language training, and immigration and tax providers,play an important role in most relocations Ensure that theyprovide early and frequent predeparture communication with

the employee to ensure realistic planning for service delivery It

is the responsibility of the organization, most likely the humanresource member of the on-boarding team, to serve as the point

of contact for the employee

A critical component to successful relocation involves theemployee’s family unit A now commonly known statistic cites lack

of adaptability by the employee’s spouse or partner as the one reason for assignment failures (see, for example, Frazee,

number-1998, Lomax, 2001; McCall & Hollenbeck, 2002) A 1999 GlobalRelocation Trends survey reported data from 177 companies withmore than 50,000 U.S expatriates on active assignments overseas;more than 50% of the companies surveyed listed the followingfamily challenges as critical:

• family adjustment

• children’s education

• spouse or partner resistance

• spouse or partner career

Despite the preponderance of evidence and common sensesuggesting that early identification and adequately addressing fam-ily challenges will establish a comfort zone allowing the employee

to concentrate on work, very few companies involve the employee’sfamily in screening and/or selection decisions (Global Reloca-tion Trends, 1999) (See Chapter 12 on Expatriation for moreinformation.)

Day 1 Experience Planning for the employee’s first day in the

new environment is again very basic, but often overlooked Takeadvantage of the employee’s enthusiasm on Day 1; make thenewcomer feel comfortable and trusting that this assignment

is the right one for her Ensure that there is a plan for greetingthe employee upon arrival and assistance with building access andsecurity as necessary Also ensure that someone is accountablefor establishing work station basics including computer, e-mailand intranet access, telephone The ‘‘Day 1’’ checklist shown inFigure 7.2 provides further examples of important items to ensurethe employee experiences a positive Day 1

Figure 7.2 Day 1 Checklist.

Welcome

 Inform existing staff of new arrival and their role

 Send welcome announcement

 Greet new person and introduce staff

Facilities

 Car parking

 Staff room and kitchen facilities

 Telephone—external and internal dialing instructions

 Fax machine

 Fire extinguishers

 First aid boxes

 Health and safety notices, including accident book

 Utilities, such as lighting, heating, water

 Access to buildings, security

 Incoming and outgoing mail points

 Notice boards

 Computer system, Internet access, e-mail

 Photocopier

 Stationery stocks and systems of reordering

 Toilets, cloakroom, and so on

Figure 7.2 (continued)

Systems

 Office systems—computers, telephones, filing

 Courtesies—protocol, etiquette

 Hours of work, timesheets

 Absence from work—annual leave, bank holidays, sickness

 Communications

 Meetings

 Finance—expense claims, financial responsibilities

Policies and Personal Development

 Training

 Company policies (such as Development; Health and Wellness; Corporate Social Responsibility, and so on)

 Performance management process

 Salary review guidelines

Performance Expectations

Ensure the employee’s line manager is available during theemployee’s initial arrival at the organization to clarify account-abilities and establish priorities This needs to be an ongo-ing dialogue, but the line manager sets the stage on Day 1for a successful relationship with the new employee Sched-ule a two-hour block of time for the line manager and newemployee to meet on Day 1 As Gallop’s research has shown, theemployee’s line manager plays the most important role in influ-encing employee engagement and performance (Buckingham &Coffman, 1999)

The line manager’s role in effectively establishing mance expectations for the new hire includes the following:

perfor-• Provide an overview of the function’s role in the business and itsrelationship to other functions

• Review the role description and agree on priorities and

timetables

• Agree on how performance will be judged, who will be involved

in evaluating performance, and how performance will berewarded

• Define development goals

• Set up periodic informal evaluations

Some organizations highlight the critical role of the linemanager in effectively on-boarding new hires by including metricssuch as the percentage of time dedicated to on-boarding effortsand turnover rates as part of line managers’ performance ratings

3.Orientation

According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource ment, 83% of companies report the use of a formal orientationprogram for new employees Unfortunately, the usefulness ofsuch programs from the perspective of the new employee variessignificantly Some programs focus solely on communicating fac-tual information about pay and benefits, company rules andpolicies, and completing paperwork Most of these activities can

Manage-be accomplished more efficiently and effectively with supportingtechnology, allowing the employee to access the information whennecessary

Table 7.4 highlights some of the common problems associatedwith orientation programs from the perspective of new employees(Werner & DeSimone, 2006)

Best practice companies approach new employees’ orientation

in very different ways They design orientation programs thatconcentrate on emotional takeaways and many identify a peercoach or ‘‘buddy’’ to help orient the newcomer The peer coach

is preferably the same level as the new employee and has tenure

of at least six months with the organization In addition, the peercoach should:

• Prepare a list of what he or she would have wanted to knowabout the organization when he or she first entered

• Be available for 15 minutes per day during newcomer’s firstweek

• Provide feedback and encouragement to the newcomer

• Provide guidance on expanding networks within the company

Table 7.4 Common Problems with Orientation Sessions.

Information

overload

Don’t try to cram 20 hours of information into a three-hour session Newcomers generally lack the ability to prioritize the information provided; focus

on critical pieces of information only.

Information

irrelevance

Consider your audience Typically a wide variety of employee skills and roles are represented in the audience Don’t spend time on details that are irrelevant to your general audience.

Lack of

follow-up

Ensure that information (including contact details

of attendees) from orientation is available post-orientation Provide a simple check-in with new employees 30 days post-orientation.

• Serve as a sounding board and informal source of informationfor questions related to policies, processes, work rules, and cor-porate or local style and norms, for example

In terms of more formal orientation sessions, best practicecompanies use the time to describe the company’s history andvalues and help employees feel connected to the company’s

business strategy and financial goals As Diana Oreck, vice ident of Ritz-Carlton’s Global Learning and Leadership Centersaid, ‘‘People don’t remember what you said or what you didbut they always remember what they felt.’’ Southwest Airlines is

pres-an example of pres-another comppres-any that focuses its orientation gram on creating a positive emotional experience The emotionsand feelings elicited in effective orientation programs includewelcome, comfort, security, pride, excitement, confidence Inaddition to sharing key information about the company (such

pro-as history, values, strategy, organizational structure, and so on),consider inviting respected employees and leaders to share clientsuccess stories These examples can give newcomers a sense ofaccomplishment knowing they are working for a company that isrespected in the marketplace In addition, stories relayed fromcurrent employees and managers can help new employees begin

to visualize how they can help contribute to organizational success

It is customary for orientation programs to be implementedlocally In more advanced global organizations, common contentprovided from the corporate group is incorporated into localorientation sessions Examples of this common content mightinclude a welcome message from the CEO, visions for future,and high-level description of market results and strategic drivers.Stories from senior leaders from around the world may be high-lighted through videotaped messages Depending on the leveland role and number of new employees, some organizations mayfollow a local orientation with a global assimilation event (oftenheld at the company headquarters location) This kind of event

is designed to catalyze relationships with senior leaders and withother new employees on a global scale and offers a nice transitionfrom the Accommodation stage of on-boarding to the final RoleManagement stage

Stage 3: Role Management

Building and managing relationships is the focus of the role agement stage of on-boarding This stage takes time, although thecombination of the right individual and efficient organizationalpractices can accelerate the process The value of establishing solid

man-relationships with the employee’s new manager, direct reports,peers, and other organizational members is well documented.Research has consistently shown that people rely on other people

to get the information they need to get their jobs done (Cross,2007) Newcomers are instantly at a disadvantage as they are onthe periphery of the web of relationships within the organization.Organizational practices can facilitate and support newcomers tobuild effective relationships with their manager, team, and largergroup of stakeholders

Line Manager

The relationship with his manager is one of the most significant

in an employee’s career (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999) Anemployee’s immediate manager is responsible for performancemanagement and career development processes, as well as provid-ing ongoing coaching and feedback Managers need to be involved

in every stage of the on-boarding experience, but some zations focus specific attention on ensuring that line managersare skilled in working with new employees to establish objectives,review progress, and provide constructive feedback designed tofacilitate the employee’s transition into the organization Fur-ther, the line manager plays an instrumental role in helping theemployee build important work relationships by providing appro-priate introductions and, most important, in carefully consideringthe first assignment for the new employee Initial work projectsshould require assistance from colleagues, especially those in dif-ferent functions and departments Avoid assigning initial projectsthat involve working with external partners or suppliers Whenline managers review progress with the newcomer they should asknot only ‘‘What have you accomplished?’’ but also ‘‘Who have youestablished relationships with?’’

organi-In global organizations, especially at senior levels, it is likelythat the newcomer’s immediate manager is not located in closephysical proximity Managing virtual relationships has beentouched upon in other chapters (see for example, Chapters 1 and4), but it is important to highlight here as well New employeeswho have remote managers need to assume 100% of theresponsibility for establishing and maintaining the relationship

Find a way to spend time together face-to-face, especially inthe early days It’s recommended that the new employee’s linemanager travel to the newcomer’s location in the first week tofacilitate introductions and establish objectives Also agree onregular times and means for checking-in with each other; ideallythis will be weekly or biweekly during the initial transition periodand over the phone (not via e-mail).

Direct Reports

A process that has been used successfully at GE for years is focused

on relationships between the new employee and his or her direct

reports GE refers to this as the New Manager Assimilation Process

and similar processes are used at many global companies includingCitigroup and Honeywell A New Manager Assimilation Processcenters around three areas:

1 Relationship Management: setting the foundation by clarifying

roles, relationships of team, work climate, trust, and openness

2 Boundary Management: identifying critical priorities of the

busi-ness, understanding challenges and opportunities, and holders

stake-3 Leadership Action: strategy structure, support, follow-up actions

of manager and team

The NMAP can take anywhere from a half day to half days, and successful programs have a subsequent follow-upsession to check in and evaluate how things are going The follow-

one-and-a-up normally takes place four to six months after the NMAP In itsmost basic form, data is collected from the new manager’s team,summarized, and returned to the new manager who, togetherwith a coach, reviews the questions and prepares for a face-to-facefeedback session with the new team Questions may include, but

do not need to be limited to, these examples:

• What do we already know about [New Manager]?

• What don’t we know but would like to know about [NewManager]?

• What are our concerns about [New Manager]?

• What do we want most from [New Manager]?

• What does [New Manager] need to know about us?

• What are the major challenges we face as business, function, orteam?

During the feedback session, the new manager responds tothe input and the questions gathered from the team He or sheengages in dialogue with the team and agrees on actions A sum-mary of the feedback session is reviewed three to six months later.The success of any New Manager Assimilation Process is depen-dent upon an experienced, trained, and skilled facilitator Preworkfor these processes varies but may include an assessment of teamlearning style and communication style, and could also include aleadership style assessment for the new manager

At Citigroup the NMAP was focused on the followingoutcomes:

1 Enable a smooth transition for the new manager and themanager’s team

2 Create a dedicated space for open dialogue and to shareinformation

3 Build relationships for effective work flow by clarifying mation and addressing misconceptions

infor-4 Clarify vision and objectives through dialogue focused on ing, enhancing, and refining direction

shar-5 Identify significant actions for the next six months

Generally the NMAPs are used for senior-level appointmentsbut an abbreviated version can be useful for employees at alllevels This approach has been tested and used effectively inWestern cultures; see the following NMAP Process Example for anexplanation of the process at a major international gas company

As indicated previously, it is important to apply techniques that

‘‘fit’’ into local cultures A modified version of the NMAP whereinformation is provided to the new manager in written form, forexample, may be more effective in high-context cultures

NMAP Process Example

On-Boarding: Framework for Individual Support (12–18 Months)

• Stage I: Initial integration meeting

Takes place within first 30 days

• Stage 2: integration meeting (NMAP with team)

Takes place within first 90 days)

• Stage 3 integration meeting (Check-in)

Takes place within first 6 months

• Stage 4 integration meeting (Final check-in)

Takes place between 12 and 18 months

This work is coordinated and facilitated by a member of thecorporate executive development team working closely with thelocal human resources manager and the new manger’s boss.The work would include developing a formal integration plan,arranging a mentor, liaising with the line manager, providing360-degree feedback to the individual, and facilitating the inte-gration with the team meeting This corporate resource helpsthe new manager navigate the internal landscape, network withkey stakeholders, quickly learn the internal ‘‘rules of the road’’and is especially significant for those new managers that areglobally dispersed away from the corporate center It is essentialfor someone knowledgeable about the corporate center and thekey players to facilitate the on-boarding process This processgreatly speeds up the new manager’s time-to-effectiveness

Stakeholders

As more organizations realize the importance of social networks,many are investing in a process of gathering stakeholder inputand mapping an initial network for the new employee Thisinvestment has resulted in reduced turnover and greater employeeengagement in diverse industries including financial services,energy, technology, and health care

Ideally the stakeholder input is gathered prior to the newemployee’s first day and focuses on four basic areas:

1 What are the expectations associated with role new leader isstepping into?