Most modern-day businesses strive to have a global reach when it comes to their audience, as access to digital tools and advanced tech solutions has enabled us to provide products and services outside of a single country’s boundaries. But if you switch to the topic of employees, not every company will admit to being prepared for the step of hiring internationally, on site or remotely. The process is complex on a multitude of different levels, and it takes more than just preparation to create a workplace that can embrace international workers and let them thrive.
If you are looking to expand your hiring practices in order to work with foreign employees, you should start by preparing a strategy for your business to adapt. Here are several of the most essentials things your company needs to take into consideration when you start bracing your business for this challenging, but very rewarding step.
Research is your foundation
Recruiting foreign workers cannot be a mere leap of faith for your company. You need to understand how your business structure fits the local laws, whether you need special certification and specific requirements you need to meet in order to qualify as an employer for foreign citizens in your country. Plus, if your workers come from more than one foreign country, perhaps each of them has a different treaty in place with your own state, meaning that you need to make sure that you can indeed provide them with all the necessary conditions in your business.
Perhaps citizens from certain countries not only need a special work visa to be hired by your company, but they also need certifications approved by your local government to conduct specific work in your industry. The same applies for different levels of education, as not all degrees are recognized across the globe, and you should be careful when asking for qualifications and their translations so that you can make sure that each foreign candidate can indeed fulfill the needs of the position in question.
Establishing a global company culture
No matter how diverse of a setting you believe your company to be, chances are that you’ll need to make adjustments in order to make your international workers feel welcome, let alone “at home”. Upon ensuring that all compliance necessities are met and that your business can indeed hire foreign workers in your country, make preparations on site to greet your new colleagues and provide them with everything they need to settle in properly.
Sometimes, that means additional training to slowly get accustomed to their new role, as it will likely be different from the same one in their native country. Perhaps you can organize a social gathering for your team and your new workers from abroad so that they can get to know one another in a casual setting before they start work. Letting them immerse themselves into your company culture is a great way to help them adjust one day at a time.
Overcoming the language barrier
Yet another challenge on the list is one that too many businesses overlook in the early stages of recruitment, and it can actually save you a lot of trouble down the line and in your selection process. Does your foreign candidate speak the right language fluently in order to communicate with you, other employees, and your clients effectively?
This is especially prevalent in regions where English is not the primary language for everyday communication, but it is vital for business interactions and international businesses alike. That’s why you need to provide the right kind of assistance to your staff and help them overcome the language barrier. You can offer to pay for their language courses provided by language institutes such as EnglishWise and encourage them to develop their language skills or even get a formal language certificate.
Looking into immigration laws and regulations
Depending on the country where you’re running your business, you will run into different challenges and obstacles when hiring foreign workers. Most countries have laws and regulations in place to handle these processes with ease, so it’s up to you to familiarize yourself with those essential steps that you should take in order to help your foreign employee join your team.
This is particularly challenging for hiring employees who don’t already have a work permit valid in your country, and who need to apply for a residence permit as well. That said, you also need to prove that you cannot find a native of your own country to fill the position. Different countries have various immigration programs meant precisely for such situations, hence the need to have your legal team check into the ones that fit your business needs.
Choosing local vs. remote hiring methods
Thanks to modern technology, you also have the option to hire remote workers who live and reside abroad, but certain legal issues can arise in these instances, as well. For example, you need to check on how your business should comply with the taxation laws for hiring foreign workers abroad, all relative to how the contract will work, if you’ll hire an independent contractor, or a fulltime employee who will simply live abroad.
Get acquainted with the laws and precautions you should take before you start the hiring process, so that you can make the most of a globally-available workforce. This is a simple, but effective list of the key reminders for this complex process, and keeping it handy will perhaps make the hiring cycle all the more effective for your business.
