Managing and Developing Global Teams
Finding the right talent with the needed skills and competencies is every employer’s challenge, as is the need to find new markets for business growth. This typically means finding and/or moving global talent from one place to another—a feat many employers find daunting. But resources are available to help you not only develop a global team but manage offices and people across borders and cultures. This interactive panel discussion with local and international experts will address the current state of global workforce mobility and provide details on the types of resources available to support this critical component of workforce development.
Bob Rosing, President and CEO of Cleveland-based Dwellworks, will moderate the panel. Dwellworks supports the mobility of other companies’ talent while managing offices and people across borders and cultures itself. In doing so, Dwellworks not only walks the walk, they must talk the talk. Their secret sauce? A unified global culture that allows offices in the US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and now Hong Kong to all be on the same page.
Joining Bob on this panel are experts within the global mobility industry who will speak to a range of topics and perspectives on sourcing, managing, and moving talent on a global scale.
Robert Horsley, Executive Director of Fragomen and current Chairman of the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (Worldwide ERC®), is well known for his openness to change and his innovative initiatives in mobile workforce programs. At Fragomen, he helps clients adapt and integrate their different cultures and work models that allow companies to thrive in today’s ever-evolving markets. Through his work with Worldwide ERC, he helps the global not-for-profit find new and innovative ways to connect mobility professionals across the globe and to serve as the voice, the marketplace, and the source for talent management and global mobility knowledge, worldwide. Robert will offer insights into current trends on today’s global mobility and where to expect the next wave of activity.
Dean Foster, Founder and Principal at Dean Foster Global and Strategic Advisor at Dwellworks Intercultural Solutions, has been providing intercultural training and consulting to the international mobility and training and development industry for more than 20 years. The author of several books, Dean writes the monthly “CultureWise” column for National Geographic Traveler Magazine. He is on the faculty of American University, Intercultural Management Institute, and also serves as guest lecturer and faculty for Harvard Business School, Columbia University School of Business, and Darden Business School. His work has taken him to nearly 100 countries. Dean will focus on the skills professionals need to be successful in the global marketplace and how companies can use cultural competency as a hedge against business risk.
As Senior Director of Global Mobility and Global Human Resources at the Cleveland Clinic, Scott Chmielowicz collaborates with key internal and external stakeholders to develop and maintain the Clinic’s expanding global mobility strategy, policies, and processes to maximize program effectiveness and minimize cost. He provides end-to-end support for the international assignee population including business travelers, long- and short-term assignees, local hires, and transfers. Scott will address how the Clinic manages its core culture to attract and retain high value talent—both in Cleveland and its growing number of global facilities. He will also address the objections he has to rebut or overcome in order to attract global talent to Cleveland…or Florida…or Dubai.
Shana Zollar, Vice President of Human Resources at Dwellworks, has overseen the company’s steady growth for nearly 10 years. Her specialty, according to Crain’s Cleveland Business, is the handling of the HR maze during international acquisitions. Indeed, she was recognized for acclimating three companies from outside the US into the Dwellworks family within a 5-month time period. Shana will address what’s involved in nurturing a global culture, as well as transition points for moving from a US-focused organization to a global business. She will also address best practices for blending lessons from acquisitions in new markets into the overall corporate culture to keep the whole enterprise in tune with latest trends.
The session will conclude with an audience Q&A.
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Global Employer Summit Breakout: Managing and Developing Global Teams
2:30 – 3:30 PM InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center
Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy
From the sidewalk of West 46th street, Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy may fit the image of a typical school for young children. But take one step into the building and any visitor will be instantly immersed in a unique, welcoming environment bursting with various cultures, languages, and customs from all across the world.
The school, which has grown from 605 students since the first day of classes in August 2016 to 980 students in May 2017, boasts a diverse population of students coming from 47 different countries and speaking 28 different languages. With such a unique student community, the International Newcomers Academy’s primary objective is to develop language skills and academic content with a diverse multilingual population. The students, who are immigrants or refugees, may stay enrolled at Thomas Jefferson for a maximum of two years unless they have already reached high school grades. According to Marisol Burgos, principal of the International Newcomers Academy, over 85% of the high school students decide to stay at the school. At the conclusion of the 2016-2017 school year, 42 students will be graduating from the 12th grade.
At Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy, there are a multitude of programs and services offered to assist in acclimating the students to the different languages and customs of their new country. Free tutoring is offered after school K-12, and guest speakers, including judges and lawyers among other professionals, frequently visit the school to educate students as well. Additionally, there is no age cap for students seeking admittance to the school, and no prospective student is ever turned away.
Furthermore, with nearly all of the students having no access to computers at their homes, the International Newcomers Academy offers students the opportunity to utilize computer-based programs, such as Imagine Learning, which is an interactive language and literacy software program, to enhance their learning experience. Courses covering constitutional law and financial literacy are also offered to the upper level students as well.
Coming off a year of significant growth, the Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy hopes to expand its impact farther into the school’s surrounding community, and moreover aspires to continue expanding the opportunities offered to students for years to come. To learn more about the Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy visit http://www.clevelandmetroschools.org/Page/1043.
Written By: Michael Ittu
Creating a Globally Competitive [Tech] Team
Innovative startups, tech companies, and corporations are taking steps to mirror their global business strategy with a globally competitive workforce.
In the session with Fwd.us and JumpStart at this year’s Global Employer Summit, panelists will share innovative ways Northeast Ohio is competing and how employers can lead the charge in global talent inclusion.
FWD.us, a national leader in advocating for business-driven immigration policy, is hosting this session. Speakers will share practical ways your organization can become a more globally competitive workplace right here in Northeast Ohio.
Angie Kilgore, JumpStart’s manager of recruiting and community engagement for entrepreneurial talent, will moderate a frank discussion with the following experts:
Xu Lang, Director of Global Investor Relations with FlashStarts, will discuss why and how global entrepreneurs are coming to Cleveland; she’ll also share ways employers can tap into international, entrepreneurial talents – and who might qualify for alternative immigration pathways from the traditional H1B visa.
David Wintrich, Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of Tech Elevator knows what it takes to find the best tech talent; his experience with Fortune 500 companies and at Tech Elevator has given David the opportunity to interview, hire and mentor dozens of programmers. He’ll share how he recruits top talent around the world to drive our regional tech workforce forward – and how your organization can also find qualified talent.
Cortney McDevitt will share her insights from working in People Operations and Engagement with top companies including Lyft and Shutterfly. She’ll share what Northeast Ohio employers can learn from West Coast tech.
Finally, Daniel Dudley, Cofounder and Chief Operating Officer at Infinite Arthroscopy Inc. (IAI) will share thoughts on the criticality of global perspectives for a successful venture, especially at the pre-revenue “start-up” phase – Daniel will share some of best practices and starting points to fostering a culture and establishing a team that incorporates global talent and expertise.
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Does our organization have a plan for global talent inclusion? Interested in knowing the best practices to build an innovative tech team? Let us know here!
The Business Case for International Hires
When does an international hire make the most sense for your bottom line?
In the session with Thompson Hine at this year’s Global Employer Summit, Partner Sarah Flannery will break down scenarios she has seen with client companies to increase their business success and save money, by strategically bringing on the global talent they need.
Flannery shares, “We’ve seen several instances where bringing someone on directly made more financial sense. Organizations that overlook this possibility might be missing out on substantial savings and growth opportunities.”
Get ready to challenge common ideas about contracting services or directly bringing on new hires, recruitment strategies, or investing in employment-based sponsorship.
Sarah will be joined by Team NEO’s regional talent manager, Mike Stanton, who will also share his past experience as an HR leader making hiring decisions. As someone who has faced these challenges first-hand, he will offer candid insights into when it makes sense to invest in new hires.
International hires are not be the only source of talent for your organization; but if you are overlooking international hires because of fears about sponsorship costs, you might actually be wasting money in the long run and passing on the talent your company needs.
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Global Employer Summit Breakout: The Business Case for International Hires
2:30 – 3:30 PM InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center
Questions about ways that employers are finding a competitive edge through engaging with global talent? Let us know in the comment section below!
Immigration Trends for Globally Competitive Organizations
Are you ready to hire the best talent, no matter where they are in the world?
Joining the Global Employer Summit on May 31st will be Envoy, an innovative firm that makes it seamless for companies to hire and manage a global workforce.
Organizations across the U.S. are hiring and investing in international talent; Envoy will break down employer practices and highlight areas your organization should focus on to compete in a global marketplace.
Sarah Maxwell, Head of Global Immigration, Envoy, knows that “companies require for their global workforce flexible support and innovative solutions that evolve with technology and the market.” She will join Gretchen Keefner, Vice President of Sales, Envoy, to also answer practical questions for companies looking to gain an understanding of the various visas available to employers looking to hire global talent.
Join Global Cleveland, Envoy and select companies at the Global Employer Summit to learn the steps you can take today to create a globally competitive approach to talent.
Do you have specific questions about visas?
Wondering what other organizations are doing to bring on global talent?
Submit your questions below for us to answer, and join us for the full conversation on May 31st.
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Global Employer Summit Breakout: Immigration Trends for Globally Competitive Organizations
1:30 - 2:30 PM InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center
State of Downtown
2016 was a big win not just for the Cavs but also for the city of Cleveland. Downtown Cleveland had the opportunity to host the Republican National Convention, the newly transformed Public Square was unveiled, the Indians made a World Series appearance, and of course, to top it all off, the Cavs NBA Championship.
Clevelanders are anxiously waiting what 2017 has in store.
Before we rush into our expectations for 2017 let’s have a discussion on how the foreign-born population affects our beloved city. The city of Cleveland has thrived because of the importance of foreign-born population who has supplied the labor and entrepreneurial abilities needed for any city’s growth.
Ohio’s immigrant population has grown by 2.5 percent between 2010 and 2014. Today, Ohio is home to over 480,000 foreign-born residents. In 2014, immigrants in Ohio earned $15.6 billion and donated $4.4 billion in local, state, and federal taxes that year. (http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2017/02/cleveland_immigrants_pay_taxes_start_businesses_create_jobs_new_american_economy_says.html) Foreign-born workers make up 6.7 percent of all entrepreneurs in the State of Ohio despite only accounting for 4.2 percent of the population.
Immigration is a hot topic right now; after all it takes courage and faith to move to a different country with the hopes of making it and fitting into society. The hope of a foreign-born should show the U.S population how determined immigrants are, in addition to how they benefit the community from their hard work, not in the least by creating new businesses, and by generating income and taxes. With new amenities flowing around Downtown Cleveland more immigrants will continue to find their way to Northeast Ohio and call the Greater Cleveland area home.
For people who migrate from other countries and choose to call Cleveland home these contributions show that Clevelanders have acknowledged the fact that foreign-born residents have assisted with the growth of the economy and are welcomed in the city. A diverse city like Cleveland has various businesses, in particular, restaurants. Clevelanders are known as foodies so it would only be fitting to have extraordinary restaurants from all corners of the world, challenging Clevelanders to explore new foods, countries, and restaurants. The city is dependent on the capability to incorporate new citizens in order to spur technology, innovation, and economic development in order to compete in a highly skilled global economy.
It is not enough to look to history with regards to the importance of foreign-born population, instead, join the conversation on how immigration and international residents can create jobs and influence an energetic 24/7 downtown Cleveland.
To learn more about the impact foreign-born residents in the United Sates head over to The City Club of Cleveland, March 28 from 4p.m-6p.m for The State of Downtown.
Author:
Chiamaka Uwagba, Research Associate, Global Cleveland
