How To Hire an International Employee—A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s Internet age, borders and distance are no longer an obstacle to recruitment. What was once a cumbersome process is now much more accessible. Today, employers can find and hire employees around the world even from the comfort of their living rooms. 

While many recruiters are complaining about the talent shortage, the fact of the matter is—the global workforce has been on the rise over the last 30 years, as Statista reports.

Source: Statista

Solving the talent shortage issue is no easy feat. Still, by broadening our horizons and opening our doors to foreign workers, we might be able to combat it sooner than later. Although it might seem intimidating at first, there are many tools today that can help you. Also, the benefits you get in return far outweigh the challenges surrounding it.

In this article, we’ll explain how to hire an international employee step-by-step. We’ll also list some benefits of doing so, and briefly touch on Workello, an ATS solution that can help you recruit top talent, regardless of the location.

1) Understand the Legal Requirements

The most arduous aspect of international recruitment is ensuring legal compliance. If you want to hire foreign workers, you need to plan months in advance. You’ll have to:

1. Research the local employment laws and the laws of the country you plan on targeting, such as tax implications, payroll, and employee rights
2. Obtain all the necessary documents
3. Provide training for your HR team if they don’t have experience in international recruitment
4. Make all the necessary adjustments within the company

The first step is to determine whether you want to relocate employees to your country or hire them online. 

In the former case, you’ll likely need to obtain work visas for employees, as well as organize transportation and accommodation. If you’re registered in the U.S., you’ll also have to acquire a certificate from the Department of Labor.

In the latter case, your can:

1. Open a branch in the target country
2. Hire workers through a business partner
3. Request services from a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) 

PEOs can handle the administration for you and give you peace of mind, which is why they’re becoming increasingly popular.

Source: Valuates Reports

To ensure a smooth transition for both the worker and the rest of the team, consider the following challenges:

• Time difference
• Cultural difference
• Language barrier
• Team compatibility

How To Hire Mexican Workers

Due to its proximity and a skilled workforce of over 50 million people, Mexico is a popular destination for employers in the U.S. Mexicans make up about 24% of all U.S. immigrants, more than any other nation.

Your options and the hiring process are more or less the same as with any other country. Still, there are some specifics you should be aware of if you plan on hiring in Mexico. 

For one, the country doesn’t allow for at-will employment, so contracts are mandatory. Also, if you plan on registering your business in Mexico, keep in mind that locals have to make up at least 90% of your workforce. 

2) Advertise the Vacancy

Unless you plan on hiring a recruitment agency, the logical next step is to look for suitable employees. To reach as many jobseekers as possible, post to one or more digital job boards. 

There are many options to consider, including:

• Country-specific or international job boards
• Generalist or niche job boards
• Paid-only or free job boards

Do some research to discover the best job boards for your hiring needs, budget, and industry. The image below shows job and employment websites with the most traffic worldwide, according to Similarweb (March 2023).

Source: Similarweb (March 2023)

Most boards host both free and paid job ads. Depending on your timeline and budget, you might want to consider boosting the ad to increase its reach. For instance, sponsored ads on Indeed, on average, deliver 30% more applicants than non-sponsored ads. Some boards also allow for automatic cross-posting with partner websites.

Many job sites have resume databases you can use to actively search for candidates. You can also source passive candidates from social media channels like LinkedIn and Facebook.

In need of effective descriptions for your job listings? Check out Workello’s library of carefully composed templates, which you can customize to align with your requirements and values.

3) Evaluate the Candidates

As a result of your job advertising efforts, you’ll likely receive numerous applications. To figure out which candidates are fitting for the role, you should evaluate them. The resume alone is typically not enough to predict future job success. It’s best to include a few more selection methods, such as:

• Background checks—Verify the information provided by the candidates to filter out the untruthful ones
• Reference checks—Get in touch with the candidates’ previous employers to get first-hand information about their performance
• Assessments—Test the candidates’ knowledge, skills, or personality traits to get a sense of how they’ll perform on the job
• Video interviews—Talk with the candidates in real time to get a glimpse of their interpersonal skills and their ability to speak the language

Workello’s expert-crafted pre-hire assessments can help you easily identify the top 1% of your candidates with only a few clicks. They’re created by experts in their respective fields and based on years of experience working with candidates. There’s also a possibility of creating custom assessments in case you’re hiring for a specific role.

Hiring Foreign Workers for Higher-Skilled Occupations

When hiring for roles that entail a high skill level, you might want to pay extra attention to assessments. They’re typically the most accurate predictors of job success. 

Source: Criteria

Here’s an overview of different types of pre-employment assessments to help you choose:

In the case of international hiring, the most important tests include language proficiency, cognitive aptitude, and cultural fit tests. 

Be careful when administering assessments to candidates from different cultures. They might be created by and for a particular group of people, so the score might not be an equally representative measurement for everyone. That is especially true if the candidate isn’t fluent in the language of the assessment. Make sure to offer support to each applicant and take negative results with a grain of salt.

4) Make an Offer

Once you’ve identified the best candidate for the job, it’s time to make them an offer of employment. Be transparent about the terms and conditions of the job, including the salary, benefits, and workload. Doing otherwise only causes confusion and misunderstandings. 

If they’re not fluent in the language, it also might be a good idea to involve a translator to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

When it comes to international recruitment, it’s important that you and your team are objective in your selection and decision-making. Take the necessary precautions to ensure diversity and inclusion and prevent bias and discrimination.

Onboarding International Employees

Due to potential cultural and language differences, you should devote special attention to onboarding international employees. Here are some steps you can take to make their transition as smooth as possible:

Top 5 Benefits of Hiring an International Employee

Here are some reasons businesses should consider going international:

1. International employees can bring in new perspectives and ideas, which could lead to more creative problem-solving
2. They can also help you build a more diversity-friendly workplace culture by sharing first-hand experiences 
3. Employees that come from different time zones and speak different languages can help you provide more extensive customer support
4. They can also help you expand your business into new markets that you’re unfamiliar with
5. When you’re hiring internationally, the talent pool is much wider, so you can source the most qualified candidates with no location constraints

Conclusion

All in all, hiring an international employee comes with many advantages. By following our guide to hiring foreign workers in just 4 steps, you can successfully navigate the process of finding and hiring the right candidate for your needs. 

Remember to carefully research the legal requirements and cultural differences, as they’re crucial for a smooth and legal transition. Still, with the right preparation and approach, you can expand your talent pool and bring valuable new perspectives to your team.

Also, by leveraging the power of technology, you can automate certain aspects of the process and make your job much easier. 

Workello is an ATS that can streamline your recruitment and hiring workflow, regardless of the target location. With pre-employment assessments, ready-made job descriptions, and automatic responses, you can handle high volumes of international candidates with minimal effort. Thanks to the simplicity of the process and an applicant portal with live updates, Workello can ensure an enjoyable experience for each candidate.

Sign up for Workello’s free trial and discover all the ways it can aid in your international recruitment journey.