For the longest time, workers all over the world would look for opportunities closer to their homes to lessen commute expenses and save precious time.
Slowly and steadily, it was the job opportunities that ultimately shifted from big, expensive cities to lower-cost locations to make life easier for workers.
These circumstances continued for some time until the 2019 pandemic hit the world and forced everyone into their homes, immediately giving way to a new and innovative trend that still grows to this day - global recruiting.
One of the main benefits of global recruiting is to create a more equal world by capitalizing on the opportunity to hire people worldwide, so workers won’t be excluded based on where they live.
Similarly, by eliminating geographical limitations and using cutting-edge virtual recruiting solutions, companies can explore large, untapped talent pools and diverse skill sets across the globe.
A global talent pool, however, is just one of the benefits of remote work; your company can save costs, lessen environmental impact, improve employee retention, and boost scalability.
“Distributed work is better for business, better for people, and better for the planet,” said Oyster co-founder and CEO, Tony Jamous.
In other words, everyone wins.
But while global recruiting opens up endless possibilities, it also means navigating the legalities of hiring outside your home country, strengthening communication technology, and incorporating unique cultures into your unified company culture.
This can be a challenging task to get right. However, with the right recruiting solutions and processes, you can successfully expand your hiring internationally.
Distributed work is better for business, better for people, and better for the planet
Global Recruiting - Tips and Tricks
Before you hop on the global recruiting trend, there are three things your company must perfect to ensure seamless and effective global hiring.
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For one, you must have the right recruiting solutions and processes that can operate in each country.
Just because a solution works well in the United States does not necessarily mean it will work well in the other countries you wish to operate in, and using a mishmash of tools across different countries can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and inefficiency.
Instead, you should pick recruiting solutions that work best across the applicable countries.
For instance, choosing a video conferencing system that works well across multiple countries ensures robust and streamlined communication and collaboration.
Similarly, the right tools must be accompanied by the right processes. Company leaders should ensure that recruiters have clearly defined processes to follow. This way, everyone is on the same page and you can avoid hindrances in recruiting.
For instance, one company-wide process can be that recruiters should touch base with all regional and global hiring managers once a week over video calls.
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This brings us to the second point: create standard operating procedures (SOPs).
By implementing standard operating procedures and regularly evaluating them to identify areas for improvement, businesses ensure candidates will have consistent experiences (irrespective of their location) and gain a good impression of the company.
A 2023 survey by CareerPlug revealed just how crucial good impressions are in the hiring stage - “49% of job seekers said they’ve rejected a job offer because of a poor experience with a potential employer during the hiring process” and 8% said no because the “interview process was slow” and “disorganized.”
Enforcing recruiters to stick to the SOPs can go a long way for your business. An example of an HR standard operating procedure can be that all candidate interviews must be over a video call. Another example is setting a specific timeframe for recruiters to follow up with candidates.
Besides this, strategically devised standard operating procedures are also necessary in an international context given the different laws, policies, and regulations of different countries.
By following SOPs, recruiters ensure they do not violate any HR policies in the designated countries.
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Lastly, you must prioritize regular training, team bonding, and meetings.
To ensure that recruiters are well-versed in standard operating procedures, company leaders should regularly train recruiters to refresh their memories and help them stay updated on any changes.
These training sessions are also a good opportunity for recruiters to bond with one another and learn from each other.
And, while coordination over time zones can be tricky, regular staff meetings are essential in helping recruiters stay in the loop, trade best practices and tips with each other, and nurture a culture of innovation and growth that will inevitably draw in more qualified candidates worldwide.
With the right HR recruiting tools and processes, robust standard operating procedures, and an expertly formulated communication and training strategy, you lay the foundation for successful global recruiting.
Global Recruiting Strategies
Here are some common global recruiting strategies and trends practiced by esteemed multinational companies.
- Manage benefits, payroll, and compliance by partnering with an International Employer of Record (EOR).
One of the main challenges of global recruiting is the mountain of paperwork, local laws, regulations, payroll, compliance, currency exchanges, taxes, benefits, and other concerns.
To simplify this process, reduce risks, and save time, partner with an international EOR that will handle compliance, payroll, and benefits. This will allow you to focus solely on sourcing top talent globally and creating a diverse, innovative workforce.
- Keep remote workers close through strong communication technology and company practices.
What does it mean to keep your remote workers close even if they are far?
Video interviews and a thorough, detailed onboarding and orientation program are a must to get remote workers comfortable. You don't want your remote workers to get online for their first day of work without a clue on how to fit in or integrate with the rest of the departments.
Shortly after onboarding, make sure there’s a strong line of communication with all your remote workers daily where you share company accomplishments, include them in team-building activities, and make them feel they are every bit part of the company as location-based workers.
- Look for good cultural fit and adaptability skills in remote candidates before hiring them.
To ensure effective global recruiting, you must prioritize cultural fit and adaptability.
When recruiters evaluate candidates, their ability to adapt to your company culture, understand company goals, and thrive in a remote setting should be non-negotiables.
This is in contrast to traditional, location-based recruiting where people often have similar backgrounds and the ease of communicating physically.
- Narrow your focus to specific regions.
There are often major differences in the job market and cultural work practices of different countries and regions.
So, instead of targeting the whole world, it’s more productive to focus on particular regions at a time, especially those regions you’re familiar with to some extent.
You should learn about the culture, connect with recruiters in that region, and identify the best platforms to reach candidates, such as job boards and universities.
You can also explore digital recruiting platforms like Workfully which make global recruiting easier for you.
On one hand, we have competent and verified recruiters who use our platform worldwide to showcase their talent pools. And on the other hand, we have companies who sign up to transparently access data, insights, recruiter activity, real talent pools, reputation, previous work, and candidate feedback.
- Onboard candidates who are solution-oriented and can work independently.
While this is good to have for location-based recruiting, it is necessary to find candidates who are solution-oriented when hiring remotely.
This helps you create a team of high achievers who take responsibility for their deliverables, solve problems, streamline processes, and pitch their 2 cents on how to grow from here.
Finding such professionals can be challenging when you’re restricted to a specific location. However, it becomes easier when you’re seeking talent worldwide.
- Advocate diversity and inclusiveness.
When you're recruiting top talent on a global level, make sure to promote diversity and inclusiveness in your recruiting strategy.
Cultural differences can be more pronounced when you’re recruiting across different countries, which is why it’s important to navigate when working with remote teams.
One tip for successful global recruiting is to prioritize cultural competence and sensitivity. This means understanding and respecting cultural differences in communication, work styles, and expectations.
Conclusion
Steve Jobs explained that one of the reasons Apple products are manufactured in China was because he couldn't find enough engineers in America to support manufacturing on the scale he needed.
This in no way means you need to wait till your business is that big.
With the advances in communication technology and global recruitment platforms, such as Workfully, even small businesses can have a global component to what they do.
Global recruiting helps you meet your role requirements, however niche or skilled they may be.
It enhances the diversity in your organization, which builds your employer brand.
Your company saves monumentally on costs with remote hiring as you leverage it to your advantage with strong recruitment, onboarding, and training processes.
With global recruiting, you gain insight into new markets around the world and you develop your company as a global brand with a global outlook.