Typical goals of recruitment include attracting valuable candidates, filling positions, generating company growth and sourcing fresh ideas. Any recruitment professional or business owner will tell you those tasks aren’t always easy, especially if you’re limiting your options. So why not consider international candidates?
Sure, recruiting people from outside the UK has become more complicated since Brexit, and there are other barriers such as language, time difference and travel. International workers may also need extra help settling in, from help with the paperwork to sourcing serviced apartments in London to help them while they search for more permanent accommodation. But they offer a whole host of business benefits too.
Below, discover four of the key advantages of hiring internationally.
The talent pool is wider
Let’s start with the obvious one: looking globally widens your pool of potential recruits. You’ll have a far greater number of candidates to choose from than if you focused on recruitment in your local region, city or town.
This point is especially beneficial if you’re affected by high levels of competition or, worse still, a skills shortage. The UK is seriously lacking HGV drivers, nurses, programmers and many other professions, but you could find the skills your business needs abroad.
They introduce new ways of thinking
Another crucial perk to consider is the ability of international candidates to usher in new perspectives and ideas. While hiring like-minded people might help your team bond, hiring people from diverse backgrounds will allow your team to grow and thrive.
Again, this point rings especially true if you’re operating in a competitive market and need to stay one step ahead. But it’s also invaluable if you work with a diverse clientele who might relate to different cultures and perspectives.
You can open up networking opportunities
Extending job adverts to international candidates could also help your business venture into new markets. The right candidates will have a strong understanding of business trends and etiquette in their home countries, and this kind of information could prove invaluable when shaping your future plans.
Strong international recruits will often bring a wealth of local contacts with them too, and having this means of introduction could open up opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available. This could be the difference between your overseas expansion succeeding or failing.
You’ll bolster your reputation
Finally, companies who hire across borders and backgrounds are typically seen in a more positive public light than those who don’t. Showing that you’re willing to hire candidates from all backgrounds and treat them fairly will help you appeal to other potential employees who could help your business grow.
You could also generate more positive stories in the press too. Hiring internationally often goes hand in hand with healthy corporate culture and responsible social practices, so it’s a logical step if you’re pushing in this direction.
So, it’s clear that recruiting internationally as well as domestically is a progressive strategy that you should be considering. Could international candidates help take your business to the next level?
