You are ready to take the leap. You know that the strategic growth of your company requires international expansion and you need to incorporate top local talent. Perhaps you are looking for a Country Manager to lead the US subsidiary, a Business Development specialist to open LATAM markets, or an Operations Director with experience in Asia.
At Servitalent we know that the euphoria of expansion must be preceded by the discipline of preparation. Based on our experience advising industrial companies in their global challenges, we confirm that 90% of success in international recruitment is defined before the first interview.
The most costly mistake in an international selection process is to assume that a role that works at headquarters will operate identically in a new market. A key profile abroad must have a double expertise: mastery of your industry (global) and the ability to implement it in your culture (local).
Redesign the Job Description (JD) focusing on decision autonomy and adaptation to the target market.
Example: A Sales Manager in Sao Paulo or Mexico operates with very differentdynamics, timings and relational codes than one in Berlin or Paris.
Your compensation package is a strategic investment, not an operating expense. A salary that may seem generous by Spanish standards may be insufficient to attract a qualified executive in places like Miami or Singapore, or become a high turnover factor in markets with a high demand for talent.
It is essential to perform a salary benchmarking of the direct competition in the target country and sector. Investigate in depth: mandatory social benefits, performance bonus structure (local standards) and the actual tax burden for the employee.
The professional you bring in will act as a bridge between your corporate culture and the idiosyncrasies of his/her country. This is especially critical when managing nuances in communication and leadership. How formal or hierarchical is your organization compared to the local environment?
Define the level of flexibility and autonomy the role will have. Actively seek candidates with high cultural intelligence, able to mediate between matrix management styles and local realities. This is vital for effectivereporting from markets with high cultural distance, such as Japan or China.
High-value sector experts are not usually found on generalist job portals. The passive talent you are looking for is professionally active and must be attracted through international headhunting strategies, whether in a technology hub in Eastern Europe or in an emerging market in LATAM.
Map specialized sourcing sources: key industry associations, leadership forums, bi-national chambers of commerce and, above all, competing companies or players in the same ecosystem.
Searching for qualified talent outside our borders requires a significantly greater investment of time and resources than a local search. An executive search process in complex markets can take several months to find the right profile.
Set realistic time expectations in your expansion timeline. Rushing often leads to hiring an "almost perfect" profile that could fail in the short term. Patience is your best strategic asset.
At Servitalent, we don't just look for candidates; we help companies build a solid foundation for their internationalization. If you complete this global checklist with our advice, the selection process will be much smoother, reducing uncertainty and increasing the guarantees of success.