Selection of Global Leadership

Selection of Global Leadership When it comes to the selection of global leadership, the interview comes to the forefront. Of all of the tools available to a manager during the selection process the interview, if handled correctly, will be the most beneficial when selecting potential employees. The culture of the interviewee and the interviewer, if different, will be a definite barrier when it comes to the interview process. Many factors come into play when deciding what methods to use during an interview process. Cultural differences play a huge role in deciding what interviewing method a manager will use during an interview of a potential employee. If a manager is not able to deal with the cultural differences between himself and the interviewee then the interview will probably not go well. In this case he might want to get someone that will be able to deal with the cultural differences and be able to notice the subtle nuances such as eye contact and certain mannerisms that mean different things in different cultures. Many non-verbal forms of communications will have to be understood if the interview is to go smoothly. If hiring someone is not possible, cultural awareness or other cultural training might be utilized before any interviews are to occur. Making sure that an interviewer is thoroughly prepared before the interview happens will be a key to having the right employee hired. An understanding of the native language will also go a long way in making the interview process smoother. For example, if an interview is occurring in Japan and the interviewer issues a greeting to the applicant (Saito Takayushi). If the interviewer says “Hello Mr. Takayushi” they might have offended the applicant (Gumperz, 1983). This is due to the fact that in the Japanese culture the family name is said first (Gumperz, 1983). “Mr. Saito” would be the appropriate way to issue the greeting in this situation. The applicant might think that this might not be the company that he or she wants to work for if the management does not deem it important enough to even learn very basic things about the culture around them. Subtle differences in languages will have a very profound impact and could present a language barrier. During the interview process it would be very beneficial to be literal in everything that is said and to make sure that the applicant is on the same page when it comes to the meaning of any information that you want to get from them. Another key factor in the determination of what interview method to utilize is to determine what the degree of risk aversion there is in the current culture (Caligiuir, Lepak, & Bonache, 2010). If there is a high degree of risk aversion then a testing method might be determined to be the best way to go. Testing can be used to determine if an applicant has the correct skills for a particular job. Tests cannot be used to discriminate based on race, sex, national origin, religion, etc. Psychological tests are often used in these days to determine if an applicant will be a good fit for the company or to determine if they can work within a team environment (Psychological Testing for managers and employers, 2010). Psychological tests give important insights about the people that a company hires. These tests will help to save the company money in the long run by hiring the wrong people and perhaps investing thousands of dollars of money in training and human resource money on someone that is not compatible from the start (Psychological Testing for managers and employers, 2010). The final method that I would utilize during an interview would be to make sure that the applicant can thrive in a multi-cultural environment. In order for the company to be successful in a multi-cultural environment it will have to have employees to champion the effort. Situational type questions would be called for while using this method. This will entail asking questions that would require the applicant to respond with how he or she would handle certain situations when it comes to cultural differences. The applicant’s responses to these situational questions could give the interviewer key insights into the applicants view on cultural differences. Multiple factors are used to determine what method to use during the interview process. Operating successfully in a multi-cultural environment is a must for a multi-national company. There are many subtle nuances, such as non-verbal communications and voice tones and inflections that need to be considered when interviewing potential employees. A successful interview can be the stepping stone to a new relationship with a star employee and you would not want a cultural misunderstanding to mess it up.

Works Cited
Gumperz. (1983). Listening and Culture. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from Lateral Communications: http://www.latcomm.com/articles/listeningculture.html
Psychological Testing for managers and employers. (2010, June 9). Retrieved December 6, 2010, from Lakin Associates: http://www.lakinassociates.com/psychologicaltesting.html