International recruitment is a growing trend for a reason. Every year, employers around the world realize the enormous potential that foreign talent can bring to their businesses. And increasingly more companies recognize that the local candidate pool simply isn’t big enough. Especially when your company is growing.
But before you employ foreign talent, you have to consider some practical and logistic aspects, like their physical move from their home country to the new place where they will live and work.
Moving to another country is a big deal in any person’s life; that’s why relocation packages are such an important part of the job offer. Not only is it tiresome and often emotionally difficult to move away from one’s home country - it’s expensive, too. Therefore - even if you’re not legally bound to provide relocation packages, doing that will help you create more appealing job opportunities for foreign talent.
Mate HR is experienced in helping IT companies find qualified staff across more than 20 countries. We’ve witnessed hundreds of professionals relocating, and we’ve come to know what they expect from their new employer.
To help you meet the expectations of your internationally recruited staff and hire more foreign workers successfully, we’ve listed five types of support you should try to include in your relocation package.
Legal support
Legal assistance is the primary type of support you should provide to your internationally recruited staff. In fact, we suggest seeing this type of support more as the rule instead of an extra.
Think about it - someone has decided to leave their life in the home country because they genuinely believe in the job opportunity you’ve given them. Make sure you justify that trust and make the transition as smooth as possible.
We suggest that you touch the legal issues already in the final interview phase. Assure your candidates that they will receive assistance if they are about to make this big step in their life. Mention the documents they will need to provide, as well as the relevant employment policies and regulations they should be familiar with.
What legal support can the candidates expect from their new employer:
Getting an account in the local bank
Registering a local address
Applying for a visa
Registering a work permit
That said, legal requirements can differ significantly from country to country. For example, if a person moves from one EU country to another, no visa or work permit will be necessary. Meanwhile, some countries may require additional formalities, such as proof of residence or the national insurance number.
If you have a question about legal formalities in a particular country, get in touch with us at info@mate-hr.com, and we’ll do our best to help.
2. Moving expenses & accommodation
The second most popular form of relocation assistance is covering moving costs. There is a wide range of move-related services you can choose to cover.
As a minimum, the new employee should receive a one-time bonus to pay for moving costs. In this scenario, they would have to cover the transport expenses and find a new place by themselves, but they would have some money to help them. Alternatively, you can reimburse the price of the plane ticket (or fuel expenses if they travel by car).
On the highest end of the spectrum, senior roles can expect the new employer to:
Pay their accommodation for the first 2-12 weeks (until they find a permanent place)
Provide advice and consulting about finding permanent accommodation
Cover real estate agent and accountant fees (if such services are necessary)
Reimburse move-related property transactions
In some cases - cover long-term rent and utilities
Reimburse moving expenses not only for the new employee but also for their family
3. Support to the family
Relocation affects not only the employee - the offer to transfer abroad turns the whole family’s world upside down. If their spouse isn’t able to find a suitable job or if their children are unhappy at school or kindergarten, your employee is also likely to feel disappointed. Therefore you cannot underestimate the importance of family support if you want to reach a positive relocation outcome.
Support to the family includes providing information about the nearest international schools or kindergartens. Also, if the employee’s spouse is allowed to work in the new country, you can help them find suitable career opportunities.
Newly hired professionals frequently ask these questions:
Is my spouse allowed to work in the host country? Does he/she need a permit or other documents to be able to work?
Can you help my partner get a visa (even if we are not married)?
Are there schools and kindergartens available in English (or another language of interest)?
Are schools and kindergartens free or paid?
Do we have to register in a school or kindergarten in advance, and do we have to wait in line to get in?
Are you able to help my spouse find a job or my kids find a suitable school/kindergarten?
4. Language courses
Speaking the local language is a huge factor that helps the new employee settle in and often also perform better professionally. Even if your company is international and English is the working language, it’s in your best interest to offer your foreign workers the opportunity to learn the local tongue.
Why?
In short - if you want to keep your international talent, you should consider going the extra mile to help them feel at home in the new country. Paying a good salary is important, but promoting intrinsic motivation is no less crucial for a successful relocation outcome.
You can either pay the local language courses to the employee or hire a private tutor for them and their family if they are also willing to learn.
Tip: It’s ideal if the language courses include some intercultural training to help expats learn the customs and specifics of their new country.
5. Help create a community
Even if you’ve done your best to help your new employee fit in at work, you can do more and help them form their social network outside the work setting. If the employee has moved with their family, think about activities that include them as well.
Consider this:
Studies show that family members being unable to settle in their new host country is one of the major causes of international recruitment failure. Spouses, partners, and children who are unable to build their own social and friendship ties may become isolated and unhappy.
To avoid this situation, consider these tips:
Organize office parties or corporate get-togethers regularly. Don’t forget to translate descriptions of such events, if necessary.
Start an initiative of visiting cultural or sports events together with the colleagues. Invite everyone to bring their family along.
Consider assigning a mentor to each foreigner - someone who can help with work-related questions, practical issues, and the ins and outs of the country or city.
If you have many international employees, it’s essential to help them fit in and find friends by organizing different events within and outside work. If, on the other hand, you employ few foreigners, it’s even more important to help them fit into the community of locals.
Show that you value your new employee
When someone decides to move to another country for a job, they uproot their whole daily life and take a leap of faith. They are doing this because they like the job opportunity you’ve given them - and because they believe they will be happy and successful in their new host country. How you support them during this transition shows them what type of employer you will be and what is your company culture.
This is the perfect time to demonstrate to your newly recruited talent how much you value them. And start building a successful long-term professional relationship.
We hope that this article will help you decide which types of support you are ready to offer and to what extent. When you’ve decided, we suggest you create a file or a presentation including all types of support you offer to your newly hired international specialists. That way you’ll clearly state the company’s policy and avoid any misunderstandings with present or future candidates.
If you are looking for more detailed advice, like specific documents for different countries, tax reliefs, etc., don’t hesitate to contact us directly at info@mate-hr.com. We’ll be glad to share our knowledge and experience with you.