By now, most companies understand the benefits of hiring employees outside their own region.
When you go beyond your city, state, or even internationally, you suddenly have access to a much larger pool of talent, which increases the possibility of finding a perfect fit in skills, culture, and price.
Of course, if you search internationally and reach out to what we call “offshore countries,” you also gain access to people working in countries where the cost of living is much lower, which reflects on your costs.
There are also lesser-known benefits; for example, when it comes to developers, HackerRank continuously ranks Eastern countries among the top places for coders.
Yet, despite all these advantages, it often seems that the results we get from hiring international or offshore talent are disappointing. There’s a reason for that.
I would like to share with you the six reasons why most people fail when they try to recruit internationally:
1. Good People Are Not Looking for Scraps
It saddens me to see companies trying to find exceptional talent on sites that literally force freelancers and workers to outbid each other to the bottom. Even more disheartening are the companies that hire internationally to benefit from the lower cost of living but then attempt to squeeze candidates below their market value.
Great people know the market, understand their worth, and don’t have the time to spend all day bidding.
This brings me to the next point: even if many people would take a low-paying job, they will jump ship the second they can.
2. Great People Are Busy
When looking for top-tier talent, remember that these individuals are likely already busy. They probably have stable long-term jobs at serious companies or are running successful operations and are continuously in demand.
The reality is that if they are running a consulting or freelancer operation, their hourly rate is significantly higher than that of someone who has a stable job.
Suppose you want to find amazing people at a great value. In that case, you will most likely need to solicit them from another company—hopefully, one with similar processes and values, which will make the transition much easier.
3. Freelancers and Consultants Lack Focus
Cost is not the only reason why freelancers and consultants are simply not a great option for hiring.
Yes, this is another significant reason why bidding sites, in general, will not provide you with the people you need to grow your company.
Do you want your new employees to fully immerse themselves in the company culture, follow your methodologies, grow with the company, and become great team players?
(All characteristics crucial for the long-term success of both workers and the company.)
You will not find them in someone who dreams of working on a beach or traveling the world while working. You will also not find them in a person who takes on multiple gigs or is always on the lookout for their next project. And for all the digital nomads out there, I apologize for being a remote Scrooge, but I truly question your focus.
Remote work is already a huge benefit, but it could also be a significant distraction. It doesn’t mean people can’t travel, but when a person has many lifestyle ideas and not enough focus on work, it usually doesn’t end well.
Note: A freelancer-type mentality has nothing to do with how you pay people.
Some people enjoy being paid as contractors, and sometimes, you might not have the infrastructure to manage international payroll. Paying people as contractors doesn’t mean you need to treat them as such.
4. You Will Not Get Focused Part-Time Workers
Managing freelancers is tough enough, but it’s even tougher if you choose to hire them on a part-time basis.
Unless you hire someone with a special need, part-time usually means they are doing other work. The idea that one person can work for separate companies and that there is no cost to switching is a mirage. Doing so ensures that they will not integrate well into your processes and increases the chances of errors.
If you can’t commit to someone, why would you expect them to commit to you? As usual, there are superstars who can achieve quality results under any circumstances, but expect their hourly rates to increase by at least 50%, if not double or triple.
5. You Ignore Culture and Communication
Even today, for many people, international or offshore work immediately translates to outsourcing—people who you don’t always understand, who don’t necessarily fit your mold, who don’t communicate well, may need a third party to manage them, and often say “yes” regardless of their understanding.
They are simply hired because they possess some of the hard skills you need and don’t cost much money.
The world is full of great people who can contribute to your company culture, add to your diversity, and become excellent team players while still being exceptional in their hard skills—often much better than what you would find locally.
Much of this talent will work from countries with significantly lower salaries, so don’t compromise on culture and communication; it’s not worth it.
6. You hire for Night Shifts
Hey, maybe your company doesn’t mind a half-day crossover. I find that many people, especially in the tech world, don’t mind taking time off during the day.
However, there’s no way that people will be at their full productivity during the night.
Sorry, folks. If you are hiring someone for a night shift, chances are you will not have the same level of productivity.
Conclusion
It truly amazes me how many companies with great processes and cultures drop everything that makes them great when they hire internationally just to lower costs.
This is simply wrong.
One of the best ways to ensure you hire quality people is to solicit top performers from companies with similar cultures and processes.
One of the best ways to encourage them to transition to your company is to sell them on your organization and tell them about the amazing benefits of working remotely.
The world is vast, and there are so many amazing people who would be a great asset to your company.
So give it a shot, and if you need help, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].
