How U.S.-Based HR Teams Compare to their Global Counterparts
As HR goes global with flexible work and far-flung teams, understanding the skills of your worldwide HR teams is key to staying agile. SHL’s latest research reveals how U.S. HR professionals compare against their global peers, spotlighting unique strengths and skills gaps.
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Championing HR: Key strengths of US-based HR Professionals
A strong focus on mastering AI, data analytics for enhanced people decisions, and constant technological change has prepared HR teams in the U.S. to develop comparative strengths in a handful of critical competencies. Our research shows those based in the U.S. show higher scores than the global average in six key behavioral skills deemed critical to HR success:
- Adapts to change - US-based HR professionals are skilled at remaining productive and flexible during periods of change. This skill is found more commonly among U.S. HR teams than their global counterparts, setting them up for success when adopting AI and aiding business transformation.
- Analyzes information - proficiency in analyzing information is especially common in the U.S. HR landscape, where employees effectively evaluate and synthesize information, identifying trends with precision. With increasing amounts of information available within HR tools, this skill helps professionals leverage data insights effectively in decision-making.
- Applies functional expertise - the U.S. show excellence in applying specialist skills, expertise, and job knowledge with ease and accuracy. As automation takes over routine HR tasks, applying specialized expertise will set HR professionals apart—making their impact on processes and outcomes more visible.
- Demonstrates empathy – U.S. professionals stand out for their compassion at work, showing greater empathy and emotional support for teammates than their global counterparts. With this skill, they can drive engagement and teamwork in remote and cross-regional settings.
- Identifies potential - common in the U.S., this skill involves recognizing the current and future strengths and limitations of others at work. Alongside accurate data insights, this positions them well to maximize team output by placing talent in the correct roles and upskilling those that need more development.
- Manages conflict – another key aspect where U.S. based HR teams excel at is mediating disagreements and helping others to reach agreement by negotiating conflict solutions. This equips them to cultivate unity and team spirit across distributed and international teams.
Development areas: Where US HR teams lag behind
A few important HR skills are found less often among United States HR professionals than across their global counterparts. These are skills for which the U.S. can focus on skills development to strengthen its workforce to meet the rapidly changing and high demands of HR success:
- Sets objectives - strength in setting specific, clearly-defined objectives with timelines and sub-goals is found less frequently in the U.S. than across the globe in HR contexts. Developing this skill will help those based in the U.S. to deliver their goals to the business in a timely and effective manner.
- Considers strategic vision - long-term thinking, anticipation of future trends, and the development of clear, long-term goals are less common in the U.S. HR landscape than across the globe. HR is now of strategic importance within the wider organization, so HR professionals need to align talent decisions with business goals and understand the impact of those decisions on the wider organization.
Looking ahead: What this means for HR leaders
Understanding how HR professionals compare globally offers both validation and direction. Knowing the types of skills that matter, and if your team aligns with broader skills strengths in key areas like functional expertise and adaptability can ensure your teams are well-positioned to lead.
At the same time, identifying development opportunities will help HR recruiters and managers with workforce planning, leadership development, and hiring to build balanced, future-oriented teams.
As the work landscape becomes increasingly globalized, combining unique strengths with strategic foresight will be key to staying competitive and impactful.
To see the full list of skills essential to success across the U.S. and other global regions, download the full HR Skills Insights Report.
