Partnering for International Expansion

International expansion raises a number of challenges for businesses be they related to legislation, culture or the establishment of new relationships and supply chains.

Of course, if a company is to establish an overseas office it will need new employees. Internal talent teams will probably not possess experience of hiring in the specific overseas market so this poses a question: if one’s going to partner with a recruitment consultancy, is it better to use one in the target geography or in the same country as one’s headquarters?

On the one hand, a local partner will understand the talent landscape in-country, which could enable them to design a recruitment strategy that maximises candidate attraction. However, a partner in the home nation could be in a better position to understand the hiring firm’s culture, objectives and strategy. If such a business has experience of managing projects overseas, all the better.

Also, the maturity of the recruitment sector in the target market may mean a regional partner’s capability is limited while local practices may be incompatible with the hiring firm’s legislative and ethical policies. There may therefore be advantages to Western businesses using first world partners when recruiting in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America.

What are your thoughts? Is one option better than the other?

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