When choosing to send a manager to head operations overseas there are a lot of factors that go into the decision of who would be the right fit for the assignment. The candidate must be well versed on business operations, knowledgeable of both companies, and experienced in managing operations. Other concerns that go into finding the right candidate range from health care, education for small children, political climate, cultural differences, and other factors that make the decision for the right candidate pertinent to the overall success. Among the greater concerns for companies are, “the costs of failed assignments—employees who move overseas but then bail out before their scheduled time is up.” (Ladika, 2013) This mini case study is evaluating who will be the best candidate out of the three final chosen to head operations from New Jersey to China for three years to staff and run the new branch; industrial products business. It is the recommendation supported within this paper to send Firdaus, deputy of VP of HR.
When dealing with sending employing overseas, corporations must outline the following factors for the employee. The candidate for the job must have the technical and business skills used in following the assessments. The key traits in considering the move will have to incorporate cultural sensitivity, flexibility, and interpersonal skills. (Dessler, 2000) The right candidate must carry an adequate background in the activities needed to staff and head the operations for the new branch. The company must look for a candidate that can easily assimilate into the foreign country and demonstrate good emotional intelligence that is essential for developing relationships, and working with international teams. The correct candidate must be able to think outside the box and have strategic awareness in good decision making. According to Workforce, the survey, Successful International Assignments into Developing Locations conducted by Brookfield found that China was the ranked the most challenging destination for expatriations. (Ladika, 2013) However, a similar study conducted by Ernst & Young found that the market growth in China had the highest number of international assignees. (Ladika, 2013) This is essential in young employees being sent overseas to hone in on their skills in order to fill the critical skills gap to establish new operations.
The candidate must possess the necessary leadership skills in management and staffing in order to make the new branch a success long after the three years are over. If the candidate, in the instance of Firdaus, that has a family, must be able to have a successful adjustment into the foreign country, if the expatriation will be a success. Firdaus is the best candidate due to her extensive background in HR, her cultural benefits of reading and writing in Arabic and speaking Yemen, will posed to be advantageous for the company since the main Chines customers use products that are manufactured in Middle Eastern and North American petroleum operations. The correct candidate must have experience in staffing and management. Firdaus is the Vice President of Human Resources for corporate, she is well known and well like. Not only is experienced in HR but she also holds a PH.D in engineering and experience on the operations side, key factors that are beneficial to the operations needed in China. She has always had stellar performance reviews, and her difference in cultural makes it easier for her to relate to assimilating to other new cultures. She is cultured having a background in Yemen, American, and British cultures, she is able to work with international teams efficiently and effectively without problems. Her husband who is a professor is supportive in her move to take a leave of absence in order to accommodate her on her move. Along with her two children, they will be able to make her relocation a success. It is the recommendation as the chair of the committee that Firdaus is the right candidate for the job, as she possess the correct skills in management, leadership, and operations to make the new branch a success for the company.
References
Dressler, Gary. (2000). Human Resource Management. Prentice Hall; New York, NY.
Ladika, Susan. (2013). “'Shipping' and Handling: Picking the Right People to Head Overseas Is Paramount.” Workforce.Com. Retrieved from http://www.workforce.com/articles/shipping-and-handling-picking-the-right-people-to-head-overseas-is-paramount
