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Designing Benefits for Global Teams IntroThis is your HR News Flash for Monday, January 7, 2019. Your weekly briefing on talent management and the world of work from the HR Certification Institute.News ItemAs companies start a new year, the tight global job market means stepping up efforts to attract top talent. Senior executives are thinking strategically about designing benefits that appeal to a global workforce. Brie Reynolds, senior career specialist at Flexjobs, says that a competitive benefits program can help a company stand out. She says that “with a global team, executives need to take into consideration the different values, customs, and cultures of their employees to create benefits that work.” Benefit managers also need to think about employee mobility. Cross-border hiring, economic migration, and the increasing global competition for talent are all changing the benefits landscape. One way to tackle these challenges? Make sure you hire a diverse global team, Reynolds says. But “you can also include focus groups, surveys, and workers acting as consultants to help evolve the benefits area.” Understanding the unique needs of a workforce spread across the globe can be challenging. Tim Cinalli is vice president of global payroll and benefits for Western Union. He suggests working with business leaders and HR partners in each country to understand the market and provide the benefits that employees value. Getting buy-in from local business leaders and HR teams on new benefits or changes is key, he says. But thinking through the logistics of global benefits is critical too. “It’s important to have a robust governance process,” says Cinalli. How can companies be sure that the benefits provided at a local level align with their goals and philosophy? Corporate committee approval on plan implementations or changes helps ensure that programs are not being implemented locally without oversight, he says. OutroWell, that’s your HR News Flash for Monday, January 7, 2019 from HRCI. Thanks for listening, and check back next Monday morning for the workplace news you need. HRCI prepares HR leaders for the digital age. Learn more at HRCI.org.