As the world’s population is on pace to reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050, the number of employers that continue to recruit international talent continues to increase. The demand for talent in areas such as IT, research, engineering, and large scale animal/plant production specialists challenges employers’ ability to rely solely on domestic talent pipelines. The increased hiring of “expatriates” in developing countries in recent years is contributing to the demand for international talent as well. An expatriate (also known as an expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than his or her citizenship. Increased growth of large scale farming operations & modern food processing facilities in developing countries like Russia, China, and parts of Africa will continue to lead to lucrative opportunities for adventurous talent in North America. AgCareers.com is host to numerous opportunities like this.
Below are 5 tips to consider when recruiting internationally for talent:
1) Trial Run: It can be nearly impossible for a company to hire someone as an employee if they do not have an established legal business entity in that country. In such cases, a company might consider employing talent as consultants for 3-6 month periods.
2) Utilizing Cultural Interpreters: It’s very important for employers to understand the culture of the talent pool they are recruiting from. Such interpreters will help employers understand the cultural, economic, and political differences between the two cultures in order to create seamless communication between individuals from vastly different cultures.
3) Visa Selection: Worker classification can be a nightmare when it comes to hiring international talent. Immigration attorneys specialize in this field and can be very helpful in navigating through the maze of visa types. Most countries have very complex labor laws and it can be very time consuming for staff within companies to learn all the hoops involved. Do yourself a favor and identify a law firm or agency that specializes in this field. Melanie Polonofsky, who works in Human Resources at BASF, states that “employers need to understand the various visa’s issued by the US Government and the associated requirements and timelines tied to each visa type.”
4) Tax and Employment Regulations: When you’re conducting business overseas and hiring overseas workers, you need to be aware of the international tax complexities that come into play. Countries have different regulations about the benefits, vacation time, sick leave, and other employee accommodations necessary. Non-compete agreements may not be legal or you may find yourself dealing with unfamiliar union regulations, according to the Small Business Administration. You may even have restrictions on the amount of notice you must give before firing someone.
5) Employee Privacy: Other countries may have strict laws that govern what employee information you can share publicly (even apparently harmless records such as an employee directory could run the risk of violating privacy laws).To ensure you are complying with local labor and tax laws, consult in-country experts who are familiar with business and regulatory matters in the country you intend to base employees out of.
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