Working in HR at an international level requires specific skills that are highly sought-after on the job market.

While companies have no great difficulty in finding HR staff with a classic HR Master's degree who have the skills to work in a national context, this is not the case for those who have to manage human resources on an international scale, given the highly specialized and specific skills required.

Managing Human Resources on an international scale calls for a combination many technical skills. (hard skills) and behavioral (soft skills).

Among the technical HR skills required include strategic human resources management, work organization management, international mobility management (expatriation, relocation, immigration, taxation, social protection), risk management, international recruitment, selection and retention, compensation and benefits management (control of compensation structures, job evaluation, establishment of salary scales, bonus structure, variable compensation schemes, etc.) and employee benefits (health insurance schemes, pension schemes, paid leave, wellness programs, etc.)

In terms of behavioral skills in order to succeed, you need situational and cultural intelligence, communication and networking skills, leadership, adaptability, negotiation skills and the ability to manage change in a multicultural environment.

All the technical skills of the International Human Resources Manager need to be developed while at the same time possessing the international market knowledge needed to understand the economic, political and cultural dynamics of the different markets in which the company operates.

Fluency in several languages, and at least English, is essential to facilitate communication in a multilingual environment. A second foreign language is strongly recommended.

For all these reasons, it is advisable for people who want to work in HR at an international level to complete their education by with a classic HR Master's degree more specialized training such as an MBA with expertise in international HR.