What Actually Needs to Be Local?

Choose one role you are hiring for. Assess each requirement against the work itself and apply the same evidence standard to every candidate. This is a discussion aid, not a validated assessment or a substitute for checking legal and professional requirements. Examples are fictional.

1. 01

   Define success before reviewing backgrounds

   List the outcomes the person needs to deliver in the first three to six months. Separate essential requirements from preferences.

   Example: Deliver a reliable monthly management report and explain variances to department leaders.

2. 02

   Identify what must be local on day one

   Explain why a particular law, credential, language level or market relationship is essential. Confirm regulated requirements with an appropriate specialist.

   Example: A role providing regulated advice may require a specific local qualification. An internal reporting role may require a different level of local knowledge.

3. 03

   Identify what can be learned

   Set out the support, owner and realistic time needed to acquire organizational or market context. Do not assume every gap is trainable.

   Example: A manager provides onboarding on internal reporting systems and reviews the first two reporting cycles.

4. 04

   Look for equivalent evidence

   Ask about scale, decisions, accountability and outcomes in unfamiliar organizations. Distinguish doing the work from assisting with it.

   Example: Tell us about a reporting process you owned. What was the scope, what went wrong, and how did you establish accuracy?

5. 05

   Review assumptions consistently

   Check whether a familiar title or employer is standing in for evidence. Keep work authorization and sponsorship checks explicit and separate from capability assessment.

   Example: Compare candidates against the same required outcomes, record unresolved questions, and verify eligibility through the appropriate process.

Apply this to a real hiring need

Discuss the role, the capabilities it requires and where internationally experienced professionals may merit a closer look.

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