From Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl performance to the multinational spectacle of the Winter Olympics, our biggest cultural stages are sending a clear signal: the world is no longer operating in silos. This shift isn’t just happening in entertainment and sports; it’s radically transforming the corporate world.
As companies build teams that span continents and time zones, global hiring has transitioned from a logistical hurdle to a strategic superpower. But how do you actually lead a workforce that rarely shares a physical office—or even a time zone?
In this week’s HR Query, Laura Maffucci, Head of HR at G-P, discusses the logistics of compliant cross-border hiring, the art of day-to-day global collaboration, and why the “location barrier” is officially a thing of the past.
We’ve seen the world’s biggest stages—from Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl to the Winter Olympics—celebrate culture that is inherently multinational and multilingual. Does this shift in entertainment mirror a permanent shift in the workforce?
LM: The connection is more than just symbolic. Major global events like the Super Bowl or the Olympics show us what has been true in the workforce for years: the best talent and the brightest ideas don’t all come from one place. We are finally building the cultural and business tools needed to support this reality.
Forward-thinking companies don’t view global hiring as a backup plan or a temporary fix; they see it as a major advantage. Location is no longer a barrier to building a great team, and companies that embrace this will have access to top-tier talent that their competitors simply cannot reach.
Here’s what she had to say.
You’ve said that global hiring is becoming a key competitive advantage. For an HR leader sitting on the fence, what is the “cost of inaction” of staying strictly local in 2026?
LM: The cost of staying local is simply falling behind the competition. Research shows that two-thirds of business leaders believe AI is essential for competing globally, and that same urgency applies to finding talent. The best person for the job may not live within driving distance of your office. By hiring only locally, you aren’t just shrinking your talent pool—you are limiting your company’s perspective, its ability to solve problems and its connection to customers around the world. Companies that act now will develop the skills needed to hire and manage globally. Those that wait will spend years trying to catch up.
When geographical borders blur, the talent pool explodes. How do you help leaders move past the “home-base” mental model to embrace a truly borderless team?
LM: The numbers speak for themselves. According to G-P’s research, 80% of employees want to work for a global company and 85% believe that companies hiring in multiple countries offer more opportunities for their personal career growth. The workforce is already thinking globally, it’s up to leaders to decide if they are ready to catch up. Companies that embrace this trend will attract the best new job seekers and set themselves up for a level of success that local-only competitors cannot match.
You manage teams that rarely share a country or a time zone. What are the foundational “people practices” you’ve had to redesign from the ground up to make this work?
LM: When you manage a global team, you have to let go of the idea that what works at headquarters will work everywhere else. The biggest change you need to make is moving away from just reacting to problems as they happen. Instead, you should start with a clear set of ‘guiding principles’ that apply to everyone, regardless of their location.
Once those core rules are set, you can figure out how to adapt them to fit local laws and cultural expectations. For example, with compensation you need to decide early on if you will pay employees based on their local market rates or use a standard currency like U.S. dollars. Without a clear plan, every new country you hire in will feel like a brand-new problem to solve. Having consistent core principles is what gives you the freedom to be flexible and fair at the local level.
How do you operationalize boundaries when the sun never sets on your workforce? What is the G-P blueprint for preventing global flexibility from turning into 24/7 burnout?
LM: The challenge with a global team is that someone’s workday is always beginning somewhere in the world. Without clear rules about when to be online, the flexibility of remote work can quickly feel like a requirement to be available 24/7.
Leaders must lead by example. If you send messages at midnight, your team will feel pressured to respond immediately. Setting a healthy tone requires more than just a written policy. It requires leaders to actually change their habits. While official policies are important, the way managers demonstrate this day-to-day is what truly defines the culture.
Hiring across borders can be a legal headache. What are the top two “compliance landmines” HR leaders should look out for when expanding their search globally?
LM: The first mistake is assuming that the way you do things in your home country will work everywhere else. It won’t. In some countries, certain HR practices are optional, while in others, they are strict legal requirements. Trying to use a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach can lead to legal trouble and damage your relationship with local teams before you’ve even started.
For example, in many countries outside the U.S., it is common for employees to take several weeks off during the summer and completely disconnect from work. Respecting this isn’t just about being polite, it is often a legal requirement in their employment contract. Knowing exactly what is required in each country protects your company and helps build the trust that keeps employees from leaving.
The second mistake is trying to keep up with the constant changes to employment laws and tax codes manually. Getting global compliance wrong is expensive – misclassification penalties, labor law violations and tax fines add up. This is an area where AI has significant value. AI-powered tools – built with deep expert knowledge – can help organizations stay compliant as they scale globally, without requiring the HR team to become experts in the legal systems of every single country.
First impressions matter. How do you deliver a world-class onboarding experience to a new hire in a different hemisphere so they feel like a “day one” priority?
LM: First impressions are critical. A new hire in another country should have the same high-quality first day as someone working from headquarters. A big part of that is removing friction so making sure the compliance, contracts and logistics are handled before they start so they walk in focused on the work, not the paperwork. AI can help by automatically handling steps like onboarding, contracting and integrating new employees into the company. This ensures every employee gets the same complete experience, no matter where they live. However, the human element is just as vital. Technology handles the logistics, but a real person needs to reach out to make sure the new hire feels seen and truly welcomed from day one.