When it comes to startups or expansions, one of the most common challenges is related with hiring international employees. It’s very difficult to hire and manage quality employees overseas, so companies need all the help they can get.
In this article, you’re going to learn everything you need to know about how you can carry out the recruitment and onboarding processes for your staff abroad, so you can meet your production expectations and your business can continue growing without any trouble. Let’s observe:
- The best tips for businesses for hiring international employees
- Consider payroll and benefits compliance
- Language and cultural training
- Processing of work permits and visas
- Understand probation and termination policy
- Compliance with statutory entitlement
- Determine the treatment of the employment relationship
- How can Connect Resources help you with international hiring?
1. The best tips for businesses for hiring international employees
As an employer, you must know the benefits of hiring international employees and if you’re planning an expansion or you’re a startup, you’re considering doing the recruitment process in the UAE.
However, it might not be as easy as you think because it’s very different from the typical hiring, and there are many factors you have to take into consideration before recruiting your staff overseas.
Another common challenge that comes with international hiring is related with high-volume recruiting, and this is most typically faced by companies that are expanding overseas, so it’s best to have help with both matters.
Learn more about high-volume recruiting and how you can face it.
1.1 When do you need to hire international employees?
There are many times in a company’s development process where it needs hiring employees in foreign countries. It usually happens when the company needs to expand itself to a whole new market and it needs to have staff in that place so they can take care of everything.
Additionally, there are many startups that need to hire overseas workers because they want to test a new market and hiring people in that place is the best way of measuring results.
1.2 What are the categories for international employees?
When it comes to hiring international employees, first you have to know which type of employee you need because this will help you develop a strategy to know how to find the perfect workers for your business.
For this reason, there are three categories in which international employees fall into, and it’s great to know each one of them. Let’s observe:
- Expat workers: sent from the home country to fulfill an assignment or task
- Foreign workers: those live in the country or place where the business wants to try the new market, and are hired to provide support in the local operations
- Remote workers: these are assigned to work independently but that stand out for their skills and abilities.
It doesn’t matter which type of international worker you need for your business, because you have to know some tips that will allow you to carry out the hiring smoothly. It’s best to count with professionals like Connect Resources that can provide a comprehensive service and ensure your business stays in compliance.
2. Consider payroll and benefits compliance
One of the main aspects you have to take into consideration when hiring international employees is that money and compensations are a big deal for workers, so you better stay in compliance with what they expect.
Every country has its own regulations and rules in relation with payroll and benefits, but you have to know the host country rules since they take precedence. Your employees should receive all the local benefits and protections.
Depending on the type of international employee, you may want to consider the following:
- Expat workers: you may want to discuss the compensations agreements in the home country and ensure they fulfill their expectations.
- Foreign workers: with foreign workers you have to make sure that the benefits and payroll are in compliance with the laws of the host country.
2.1 Can you run a remote payroll for your international employees?
You may consider running a remote payroll since the international employees are going to work for you, but this is actually a bad idea. Although it might seem easier to make the payments by your home payroll, it’s one of the common mistakes that could ruin your efforts.
Handling the payments remotely isn’t recommended because the overseas employees won’t have access to your home country’s benefits and entitlements.
When you decide to carry out international hiring, one of the best solutions is an employer of record because it can help you meet all of your demands with staffing and also it can help you have a better management of your workers.
Learn more about what you should and shouldn’t do when you have to choose an EOR platform.
3. Language and cultural training
One of the benefits of hiring international employees is that you can have a wide range of experience and backgrounds that are going to enrich your business. However, it’s also tough to deal with the different cultural and language barriers that may be obvious.
How can you overcome this challenge? Let’s observe:
- Encourage your workers to improve their language abilities to have a smooth transition
- Provide training regarding business practices and social customs
- Explain all the details regarding the contracts and responsibilities and be sure that all of them understand it clearly.
- If possible, when it comes to foreign workers explain everything in the local language
3.1 Why is culture and language important?
Dealing with international workers could be challenging so you need to prepare your business for handling the issues with wisdom so your business can continue on its road to success. Let’s observe why you should consider culture and language of the host country:
- You have to provide a great workplace environment and to achieve it you have to replicate the conditions of the host country, this is particularly true with local workers
- When it comes to expats sent to the host country, they have to respect the rules and manners so they can be received with open arms
If you’re planning on expanding your business in the United Arab Emirates, it’s important to know about the culture but also you have to know about the employment issues you may face in this country.
4. Processing of work permits and visas
When there’s the need for hiring international employees, there’s one aspect that could be a big headache for companies, which is processing the necessary working visas and permits. Since each country has its own set of laws to allow foreign workers and expats to enter, you need to be very careful about this.
What do you have to know about the paperwork for international employees? Let’s observe:
- Learn about the types of visas required for your employees to enter the country
- Do some research about all the steps you have to carry out before sending workers to the desired country
- Learn about if the local workers you’re going to hire need some type of permission to work with you
- Find out if you need to have a legal branch or entity to hire local workers
Keep in mind that processing the working visa for your employees is a long and tedious process, and you need to be aware of all the steps you have to take so you can understand everything before starting. Contacting an outsourcing agency could be the best solution for your business in this matter.
Learn more about the Visa Outsourcing Service offered by Connect Resources.
5. Understand probation and termination policy
Expanding your business and hiring employees in foreign countries is a major challenge for many companies, and if you’d like to be successful you have to take into consideration every detail so you can carry out the process without any issues.
Regarding probation and termination policies you have to stay in compliance with the local laws since you don’t want to have any troubles with the authorities or incur in any liability.
5.1 Probation policy compliance
Probationary or trial work periods are controversial because in some countries these might not exist, while in others it could be mandatory. You have to take into consideration the laws that govern these periods and these are established by the host country to protect the employer.
5.2 Termination policy compliance
Regarding termination policies in the UAE, these are highly important because they may have legal implications. Keep in mind that in the United Arab Emirates, these rules are established and you have to follow them.
If you’re planning on choosing an outsourcing partner, you need to know that it’s important to take the best decision and choose the right one so you can receive all the benefits available.
Learn more about the advantages for your business when choosing the best outsourcing agency.
6. Compliance with statutory entitlement
When dealing with hiring international employees, you have to take into account statutory entitlement compliance, because it’s a major deal when it comes to overseas employees. Some of the most common entitlements are annual leave, health insurance, sick leave, and more.
Why is it important to know about entitlements when hiring international employees? Let’s observe:
- There are many contrasts between the home country and host country so you need to follow the local rules
- To better determine how to balance compensation between countries
- To maintain a comparable work load for your employees
- To ensure you stay in compliance with the laws
- To avoid any conflict or issues that may arise with your international workforce
6.1 Can you use your home country policies with international workers?
One of the main doubts that employers have is that they don’t know if the can use their home country policies in relation with statutory entitlements. But, you can’t use them if they’re in conflict with the local rules. Let’s observe why:
- Your company’s policies should meet the home country rules
- You have to offer policies that comply with statutory coverage, it doesn’t matter if you don’t offer them at home
Perhaps you’re planning on hiring passive candidates also, so you need to know how to attract them, but keep in mind that keeping compliance with statutory entitlement it’s essential for offering the best proposal for your candidates.
Learn more about the best tips for attracting passive candidates for your business.
7. Determine the treatment of the employment relationship
When hiring international employees, you have to write employment contracts, but perhaps you also need to write some other important documents so you can define the employment relationship and everything is clear.
What do you need to define regarding the employment relationship? Let’s observe:
- The employment contract should be drafted with the local rules in mind to completely meet them
- The protection or remedies if the employee leaves the company
Working hours are also a fundamental part of your employment relationship; for this reason, you need to be aware about everything related with this matter. You have to stay in compliance with the Labor Law but before you have to inform yourself.
8. How can Connect Resources help you with international hiring?
When you have to consider hiring international employees you may think it’s a daunting process because you may not be prepared for handling it. In this time, you may want to contact an outsourcing agency that can help you with this matter.
Connect Resources offers an outstanding Recruitment in Dubai Service so you can hire all the people you need for your business in the UAE, and you can meet your business’ expectations. We have a team of specialists readily available to solve all of your inquiries and we will make sure you understand our entire process.
Would you like to contact Connect Resources to help you with international hiring? You can call at +971 433 166 88 or send an email to contact@connectresources.ae, and you’ll talk to one of their representatives that will gladly answer all of your questions.