How can I attract international candidates?

Virtual recruitment means you now have access to a much wider reach than just the candidates who read your local paper. That, gives you access to an unprecedented number of quality candidates who could help your business grow.

But to run a successful campaign to attract talent from across the globe, you need to know how to market your vacancies to an overseas audience and the technicalities of evaluating and accepting candidates. “The Five C’s” are a good starting point.

The 5 Cs of International Hiring

• Country – Know why your country is an attractive proposition to international candidates. Does it offer a good standard of living? Are the interest and currency exchange rates favourable? Are there good transport links?

• Culture – Understand how your workplace and country culture can welcome of your target group. Will it be an easy transition for them or can you offer more support? Is there already a community of people from their country? Are there facilities and flexibility in the work calendar to allow them to practice religious beliefs?

• Company – As people from overseas are often less likely to have heard of your company, you will need to provide more information about the history of the business and the products and services you offer – as well as your employer brand values.

• Careers – Sell the benefits of the career path they will be taking. Is it a quick rise to the top? Are there a lot of training and development opportunities?

• Colleagues – Let people know what kind of working environment they will be coming to, and show examples of others who may have done the same. Portray your business as one that embraces newcomers.

Many international recruitment campaigns have been ruined by advertising a gross salary instead of the net salary. It’s important to be clear in what you’re offering and to understand cultural details, differences and preferences.

Getting on the radar

Once you’ve identified your key targets, you’ll need to find ways to get your vacancies in front of them. Decide whether you want to go for a ‘catch all’ approach and advertise across 20 different countries on the most popular job boards, or alternatively opt for a couple of countries where you could attract top talent by advertising in specialist media. Modern online advertising solutions can help you target by sector, geography and online profile. This all depends on your specific timelines, requirements and budgets.

Evaluating candidates

If you’re expecting a high number of responses, it may be worth working with a consultancy service to pick out the most suitable candidates. This will give you valuable local knowledge when evaluating qualifications which can differ greatly from country to country.

You may also want to consider how you conduct job interviews. Rather than asking candidates to fly in to see you, you should look to conduct at least the first round of interviews via video conference. It’s more common now to interview, select, onboard and then work remotely.

Many businesses offer to pay candidates’ expenses when asking them to travel long distances for an interview, so the more you can do virtually to cut this expense will give you a better cost per hire when the figures are added up.

Getting them on board

Once your successful candidate has been selected, it’s important to ensure their transition is smooth.

If they are relocating, do what you can to help with visas and work permits. You should also support them in finding accommodation, bank accounts and arrangements for their family. The focus is attention to detail and coverage of all eventualities. It’s always worth considering the help of experts in relocation as well as giving the candidate a ‘buddy’ to help them become part of the organisation.

If you are hiring in a market where you don’t have a physical presence, then working with a partner such as Workmotion will ensure you are onboarding talent abroad in a compliant way, from contracts to HR and payroll.

Once hired, you should use strong international candidates to attract others. Make their success a testimonial for the attraction process for the next group. International recruitment has never been more accessible, and with current skills shortages it may never have been so necessary.