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How Hiring International Workers Can Grow Your Company

Hiring is no longer about searching for local or national talent. It may seem intimidating to expand your employee search globally, but it doesn’t have to be.


In news report after news report, the story is the same. It has become increasingly difficult for many companies to find workers to fill vacant positions. Yet there is an attractive solution for companies willing to seize it.

Photo: Austin Andrukaitis, CEO of ChamberofCommerce.com | Source: Courtesy Photo
Photo: Austin Andrukaitis, CEO of ChamberofCommerce.com | Source: Courtesy Photo

Hiring is no longer about searching for talent locally, or even nationally. The talent pool has turned global. Companies open to taking the plunge can access a larger, more diverse, better trained slate of eligible candidates from all over the world.

This does not require companies to have overseas offices to accommodate their international hires. Instead, there are ways to hire those workers from other countries to work remotely for your U.S. business.

Before you decide there is too much risk or too much hassle associated with hiring international workers, consider the advantages. It is completely legal, can save you money, improve your employee prospects, and make recruiting easier for your company.

 

Expand Your Talent Pool

Finding enough suitable candidates to fill important positions at a company has often been a challenge. The global pandemic has made matters even worse for many companies, which are struggling to fill jobs. But with the right information from international hiring guides, the pool of qualified talent can be expanded considerably.

Even before COVID-19 made hiring experienced workers difficult, many U.S. companies struggled to find highly skilled workers for key roles. The U.S. has long trailed many other countries in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. That can make finding the right employee with the right skills challenging.

When applicants from across the globe are competing for your vacancies, you increase the number of qualified applicants to consider. These international candidates can work in their home country on the tasks that are important to your company.

 

Comply With U.S. Tax and Labor Laws

It is completely legal to hire international workers to perform duties for your company outside of the U.S. A number of U.S. federal agencies have come to that conclusion, including the Labor Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS notes that U.S. employers can actually save time and money by hiring international workers. Companies do not have to pay the government 7.65% in Social Security and Medicare taxes for international hires.

U.S. companies also do not have to withhold taxes and other payments for international workers, thereby saving these businesses further time and effort. These withholding items include estimated income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes.

There are additional time savings to consider as well. Companies do not have to complete certain reports for the IRS or Labor Department when hiring international workers. To discuss the benefits of hiring international employees, consult your company’s financial and tax advisors.

 

Expand Your Company’s Diversity

Diversity is an important goal that every company strives to achieve. Expanding your talent pool to workers all over the world makes it easier to reach that goal. A global talent search that actively seeks candidates from different ethnic, cultural, and racial groups virtually ensures greater diversity.

Hiring workers from other parts of the world can also help your business grow. International workers can help your company adapt to the cultural and economic intricacies that are unique to each country. You don’t have to have a global client base to consider hiring international workers. However, it can be particularly important for companies looking to export products or services to other countries.

You will want to make sure that you have employees on board who actually speak the language of that country. That’s another great result for companies looking to expand their customer base globally. While working for your company in their country, an international employee can keep up with that country’s trends and issues on your behalf. Don’t be shy about soliciting their input on important national issues that could affect your company.

 

Unleash Creativity With a Diverse Workforce

It’s not uncommon for creativity to wane or even become stifled when a company has a homogenous workforce. When you target international candidates for positions, you can help unleash creativity at your company.

International workers bring different perspectives, which can enable them to tackle problems in novel ways. Your company can become a melting pot of various ideas, cultures, experiences, and viewpoints, inspiring innovation.

This expansion of creativity can also attract new clients who appreciate the fresh insights that diversity can deliver. This practice has been successful in industries ranging from tech to education and health care. Other industries can similarly benefit from bringing international perspectives into their corporate culture.

 

Improve the Culture for All Employees

As your company expands its outreach to workers in other countries, your U.S. employees will also benefit. A workforce that includes employees from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds helps create a more interesting workplace. Employees can learn different perspectives and discover new cultures. Your company can celebrate important cultural holidays and events in other countries represented by your international employees.

These new cultural opportunities will show your U.S. employees your company’s respect for diversity. Each employee wants to feel valued. As they see that workers from all parts of the globe are valued and respected, it creates a more positive workplace experience for all.

It may seem intimidating to expand your employee search globally, but it doesn’t have to be. Even without establishing an overseas location, your company can improve recruiting and meet other goals through international hiring.

 

Austin Andrukaitis is the CEO of ChamberofCommerce.com. He’s an experienced digital marketing strategist with many years of experience in creating successful online campaigns. Austin’s approach to developing, optimizing, and delivering web-based technologies has helped businesses achieve higher profit, enhance productivity, and position organizations for accelerated sustained growth.

 

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