Today’s global hiring landscape is complex. A candidate’s ability to succeed isn’t just about their qualifications; it’s about whether they can thrive in a new geographic, cultural, and/or corporate environment. Too often, companies assume preparing for success starts at the onboarding phase, but, in reality, the most crucial hiring decisions happen much earlier—during the pre-decision phase. Why does this matter? Because hiring the right talent isn’t just about filling a role; it’s about ensuring long-term success. Without assessing readiness factors early, companies risk costly misplacements, cultural mismatches, and logistical hurdles that could have been avoided. This is where internal mobility and talent acquisition teams can align and collaborate to transform hiring into a truly strategic process – one that ensures the right talent is selected, supported, and set up for success.

When organizations outsource business functions to another country—whether it’s accounting, customer service, or tech support—they’re often hoping for a streamlined, cost-effective solution. But when intercultural differences aren’t factored into the strategy, the shift often results in the exact opposite: misaligned expectations, breakdowns in communication, and friction across internal teams. Time is lost, along with trust, satisfaction ratings, and even clients. Too often, stakeholders don’t even know why. When internal teams find themselves working across cultures, misunderstandings are common. The definition of “good service” in one country may feel intrusive or inadequate in another. Perceptions of hierarchy and respect vary widely, leading to unintentional offenses. And communication styles are so nuanced that even simple messages can be misread—causing delays, confusion, and strained relationships. Internally, employee engagement and productivity suffer. Clients may notice the shift too—especially in customer-facing functions. Intercultural agility is the solution.

Leadership wants metrics, but they also need clarity. When you see a business need or opportunity, building the right business case with data is the way to give that to them. It’s also the best way for you to get buy-in. This blog post will discuss how to use data to strengthen business cases and the role of business storytelling in securing buy-in.