In many countries around the world, there are an increasing number of job vacancies and a decrease in unemployment rates. This means that finding the right candidate for your needs can be highly challenging. In fact, in a 2022 study, 52% of all small business owners said that it is harder to find qualified candidates now than it was a year ago.
One way to combat this problem is to broaden your talent pool to include international candidates. Doing so not only increases the probability of finding the best talent for your needs, it can also help your company become more diverse, which has been proven to provide a number of benefits.
When recruiting international candidates, here are the top 6 tips to keep in mind:
1. Identify regions to target
Truly global recruiting can quickly become overwhelming. However, different regions are becoming known as hotbeds of talent for certain skill sets. Spend some time prioritizing the skills your business needs. Once you have this list, use the Global Skills Report to identify markets that are known for developing these skills and prioritize your efforts in these locations.
2. Utilize local job boards
While some job boards, such as Indeed, Monster and Glassdoor, are effective globally, consider researching local job boards in the regions you identified above in order to achieve the widest reach. Identify and utilize Slack communities to find large groups of like-minded professionals in one place. Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of local universities and colleges. Their career development offices and alumni networks can be a great source of candidates.
3. Nail the Job Description
The same job description may not work everywhere. If you are truly committed to finding international candidates, spend some time researching local job descriptions. Use that information to bolster your description as well as remove any regional specific information. Be sure to include logistical requirements - is relocation expected or can the position be performed remotely? Will visa assistance be provided? What are the working hours? Cultural expectations of the company? - anything that will help the candidate gain a better understanding of what will be expected of them and what to expect from you.
4. Hire based on skills, not their resume
While it may be tempting to always look for candidates that have gone to the best universities or worked at the biggest name companies, skill-based hiring helps companies find better employees overall. One study found that “hiring for skills is five times more predictive of job performance than hiring for education and more than two times more predictive than hiring for work experience.” This is especially true when looking at international candidates. Instead of focusing on the names on their resume, take the time to assess candidates through test projects and skill challenges.
5. Know the culture
If you want to effectively recruit internationally, you will need to understand the culture. This will help with every step of the process - from knowing where to look for candidates to writing the job description to handling the interview. Whenever possible, tap into the experience and knowledge of current employees to help you navigate cultural expectations and subtleties that could hinder your recruiting efforts.
6. Know the law
Before you make an offer to an international candidate, make sure you know the applicable laws that may impact your ability to employ them. If you plan to allow them to work remotely, you’ll need to follow all local regulations and set up a legal entity or use an employer of record. If you plan to relocate candidates to your location, you’ll need to navigate immigration laws. In either case, it’s important to have a global mobility expert on your side to help you avoid any potential legal trouble.
Hiring internationally is a great way to expand your talent pool and find the best candidates for your needs faster. Follow the tips above for success. Localyze can help you reach your hiring goals by managing the visa and relocation process for international talent from start to finish.