Role overview
Working closely with senior management, Global HR Directors oversee human resources across multiple regions of the business.
Responsible for developing strategic HR plans that support international growth, Global HR Directors are critical to achieving a high performing workforce. Their strategies seek to attract, engage and retain top talent across all locations where the business operates.
A key requirement of a Global HR Director is to demonstrate global HR expertise in areas such as employment law and cross-cultural initiatives. While the nuances of their role will differ depending on the region, their impact must drive global business growth.
Typical role requirements
Global HR Directors are required to possess extensive international HR experience.
Candidates must be able to showcase previous experience in developing and implementing HR strategies on a global scale. Key areas of focus include global talent acquisition, cross-cultural leadership and multinational organisational growth.
As a senior HR professional, a Global HR Director will also be expected to closely align with other senior leadership figures in the business including key stakeholders. They will be required to represent the business across different regions to ensure the close alignment of HR to achieve the global vision of the company.
Partner with Elliott Scott to find your next global HR director
Finding the right Global HR Director requires more than just a job listing — it demands strategic insight, cross-border understanding, and access to the best international HR talent. At Elliott Scott, we bring all three.
With deep expertise in executive search and an established global network, we help organisations identify and hire Global HR Directors who can align people strategies with business goals, navigate regional complexities, and lead HR transformation across borders.
FAQs
Global HR Directors take a broad view of the HR needs of the business, tailoring their strategies based on specific requirements of each market territory.
As a senior role in the business, Global HR Directors work closely with other key decision makers to ensure that all people related challenges are being met. Beyond the day-to-day challenges, Global HR Directors also factor in the long term needs of the business to create a robust global talent strategy.
A Global HR Director is tasked with overseeing HR strategies on a global scale.
Some of the key deliverables of a Global HR Director include developing and implementing global HR strategies, managing global talent acquisition, global workforce planning, ensuring compliance with international employment law, overseeing global compensation and benefits programs and supporting organisational change.
While there can be some overlap with the responsibilities of other senior HR roles, Global HR Directors are also expected to travel frequently as part of their job. Furthermore, they will often be required to possess prior experience in the different markets the business serves. Often, this calls for the ability to speak multiple languages.
To summarise, a Global HR Director must be able to devise and implement strategies that support operations on an international scale.
A Global HR Director can contribute towards the global growth of a business in various ways.
Most commonly, this includes developing a global workforce strategy, ensuring compliance with international employment law, attracting and retaining top talent, implementing change management and coming on board as a strategic business partner.
When looking to recruit a Global HR Director, the Elliott Scott HR team will also be keen to listen to the specific challenges experienced by your business, along with its overall goals including on a global scale. In response, we can intuitively shape the search for global HR talent based on these needs.
As experts who specialise in the recruitment of Global HR Director roles, we’re tasked with devising the best strategies to deliver excellence on behalf of your business.
We follow a diligent approach when assessing candidate qualities. Typically, we’d focus on the candidate’s HR expertise, international leadership experience, compliance knowledge and overall strategic alignment with your business.
Creating a clear yet compelling job description is also key. Crucially, outlining the requirements of the role should be based on the specific needs of your business. It should also highlight the trajectory of the business, including how the Global HR Director will play their part in achieving any long term goals.
Similarly, we also know that candidates value transparency in terms of the compensation, benefits and overall career development opportunities that the role offers.