Global human resource management, commonly referred to as global HRM, refers to the processes involved with meeting the functional needs of an organisation on a global scale. 

Globalisation has resulted in people being more connected than ever, which has made it possible for companies of all sizes to hire diverse teams and open offices across the world. 

This introduces a number of unique demands to such companies’ HR services – which results in the need for Global Human Resource Managers, a challenging and highly interesting profession. 

The role has a substantial part to play in the running of a business. Here are some of the different areas in which a Global HR Manager may get involved: 

Hiring and onboarding 

One of the most important tasks a Global HR Manager will take on is the recruitment of employees. 

In fact, a professional in this field can expect to be involved throughout the entire hiring process. This can include responsibilities such as: 

• Collecting job applications 
• Creating and negotiating job offers 
• Obtaining referrals, conducting background checks 
• Designing and overseeing the hire’s onboarding 

A Global HR Manager will strive to ensure that the above happens as smoothly as possible, so that potential hires have a positive first impression of the business. 

At the same time, they may work with the relevant internal teams to make certain that the right candidates are called in for interviews and ultimately hired. 

For example, this can involve translating academic qualifications that vary from country to country, or looking at the feasibility of remote working depending on the applicant’s time zone. 

Organisational development 

As market needs and technologies develop, so will an organisation’s processes. 

With this comes the need to not only document such changes, whether for internal reference or legal purposes, but identify best practice for their implementation. 

By maintaining their company’s organisation development strategy, a Global HR Manager can: 

• Help the business remain competitive 
• Ensure the company stays in compliance of regulations 
• Analyse and respond to any legal issues

• Provide employees with policies to guide their work 

In an organisation with offices or employees in different countries this can be more complicated. The Global HR Manager may also need to investigate what technology is available or relevant to these locations, the different regulations applicable to employees, and so on. 

Employee development 

Relatedly, an organisation’s evolution typically leads to the need for on-the-job training. 

With an international company or workforce, it can be useful to make sure everyone has the same level of expertise and is following the same process wherever possible. This helps promote consistency across all teams. 

Therefore, a Global HR Manager will: 

• Help understand different skill levels across teams 
• Determine the company’s training needs 

• Develop or source training programmes 
• Set processes to upskill future hires if needed 

If a company has offices across the world, the Global HR Manager will also arrange multiple training sessions – or determine a date and time which works for all branches if the training is offered digitally. 

Salaries and benefits 

Globalisation introduces new challenges to the area of compensation, as similar roles may demand different salaries depending on the country. 

In such cases, a proficient Global HR Manager will help identify additional ways that employees can be rewarded for their output, to promote a sense of fairness and help retention. 

This individual will need to consider company perks as well – which is something that plays a substantial role in both the internal and external perception of a business. 

When doing so, the Global HR Manager must evaluate how cultural nuances between different locations might affect how benefits are valued or used. They will be expected to: 

• Develop and maintain a system for pay scales 

• Ensure these pay scales are legally compliant where the employees are based 
• Collaborate with upper management on promotion and retention strategies 
• Create, source, and update the company’s benefits package 

Policies and legal compliance 

As touched upon in the sections above, legal compliance is a key point of focus for all organisations. Therefore, it’s also one of the most critical areas that a Global HR Manager will overlook. 

The person in this role will need to manage changing policies and laws across all the locations in which their company is involved. 

This will extend to the creation and enforcement of company-wide policies that help ensure the business is always acting legally. Some examples of this include: 

• Compliance to laws around medical leave, accessibility, and anti-discrimination 
• Policies for handling business expenses such as credit card fees or equipment rentals 

• Legal documentation to protect the company and its employees from lawsuits 
• Employee-related policies around dress code, internet usage, and so on 

Through their wide range of work, a Global HR Manager helps minimise risk towards their company and its employees, and ensures that the business can run effectively and efficiently. 

If you’d like to develop the skills needed to become an expert in global human resource management, our online, part-time course offers three different start dates across the year. You’ll graduate with an internationally relevant qualification, and be able to apply your expertise to organisations across different industries and sectors: