Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:59:43 -0700

Rapid development in emerging markets presents companies with unprecedented prospects for growth, but only if they can overcome a short supply of well-qualified skilled labor. Now is the time for smart leaders to turn to an untapped well of talent: educated, skilled, ambitious women in developing nations who often are overlooked by both global and local employers. In WINNING THE WAR FOR TALENT IN EMERGING MARKETS: Why Women Are the Solution (August 2011; Harvard Business Review Press), economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett and management consultant Ripa Rashid uncover this competitive advantage hidden in plain sight in the BRIC nations and the UAE.

The female talent pool in these growth markets is indeed impressive: 55% of college graduates globally are now female and two-thirds of highly qualified women in BRIC/UAE consider themselves very ambitious - twice the rate of their American peers. And these are not the oppressed victims that stereotyping makes them out to be; rather, they comprise the best prepared segment of the talent pool. Multinationals who want to benefit from this promising group of workers will need to understand the nuances of this group, who navigate a complicated and culturally-based web of pushes and pulls that can threaten their career ambitions. Hewlett and Rashid analyze both the opportunities and challenges of hiring talented women in emerging markets, drawn from research and from interviews with a range of managers in these regions.

The book includes actionable solutions, highlighting 30 case studies from companies like Pfizer, Siemens, Wipro, and Google who are leading the charge on innovative programs that retain and accelerate female talent in developing nations.

"A fascinating look at the rapidly evolving role of women in the global workforce. Hewlett and Rashid have written a powerful and highly readable wake-up call on the urgency around developing, attracting, and retaining talent in emerging markets. You'll be smarter for having read this groundbreaking book."
Sallie Krawcheck, named one of Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" in business for the last eight years and one of Time's "Global Business Influentials"

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Sylvia Ann Hewlett - Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets

Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets