Monthly Email Newsletter
April 2004
IN THIS ISSUE:
I. Message from the Editor
II. Articles:
*** FEATURED INDUSTRY: Global Recruitment
1. Finding Talent Worldwide
2. Worldwide Recruiting
3. How to Avoid Global Recruiting Pitfalls
4. Global Recruiting Laws
5. Industry News
*** FEATURED LANGUAGE: German
6. Origin and Development of the
German Language
III.
*** Helpful Web Tools
-- An Online Tool to Convert Text Files into Voice
Messages
IV. In Our Next Issue
V. Your Feedback
VI. How to Subscribe
I. MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
In this month's issue, our first five articles cover global recruiting.
As you might expect, global recruiting is too vast a topic to cover in a
short article. In these articles we are providing an overview of
factors
that can help you prepare for and conduct a worldwide recruitment effort.
Our first two articles focus on how to find and retain talented employees
around the world. The third article gives practical advice to assist you
as you build or refine your recruitment strategy. The fourth article
involves what you should do when preparing to deal with the vast body of
international laws related to recruiting and employment. And in the fifth
article, we shift our discussion to five recent industry and company-specific
developments.
Our Featured Language section focuses on German. Germany, with its rich
Bavarian mountains in the south to the flat, coastal regions in the north, is
rich in resources, history, and culture. Here, we briefly look at the
origin and development of High German (standard German) and five other widely
recognized main German dialects.
Our Helpful Web Tools section describes a rather unique web site for the
business person on the go. Have you ever wished you could simply have a
report or memo read to you as you drive or travel? If you have, then this cool
tool may be just what you need.
Since this newsletter is meant to create a virtual community where we share the
latest news and advice, we invite you to submit your suggestions, story ideas,
statistics and web site tips to
mailto:newsletter@globallanguages.com.
-- Inna Kassatkina, Editor
mailto:editor@globallanguages.com
II. ARTICLES
FEATURED INDUSTRY: Global Recruitment
1. FINDING TALENT WORLDWIDE
Global recruitment is one of the most formidable tasks facing Fortune 500
executives and entrepreneurs alike. Have you ever wondered just how you
would go about scouring the globe for that perfect candidate? If it sounds like
you are looking for a proverbial needle in a haystack, you may be doing just
that unless you take the time to properly prepare for the hunt.
In this age of the Internet, your gut reaction might be to begin searching for
your ideal candidate on your favorite job-listing web site. But going to
Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, or a similar web site should be only one piece
of a more comprehensive plan for identifying talent worldwide.
Let's begin by looking at factors you should consider as you develop your
plan. And along the way, let's see how we might amass the support of a
multi-billion-dollar industry with offices around the world.
According to Jennifer Koch Laabs, a Contributing Editor to Workforce Management
magazine, starting in the late 1990s, U.S. firms began developing strategies
for recruiting in the "global village." Since then, U.S. companies have
expanded their searches across the world. Laabs gives the following four
ways in which newer strategies have been
developed:
(A) EXPANSION OF THE AMERICAN MINDSET:
No longer do American companies recruit from U.S. shores alone. For
example, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Western Europe have been fertile
areas for finding high-tech telecommunications employees. And in the past
few years, India appears to be emerging as a world center for both recruiting
and outsourcing information technology personnel, likely due to a combination
of available human resources and very low costs. Additional countries
enjoying high outsourcing demand include Canada, Malaysia, Czech Republic,
Singapore, Philippines, Poland, Hungary, Chile, and Brazil.
http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2004/mar/31bpo4.htm
As you look for talent for a foreign location or to bring to the United States,
keep in mind that you must sell the benefits of working for an American
company. For foreigners, having a stint in/ with a U.S. firm is a huge
resume builder, making them much more attractive and marketable abroad.
Since the distance is a big obstacle when looking for foreign talent, it is
best to make it simple for indigenous candidates to complete employment
applications. This may entail sending your interviewers to the foreign
location, or finding an appropriate representative abroad.
A few more points made by Laabs: be available at after-hours times convenient
to the applicants. And finally, don't assume they know your
location or your company. So take the time to sell the benefits of
both.
(B) NEW TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS GLOBAL RECRUITING:
Of course, the Internet with email is by far the leading technology for the
job. Easily accessible, company-specific, localized web sites are
invaluable for instantly communicating (posting jobs, sending resumes,
applications, etc). In addition, there are literally hundreds (and maybe
more) of job-related web sites. These include sites featuring
E-Recruiting, Job Boards, search engines, and more. Worldwide sites
include Brassring, DirectEmployeers, FlipDog, FoxNews Job Board, Monster, New
York Times Job Board, and TMP Worldwide. In addition, many foreign search
engines feature a jobs-related link or section. Below are just a
few:
http://www.seleccion.net/
http://www.allofgermany.com/
http://www.careermideast.com/
http://www.austrosearch.at/
If you lack the time or resources to evaluate which Internet-based job sites
are best for your company, you might want to visit careerXroads.com.
This web site provides 500 job site reviews, expert advice, and many
relevant articles.
http://www.careerxroads.com
Another important type of service you should be aware of is what we will call
Web Linking. For example, Trustar Solutions offers, at no extra charge,
to take each of your job listings and ensure they are published on multiple
sites simultaneously.
http://www.trustarsolutions.com/v2/content/strategy/e-Recruiting/
In addition, there are other technologies that you should not forget such as
cellular phones (Internet surfing), faxes, video-conferencing, and traditional
mail and courier services.
(C) TAPPING INDIGENOUS MARKETS:
To successfully tap into a foreign labor source, you need to know their habits
and how to reach them. For example, historically Japanese workers and
management were introduced to employers by professors, mentors, associates,
family, or friends, and they joined companies for life. However, with the
economic instability and banking debacles in Japan during the 1990s, many
workers are now open to new employment opportunities, even in the U.S.
However, few use the Internet for job hunting. So if you are seeking
talent in Japan, traditional advertising and search firm assistance is probably
essential. And while we are on the topic, career advertising in an
international publication may greatly enhance your responses. For
example, the International Herald Tribune covers 181 countries.
(D) USE A MULTIFACETED APPROACH:
Finally according to Laab, if there is a bottom-line lesson to learn it is
this: successful companies use a multifaceted approach comprised of what mix of
strategies works best for them. Besides traditional approaches, be open
to new ideas.
An experience related by Marc Levine, Director of Technology Staffing at
Compunnel Software Group makes this clear. Besides using typical web site
and search engine capabilities on the Internet, Levine needed to invoke a
different strategy to lure highly-skilled, high-demand technologists. Levine
joined Internet User Groups attended by the people he was seeking. He provided
free advice, establishing a trustful relationship with potential employees
which proved to be a highly successful strategy.
Joan Higbee, an executive recruiter at Thorndike Deland specializing in
cross-boarder/cross-cultural recruitment, notes that larger companies often
have a group of managers that have worked globally. These managers have
established strong associations abroad that can be tapped into for candidates
not easily found by traditional HR techniques.
In one survey by Forrester Research, 50 corporate recruiters reported that the
key benefits to online recruiting versus traditional recruiting was the ability
to greatly expand the geographical reach, speed, and cost.
The consensus was most companies considered the optimal recruiting approach to
be a combination of online and offline methods. And even as early as
2000, iLogos Research was reporting that all Global 500 companies maintained a
corporate web site and that 88% used their web site for recruiting.
http://www.clickz.com/stats/markets/professional/article.php/788991
http://business.cisco.com/prod/tree.taf?asset_id=85764&MagID=85785&public_view=true&kbns=1.html
Finally, don't forget to look for talent on local university campuses.
Students often lack contacts in order to find opportunities. Although
they may be new to your industry, students speak the language and understand
the local customs and culture.
http://www.workforce.com/section/16/article/23/48/69.html
http://career.ucsb.edu/students/majors/global/joblstgs.html
2. WORLDWIDE RECRUITING
According to IDC, a premier global market intelligence and advisory firm,
worldwide recruiting and staffing services in 2002 was $58.9 billion.
IDC's forecast is by 2007, this industry will grow to $85.5 billion. So
how does this affect you? Simple, this can serve as your extended network, your
eyes and ears, for looking for foreign talent abroad or back at home.
The IDC report lists key challenges facing your future recruiting global
network. These include worldwide economic uncertainty and the threat of
terrorism, just as we face today. Be aware that IDC also highlights two
obstacles facing the industry: lack of both generally accepted metrics and
performance benchmarks. So if you engage such a firm to assist you in the
future, it would be wise to establish acceptable metrics and performance
benchmarks yourself. Alternatively, you can consult with a company
familiar with employment metrics and bench marking such as iLogos Research.
http://www.ilogos.com/en/aboutilogos/overview/
The IDC study also segments this industry into the following seven
categories:
(1) Staffing Firms
(2) Search Firms
(3) Newspaper Recruitment Classified Ads
(4) Online Job Boards
(5) End-to-end Hiring Process Automation Providers
(6) Hiring Process Support Services
(7) Outplacement Services
This should help you better understand the industry as you develop a
comprehensive recruitment plan for your company.
http://www.mindbranch.com/listing/product/R104-12215.html
http://www.idc.com
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=pr2003_04_17_163304
3. HOW TO AVOID GLOBAL RECRUITING PITFALLS
Face it, we all make mistakes, but when it comes to finding, hiring, and
keeping talent, we can't afford to make too many.
Whether you are recruiting globally or domestically, Ricky Arriola, CEO of
Inktel Direct, has formulated an invaluable list to help keep you on the right
track. These same recommendations are an integral part of Inktel Direct's
own employee recruitment-and-retention program:
(1) Proactively Recruit Employees
Don't just wait for job postings to produce candidates. And don't wait
for your company to create a job opening to hire a high-quality candidate.
(2) Screen Employees Upfront
Job posting produce a large volume of applicants. Weed out weaker
candidates.
(3) Verify the Candidate's Experience and Background
Verify references, sources given in interviews, and run background checks.
(4) Seize the Rare Gems
Don't lose the best candidates to savvier competitors.
(5) Don't be Cheap
Less-expensive employees seem to cost you in the long run and limit your
potential; hiring the best candidate, often at the higher wage will often
result in greater long-term productivity and intellectual capital.
(6) Give Proper Orientation and Training to New
Employees Reduce turnover by providing training and career advancement
opportunities.
(7) Have an Employee-Retention Program Foster loyalty,
motivation, and stronger work ethic by providing training and employee-centric
activities.
(8) Promote from Within
Don't lose talent because you overlook your own staff. Provide real
growth opportunities and follow through with promises.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0OQD/10_6/111350860/p1/article.jhtml
4. GLOBAL RECRUITING LAWS
Understanding international labor, employment, and immigration law in countries
where you wish to operate requires knowledge of country-specific laws. To
sift through this ever-changing body of laws and regulations, and local
political climates, law firms such as Kilpatrick Stockton LLP have established
close working relationships with attorneys around the world. So if you
have questions about employment agreements in Germany, legal searching
practices, Green Cards, I-9 Compliance, etc., you may want to enlist some help.
http://www.kilpatrickstockton.com/legalservices/services_detail.aspx?ID=IEL
http://www.jacksonlewis.com/events/eventprint.cfm?elid=70
http://jjgvisalaw.com
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=22
5. INDUSTRY NEWS
In Western Europe, 2003 was a banner year for IT security companies.
Spam, identity theft, viruses, worms, and Trojan horses such as SoBig,
Slammer, Nachi, Bugbear, Blaster, and just securing corporate data will
grow this industry to $5 billion by the end of 2008. Since we know that
prospective employees prefer to disclose resumes, references, income, and even
shop for jobs in strict confidence, you will want to ensure that all of your
recruiting partners properly secure online data.
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=pr2004_04_22_210409
SAP AG has announced a software solution for E-Recruiting that matches
candidates with job openings. Over 100 companies in 20 countries have
licensed the technology. A few of these companies include Roche
Diagnostics Germany, Al Futtaim Trading Group, and BASF Antwerp. For more
information you can attend an upcoming conference called Sapphire 2004, New
Orleans , May 11-13, 2004, or visit
http://www.sap.com/solutions/hr/brochures/.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040427/sftu084_1.html
Executivesontheweb.com, a top recruitment website offering senior
management and executive jobs in several languages across all industry
sectors in the UK, Europe and South Africa, has announced plans to enter
exclusive agreements through 2004 encompassing Radio, TV, and other key
relationships, by either partnerships and or acquisitions. In addition,
the company plans on opening offices in France, Australia and the USA.
http://www.executivesontheweb.com
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/4/inktomi118732.php
WorldBiz.com has announced expansion of its country-specific services.
Its country-specific Reports page has been expanded to cover 122
countries. Here you will find our reports designed to facilitate your
business and social activity worldwide. Reports are available covering
human resource rules and regulations, searching for employees,
expatriates, returnees, salaries and benefits, pitfalls in recruiting and
much more.
http://www.globalworkshop.com/country.html
http://www.businessculture.com/
http://store.worldbiz.com/product_info.php/cPath/40/products_id/108
GERMAN LANGUAGE: FEATURED ****
6. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE
Germany is rich in both history and medieval treasures. Along the
romantic Rhine Valley - the heartland of the old Holy Roman Empire - you can
relive medieval times by visiting Marksburg Castle and others, which have
survived the ravages of war, fire and time. These are fascinating windows
into the age of chivalry, culture and the German language.
The history of the German language is both interesting and complex. Just
as the German landscape ascends from the northern Low Lands at the coast to the
Bavarian High Lands in the south, we shall see that the Germany language has
evolved in a similar pattern.
Historically, the German language falls into three main periods: Old
German (750-1050 AD), Middle German (1050-1500 AD), and Modern German (1500 -
present times).
Old German was comprised of local written dialects but no standard
language. By the 14th century, Middle German began to replace the Latin
that was the official language used by chancelleries of the Holy Roman
Empire. The demarcation of the Modern German period is usually linked to
Martin Luther's use of the German of the chancellery of Saxony for translating
the Bible. During the 18th century, many outstanding scholarly writers
shaped modern standard German as it is used today. It is now the official
language of state, church, education, and literature.
German is the official language of Germany and Austria. And it is one of
the official languages of Switzerland. Nearly 100 million people speak
German: 77 million in Germany, 8 million in Austria, 4.5 million in
Switzerland, 2 million in the U.S. and Canada, 2 million in Latin America, and
several additional millions scattered across Europe, Baltic Republics,
Belarus, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovakia,
Romania, Ukraine, and the Balkan states. It is an important second
commercial and cultural language in Eastern Europe and the Americas.
Today, in Germany, we can begin discussing the language by recognizing two
common language divisions: High German (Hochdeutsch or standard German) and Low
German (Plattdeutsch). A striking difference between High and Low German
involves a sound shift. Sometime during the 8th century AD, High German
(which was spoken in the higher elevation regions of Germany) underwent a sound
shift and a corresponding consonant shift too. This is typically called
the "second" or High German sound shift. However, the Low German spoken
in the North escaped the shift. And since Dutch, Frisian, and English all
evolved from Low German, they too escaped the influence of the shift.
http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa051898.htm
http://www.genealogienetz.de/misc/dialect-e.html
In comparison with English, the German language uses a different word
order. And unlike English, German makes extensive use of inflectional
endings on words. Three genders are used: masculine, feminine, and
neuter. A distinctive feature of German is its extensive use of compound
words. For example, the English "history of antiquity" is translated into
German as a single compound word: Alterumswissenschaft. Also, German is
the only language in which all proper nouns and pronouns are capitalized.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/germanla_distinctivefeatures.asp
Finally, as with the Romance languages, English has borrowed many words from
German. These are called "loan words" (Lehnwort). Here are just a
few. How many do you recognize?
Achtung, Alzheimers, Angst, Aspirin, Autobahn, Blitz, Bratwurst, Brake,
Caffeine, Cobalt, Dachshund, Delicatessen, Diesel, Dote, Fahrenheit,
Flack, Frankfurter, Fritz, Gestalt, Hamburger, Kaputt, Kindergarten, Kris
Kringle, Levi, Neanderthal, Nickel, Noodle, Pilsner, Pinscher, Poltergeist,
Porsche, Pretzel, Quartz, Rottweiler, Rucksack, Sauerkraut, Schlep, Schmooze,
Schnitzel, Schnapps, Schnauzer, Schnitzel, Strudel, Tackle, Verboten, Waltz,
Wienerschnitzel, Wunderbar, Zeppelin, Zinc
Auf Wiedersehen!
Sources:
http://www.german.about.com/library/weekly/aa022398.htm
http://germanenglishwords.com/
http://german.about.com/library/blvoc_gerloan2.htm
http://www.daube.ch/opinions/sprache06.html
http://german.about.com/library/blvoc_gerloan.htm)
III. HELPFUL WEB TOOLS
**** An Online Tool to Convert Text Files into Voice Messages
Have you ever left work exhausted but knowing that you would have to read a
mountain of documents when you get home? Or have you ever traveled and wished
you had that report you must read on a tape so you could simply listen to
it? Well, new technology from NextUp.com may be your answer.
NextUp's TextAloud program allows you to convert text files (even large
ones) into voice-synthesized messages and dialogue. What this means is
that you can convert your work that is in text files into audio MP3 files
that you can listen to on your MP3 player as you drive or travel.
TextAloud MP3 is a Text-To-Speech software that uses voice synthesis to create
spoken audio from text. You can listen on your PC or save it to
MP3 or wave files for listening later. And you can specify any of eight
different, pleasant voices.
To learn more about TextAloud and demo the program, visit:
http://www.nextup.com
IV. IN OUR NEXT ISSUE
*** FEATURED INDUSTRY: Website Globalization Strategies - Part 1
*** FEATURED LANGUAGE: Japanese
V. YOUR FEEDBACK
Have questions? Or a story idea or topic you would like us to address
in a future issue? Let us know by sending a message to
newsletter@globallanguages.com.
VI. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
