As the world got swept into globalization, modern economies opened their doors to foreign investors and businesses expanded. Companies realized that they couldn’t just do business at home. They would need to set shop ashore, if they wanted to tap the opportunities and make their businesses grow.
Companies have specific needs and challenges to be met. With expansion of business, they need their employees to travel to new countries, acquire new clients, work with new people and deliver results. Every country presents a different challenge, rapidly changing economic environments.
Organizations need employees who have the necessary skills to fit in the global work arena. They value those individuals who are flexible, adventurous and ready to explore the world and take challenges head on. What then are the qualities or skills that make a professional globally employable?
Here we look at the top 10 skills that organizations look for in an individual, who would work in a multicultural environment:
Adaptability – When you have to work in a new country, you need to understand their culture, their social structure and their ways of doing business. Accordingly, you need to adapt yourself by understanding and accepting their cultures. Sometimes, when people from different backgrounds work together, they tend to misunderstand each other’s behavior or stereotype them. This needs to be avoided, if you want to be accepted in their system. One needs to be aware of the social etiquette of that place and behave in a particular way. Hence, a person’s ability to adapt and be flexible is key to achieving success in a new environment
Ability to learn – One needs to be open to new ideas, different processes and learn quickly. When people from different backgrounds work together, many a times there would be conflicts arising, disagreements happening etc. Learning to manage these conflicts, to work towards a common goal is all the more important. Observing, listening and absorbing information are all good attributes in a person keen to learn and apply them in their day to day work
Language skills – To build strong relations with the people you work with, you need to speak their language. In many countries, English is not the native or official language. Hence, one must have good language skills to quickly communicate in the particular language. For example, in Europe you would need to learn Italian, French, Spanish or German. Even though they might speak English, you will realize that you can communicate better if you know their language. When you do so, you automatically become a part of the social circle and will make friends too
Networking skills – To do business and work in a new environment, you would need to contact people, make friends and establish relations. This requires abilities to interact with people, strong networking qualities and people skills. Networking skills are an attribute one requires to forge and maintain relations in the global scenario
Creativity – Organizations need employees who can think ‘out of the box’ and who are creative in their approach to finding solutions to specific problems. They need to bring their ideas on the table and respect other’s ideas as well. When you work with people from different countries and cultures, you will come across challenges that might surprise you. If you are creative, you will find appropriate solutions and manage the resources effectively
Functional skills – Good managerial skills, leadership qualities and being up to date with the latest technologies are all part of the functional skills that are required for you to be successful in a multicultural environment. Organizations value individuals who can contribute in key areas like Finance, Sales, Computer Technologies, and Research etc. They look for candidates who can develop and apply systems as the situation demands
Strong Inter-personal skills – Good communication skills, ability to express yourself clearly and understand other’s perspective are key to success, be it in your own country or in a foreign one. These skills will not only help in team building but also help manage team dynamics too
Willingness to take risks – Employees who have to work in a global environment, often have to take professional or personal risks. They not only represent their organization but also their nation. A desire to succeed and a positive mindset are primarily required to take on challenges that are posed in an unknown territory. An adventurous spirit and risk taking capability are also some of the attributes that companies look for
Initiative – People who love to take initiatives and come out with solutions always succeed in dynamically changing environments. Organizations recognize employees who pave their way and carve their own niche. Taking initiative rather than waiting for instructions or solutions is a very important skill that is required when you work across the globe
Curiosity – The quest for knowledge and eagerness to learn new things are important when you need to understand work culture in different countries. The desire to pick up new skills, learn new languages, make new friends and understanding different cultures are important qualities that organizations look for in their 'global' employees
These are some of the important skills that professionals require to succeed in today's changing environment and become employable in the global workplace.
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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in October, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
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—About our writer:
Shwetha Bhat is an Electrical Engineer who has completed a Business Management Program from IIM Calcutta. Working as an Operations Manager in a private firm, she has more than 8 years of industry experience in the Power sector. She has been freelancing over the last couple of years and has experience in article writing and technical writing. She also writes on emerging trends and social issues. She is currently based in Bangalore.
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