With international borders beginning to re-open in Australia and around the world, employers are set to have access to a much larger pool of talent. This influx of skilled talent comes as a relief for organisations who have been dealing with the Great Resignation and a talent shortage.
Many employers have made the mistake of thinking that hiring internationally is the same as hiring locally. However, there are many differences to be aware of. Those who are not could find themselves out of pocket, in the courtroom, or worse.
This applies whether you’re looking to hire a foreign-based remote worker, entering an international market, or just looking for someone to join your local office. Before looking for candidates from outside of Australia, it’s important for organisations to consider a number of factors. We’ll cover them in this article.
Why Hire International Talent?
If hiring talent from abroad is so tough, you may ask yourself why organisations bother to do so. The simple answer is that recruiting employees internationally is only difficult for the uninformed or unprepared. For those who put in the effort, the benefits of a multinational workforce make it more than worthwhile.
Why? There are a number of reasons to recruit foreign team members:
Access a larger pool of talent
Organisations can’t afford to restrict themselves by locality when looking for the best candidates, especially in such a talent short market. This goes double for niche or in-demand roles, such as C-suite executives, IT professionals and the like.
A larger pool of talent can result in more opportunities to find the perfect fit, as well as a shorter time to hire.
Build a more diverse team
Research shows that culturally diverse teams achieve better results in problem-solving, collaboration, and revenue generation. And what better way to expand the perspective of your team than by bringing in international talent?
Cost and time effectiveness
Hiring remote workers in a country with a lower cost of living often allows an organisation to make savings. Having team members in different time zones is also beneficial. With the always-on nature of the internet and many digital services, this allows your organisation to be ready and operational 24 hours a day.
Specialist market knowledge
If your business is expanding into a new market, hiring an employee with local knowledge can make all the difference. They can help your organisation avoid common pitfalls, such as language issues or different cultural norms, and may be able to provide existing networks or make new connections.
What You Should Know Before Hiring International Talent
What Are the Relevant Laws?
A fairly obvious yet often overlooked consideration is how employment laws may differ between countries. You need to understand what is required in both your country of operations and the country from which your candidates come. Compliance with local immigration laws is also a must, as is understanding the Fair Work Act (2009) for Australian organisations.
Consulting a legal professional is the best way to approach this, and getting expert support will help you to navigate the legal processes involved. Additionally, they can identify and manage the potential risks associated with hiring foreign workers and interpret all of the relevant immigration laws.
Decide What Arrangement is Best
What is your reason for hiring international talent? Your answer may impact how you make hiring arrangements. If you’re simply looking for a new team member to move over and join the office, you’re likely to take them on as an employee. However, if you are hiring foreign-based remote workers, or establishing a presence in another country, you may wish to consider other options.
Taking on a remote worker as a contractor can be a better arrangement for your organisation if you’re looking for occasional support, covering hours, or similar infrequent tasks. Otherwise, if looking to engage multiple, long-term employees, you may consider establishing a legal entity in the host country.
Know Where to Find the Right Talent
One of the more difficult factors in finding overseas talent is knowing where to look. And we don’t just mean what country, although of course, that is also very important. Certain countries may be better for picking up skilled talent at a lower cost, for example, India, China and parts of South America. Otherwise, you may look to a certain country because they are known to produce excellent industry-specific talent. Switzerland is such an example for for biotech. Weigh up your options and research which countries produce the best talent in your required industry.
Once you know the country, knowing where to look specifically is also important. What social media platforms do your desired candidates use? Which job boards are popular? Are there any networks you can utilise? You may find that partnering with a local recruiter is the best course of action. They can leverage existing networks, knowing far more about what talent is available, and where to find it. Conversely, recruiters in your own country can be a good source, as they likely have their own international candidates. If someone is looking to emigrate for work, one of their first port of call is often a recruiter. Therefore, looking to recruitment agencies in Melbourne may be the best option for Melbourne organisations
TalentVine can help you to find top-quality candidates with the best recruiters and recruitment agencies in Australia and as of 2022, globally. Simply post a role, and specialists from our marketplace of 1000+ recruiters will bid to work with you. Compare their fees, ratings, reviews and more to determine the best choice, and begin the process of making your next great hire through your choice of consultant.
Onboarding is Essential
New employees can often feel lost if they aren’t given proper onboarding, even more so if they’re working in a foreign country or working remotely for a foreign business. There are likely to be cultural differences, and it’s important to have a discussion about what is expected of your new hire. If there are any differences in culture that could pose a problem, now is the time to address them.
During the onboarding process, give your new employees the opportunity to see how your organisation works and ask questions. A mentoring program can also be a good way to get your international talent up to speed.
Final Thoughts
Hiring talent from overseas can be very beneficial, and lucrative, for many employers. Organisations can circumvent the Australian talent shortage by accessing the global talent pool, building teams rich in diversity, saving money while taking advantage of time zones, and utilising local market knowledge.
This article has covered some of the key things that employers should be aware of before recruiting international talent. Utilising a recruiter can be a great way to source and hire high-quality employees from overseas.
Find the best of them on TalentVine’s recruiter marketplace.
