Cross-Staffing Strategies for Global Growth: Lessons from Grant Thornton Germany
Julie Sergent
Content manager
May 20, 2025
5 min
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Professional services firms today face a dual challenge—delivering on rising client demands while navigating growing talent shortages. Rigid, localised staffing models are no longer sustainable in a world where clients expect seamless service across borders. This is why cross-staffing and Social Talent Planning have become critical strategies for scaling globally.
Grant Thornton Germany stands out as a success story. By transforming their resource management practices, they’ve proven that cross-office collaboration, skill visibility, and employee empowerment can drive both operational excellence and employee satisfaction.
According to Patrick Oelze, Partner at Grant Thornton Germany:
"We have a broad variety of different skill sets among our people. That’s why we use the term 'Social Talent Planning'—it’s not just about planning resources, it’s a social topic we must address."
Professional services firms are under increasing pressure to:
Grant Thornton Germany tackled these challenges by moving toward a people-centric, decentralised staffing model that values employee engagement as much as client outcomes.
Grant Thornton Germany shifted staffing ownership from a central team to managers and partners across its 11 offices. This empowered local leaders to:
As Zelda Borgia from Napta explained:
"Transparency in staffing gives employees visibility on upcoming projects and who they’ll be working with, fostering collaboration and preparation."
To maximise their workforce potential, the firm implemented a cross-staffing request system via the Napta platform. This system allows managers to:
This balance of control and flexibility prevents resource hoarding and enables better talent mobility, which, according to the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, can boost productivity by up to 20%.
Patrick Oelze highlighted the need for continuous forecasting:
"We combine roll-forward planning with six-month rolling forecasts to stay flexible and avoid the pitfalls of annual-only planning."
By blending long-term vision with short-term responsiveness, Grant Thornton Germany:
Grant Thornton Germany actively involves employees in the staffing process by:
This ensures that staffing aligns with both business needs and employee aspirations—a practice that boosts retention and performance.
Rather than seeing client needs and employee growth as competing goals, Grant Thornton Germany integrates them. Oelze explained:
"Clients appreciate our commitment to our team. Effective communication helps clients understand how investing in our people improves outcomes."
This alignment not only strengthens client trust but also positions the firm as a stable, talent-focused partner.
The firm also tracks internal projects, CSR initiatives, and training, ensuring these activities:
By doing so, they foster long-term organisational health while maintaining high client service levels.
Grant Thornton Germany’s approach offers a blueprint for firms looking to scale globally:
As Patrick Oelze summarises:
"Strategic alignment, flexible tools, and continuous engagement are the keys to expanding successfully."
Grant Thornton Germany shows that operational excellence and employee engagement are not mutually exclusive—they are two sides of the same coin. By adopting Social Talent Planning and embracing cross-border staffing, professional services firms can unlock the full potential of their workforce, drive global growth, and deliver exceptional client outcomes.
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