One of the major HR challenges is figuring out how to foster a common organizational culture that brings out the best in everyone across such a broad, diverse workforce, while making sure everyone has their best day, every day.

To do this effectively, you have to establish a "network mentality" where every individual feels equally accountable for service and performance. Let each team member collaborate and feel as though they have played a part in designing and carrying out the strategy. The goal is to make sure that every employee is part of the discussion about your organization's objectives and its success.

Remain rigid on standards but flexible on execution

Managing your global standards centrally ensures that your quality standards meet important benchmarks. At the same time, providing your local team the flexibility to adapt to local practices and norms, while remaining true to the "spirit of the law," will empower and motivate them to perform to the best of their potential.

Focus on training and engagement

Investing in a training and development platform can help to create a unified company culture. At DHL Express, our training program called the Certified International Specialist (CIS) program, trains our managers and global board to effectively facilitate the program worldwide. CIS not only remains our main source of training, but has helped to increase engagement in employee surveys by 16 percent over the last five years.

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Train locally and promote globally

In most businesses, local teams bring unrivaled market knowledge and insights into the culture. At the same time, exposing your best specialists to different cultures can boost their expertise, which they can share with the local team. This valuable experience can ultimately shape them for future leadership.

Replace "carrot and stick" with "carrot cake and pogo stick"

Creating a rigorous performance process that sets challenging targets and rates competences and achievements objectively while simultaneously recognizing outstanding work can increase employee engagement. Rewarding employees by buying them pizza or taking the team to the movies can go a long way. Also remember that telling an employee in front of their peers that they have done a good job can be more powerful than any other form of recognition.

Employee acknowledgement should be a central and binding theme to create a cohesive, global culture.

Use cultural diversity to your advantage

If you have a company with locations around the world it is important to understand the diverse needs of global customers. The different perspectives and cultural norms of a worldwide workforce can be a fantastic source of ideas and process improvement to meet customer expectations. Develop an open culture that encourages feedback so front-line employees, in even the most remote locations, will know that their opinions are welcome and valued. 

When it comes to effective global HR, your employees are your biggest resource. Draw on their common strengths — that is, their professional values, priorities and expertise — while also embracing their differences. This strategy will help to engage your international workforce, develop a winning culture that spans the globe and ensure you continue to attract world-class talent and new business, now and in the future.

To learn more about the health care reform and the upcoming presidential election, be sure to attend the 2016 Benefits Selling Expo – the benefits industry's premier educational and networking event for employee benefits brokers, advisors, agents, and consultants. REGISTER TODAY and SAVE $100 with code WBBPROL1.