You’d think in the last year, the desire to work abroad would have dwindled. Yet, the opposite is true – 71% of millennials alone want to work in countries other than their own. If you’re a company offering relocation support, you’re a mile ahead of the rest when it comes to hiring top talent from around the world. But we get it; it’s isn’t easy.
From visa applications to housing support to community and company integration, what you do in those first few weeks is critical to their retention, so here are a few things to remember when organizing an employee relocation.
1. Dive into bureaucracy
Have you ever relocated to a foreign country? If so, you’ve surely experienced the hassle that comes with all the paperwork you have to deal with. Everyone at Localyze has done it at least once, so we know how much of a nightmare it can be. To help your new employee avoid this hassle, you need to know about the applicable requirements, which include:
- visa regulations – which visa do they need?
- specific requirements regarding education, income, and job position
- an understanding of how much time it takes to go through the process
Make sure you understand the steps that must be taken to ensure that any new employee will be able to work for your business. Depending on the country of origin, international employees face different situations, processes, and difficulties when it comes to immigration requirements. The first step to ensure you’re on the right track is to check out the Foreign Office website for any country you’re seeking information for or get in touch with the local embassy.
It’s important to get this process right. Problems during the visa process can easily lead to long delays for the starting date of a new employee, which not only affects the recruiter and the international employee, but also the team that is waiting for the international employee who has to deal with the missing resources.
2. The first weeks are critical
Overcoming the first bureaucratic hurdles prepares the ground for your new employee. Nevertheless, there are many more obstacles to face in the relocation process, some of them not being very obvious.
Buying a plane ticket brings your employee here, but you want to ensure they don’t have to (or want to) leave after three months. To support your employee relocation, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Assist your new employee in obtaining health insurance
- Help them find housing, which they need to become registered
- Give them options for banking and phone plans (which they need registration for)
- Support them with family relocation
Giving support during the relocation process is paramount since the various dependencies are not always logical. By doing so, you allow your new international hire to settle into their job, thereby increasing their overall satisfaction – and their likelihood of staying put!
3. Don’t neglect the integration
Once your employee arrives and completes the first steps of settling in, you’ve won part of the battle! But there is still a way to go.
Employee retention means ensuring that the employee integrates well, inside and outside of the company. Depending on their cultural background, this can be quite a challenge for international employees and the company as well.
For a successful integration outside the company, think about the information the international employee needs for building up a new life, for example, hobbies, professional network, and cultural activities.
Provide support by:
- Giving your new employee relevant contacts in your network
- Implementing a buddy program within the company
- Giving access to information and resources
Takeaways
Employee relocation support is anything but easy, especially when you are working against oceans of bureaucracy and critical deadlines. But when done well, your international employee is not only grateful (hopefully!), but you’ve taken important steps to engage and retain them – and put your company miles ahead of the rest.
If you’re looking for more information on how to support employee mobility at your company, get in touch! We’d be happy to help.
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