Tips For Recruiting Employees Overseas Or In A Remote Location

Finding ideal employees is challenging enough on a local level. However, the process gets even more complicated when trying to staff an overseas location.

As with any type of hiring, choosing the right candidates is essential when your business is expanding into new regions. After all, the employees working at the company in that area are responsible for creating the right impression on local businesses, customers, and clients.

Try using the following ten tips to make finding and hiring the right staff for your business’s new location easier.

Seek Input

Get input from other people that you know in the area. Even if you haven’t yet set up your business in a new region, you most likely already have a lot of contacts in the area. Whether you work with local suppliers or have connections with local distributors or vendors, you can tap into their knowledge by getting their input when searching for job candidates.

Use Industry Contacts

Use social media to find local resources for hiring offshore workers. Social media can be a great way to connect with industry-related contacts in the area. They may be able to point you in the direction of candidates who are a good fit for your company. Focusing on sites like LinkedIn is a good approach since these sites tend to have the broadest assortment of business-related accounts and candidates, especially in the security sector.

Use Social Media Groups

Search through some available groups on Linkedin, Facebook, or other social networks. Consider joining if you find any groups specifically related to your industry or the region where you plan to set up shop. Other members may be able to connect you with candidates who are perfect for your company.

Use Remote Workers

Remote workers can be a viable option for your business. Just make sure to vet the job candidates carefully. Only hire candidates who are capable of staying on track without the need for continual supervision. Check with their past employers or other reliable references to ensure they are up to the task. If in doubt but you want the worker’s expertise, use technology to monitor their work activity and results.

Use Technology

There are a ton of free or low-cost resources available that you can use to make your search for the right candidate easier. For instance, you can interview candidates through Skype or other similar services instead of traveling to another location to conduct interviews. This is an extremely cost-effective way to deal with the initial round of interviews.

Business Compliance

When setting up your business in a different country, you need to be sure that you are familiar with the laws and tax codes of the area.

Additionally, you must familiarize yourself with local customs relating to employment. For instance, identify how your responsibilities differ if you hire full-time and temporary employees.

Ask For Referrals

The people who work for your company most likely have a lot of contacts in your industry. They may even have contacts where you are setting up shop. Talk to your current employees to see if they can point you in the direction of anyone who may be a good fit for your business.

Identify and research your competition. It is important to familiarize yourself with any competitors that may be located in the area where your company is opening up shop. Try to get in touch with employees who worked with these companies in the past so that you can learn more about their operations. Using social media is a good way to track down past employees so that you can reach out to them for advice on hiring.

Communicate With Expatriates

Expatriates can be a good source of information on the local area. Talk to anyone who may have previously worked in the country that you are focused on. They can often give you valuable insight into the local business environment. They may even be able to provide detailed information on potential job candidates. Don’t be afraid to use social media or other online tools to find people you can talk to so that you can gain insight into the local culture.

Summing Up

Hiring employees in a remote location can be challenging. However, it is one of the most important parts of setting up your business in a new location.

Use technology to assist you as well as your network of industry contacts.  For job applicant interviews, use Skype, Zoom or MS Teams.

For the final hiring decision, you should try to do it in person or get someone from your business or a trusted advisor to meet the candidate face-to-face. The candidate knows you’re serious about them joining your business and can also ask you questions they may not be comfortable asking on video conferencing tools