How To Attract International Employees
Hiring international employees can offer plenty of benefits to your business.
The chance to diversify and bring different voices to your company is never a bad thing, not to mention the fact hiring in other countries may help to plug a skills gap.
Perhaps you are a 24-hour business service and having staff across the globe will help to cover different time zones and mean you have people working while staff in the UK are sleeping.
It was estimated in May that one in five people would look to change jobs in the UK in 2022. Now may be the time to explore new alternatives and here is how you can attract international employees.
Cover relocation or travel
It may be that your international employee would consider moving to the area your business is based.
There are plenty of things to think about here; family needs, the best places to live, and acclimatising to the local culture.
To make things easier you should consider covering the cost of their relocation to make life easier for their transition.
Alternatively, if they are coming to visit the office then front up the cost, or say for example they were going to visit a client in New York consider renting them a serviced apartment in New York to make their travel easier and offer more home comforts for their visit.
Strong onboarding
It was reported this year that only 12 percent of employees believe their employers do a good job with the onboarding process.
It does not matter where your employee is based, a strong onboarding process is crucial for longevity in the workplace. Clear expectations should be set, it should be evident who they can turn to if help is required, and it is a great chance for them to get a feel for the company brand.
For those either moving to a new country or beginning a job working for a company based abroad, it is even more important. A new starter does not want to feel immediately lost in new surroundings.
If your company already has overseas employees, it could be a good idea to set up a mentoring scheme to help new starters feel immediately at ease.
A strong onboarding process will only help your business in the long run.
Look at potential
It can be easy when recruiting to get stuck in a familiar process but doing so may mean you are missing out on an abundance of talent.
Maybe it is time to stop searching for specific degrees or qualifications, and instead consider applicants who have transferrable skills – a point that is especially valid when considering qualifications may vary in different countries.
Additionally, if you are thinking of branching into new countries then employing someone who speaks the language but does not have the same degree as someone who does not can be beneficial as they may have a stronger grasp on the culture.
Always remember that a candidate may have the skills your company requires but they will not always necessarily be written down on paper or a Word document.
