Pragya Srivastava
The challenges of managing the global workforce
Employee Experience
There has been a growing awareness in the C-Suite about the traditional headquarters model losing competitive advantage through non-utilization of the power of a global talent pool
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lobal companies have traditionally operated with the model of a headquarters driving the strategy and putting guidelines in place, with subsidiaries located in different countries following the direction thus set. I call this the “hoarding of power model,” which the majority of the MNCs adopted. But, over the past decade, there has been a growing awareness in the C-Suite about this model losing competitive advan| June 2021
tage through non-utilization of the power of a global talent pool. Technology drove the digital transformation in almost every Fortune 500 company. These drives are still going through various iterative cycles to get to the “true meaning” of harnessing the capabilities of the globally dispersed workforce. While goals may differ, the challenges this transformation brings to the workforce remain common across the board, even with the COVID-
An efficient digital global workforce will mean a shift of power from the leader to an employee who can be anywhere across the globe. But the biggest challenge has been the passive resistance from leaders who are averse to this idea 19 pandemic adding another layer of complexity. The biggest challenge, in my view, has been the passive resistance from leaders who are averse to abandoning the “hoarding of power” model. An efficient digital global workforce will mean a shift of power from the leader to an employee who can be anywhere across the globe. It is a big cultural
