With unemployment already on the rise and the labor market beginning to change indefinitely due to Covid-19, it’s now more important than ever before to be agile, adapt your strategy to the worsening economic conditions, and get ready for hiring amidst tough situations.

Nicole Sahin, CEO and Founder of Globalization Partners, talks about the future of hiring and how should teams adopt the process of remote-hiring!

Q. How much has the way of hiring evolved over the years?

It has evolved quite significantly. Ten years ago, when companies looked to bring on talent, they looked more at cultural fit for the most part. Today we have shifted to focusing on bringing on team members that have a combination of the right skills, mindset, and how they add to our culture—not just fit into it.

Also, technology has made a huge impact on how we hire today. That includes HR technologies using AI, social media as a tool for hiring talent, and platforms like Glassdoor.

In just the past year, remote working has now become the norm. Sophisticated communications technology has unlocked collaboration outside key cities and across borders, often instantaneously and in real-time.

These tools and the acceptance of remote working have expanded the available hiring pool past the traditional boundaries of “commutable distance.”  High-performing companies in competitive markets are always looking for ways to excel against their competition and can gain an edge by stacking a team with the best talent they can find, anywhere in the world they can find it.

Q. What are some of the major reasons behind these shifts?

It’s a combination of technological advancements and generational mindset changes.

In 2010, analyst firm Gartner predicted that by 2020, half of the world would be working outside of the traditional office setting. Deloitte reports that almost 75 percent of millennials believe that a remote work policy is important.

Finding the right talent continues to be a challenge for most companies and the acceptance of remote working has opened up the possibility of a global talent pool. Think about it. This gives companies access to the best data scientist in Europe.

An extraordinary marketing expert in Africa. An experienced security advisor in Asia. Can you dream about having them in your team? Now you can. As remote work becomes standard in many organizations, so does the possibility of hiring people no matter where they live.

Q. What are some of the common misconceptions organizations/individuals have about the hiring process?

A big one is that it’s difficult to hire talent outside of your own country.

In a typical employment model, the employer hires the employee and takes on the responsibility of all tax, legal, and employee benefit provisions. However, if a business does not wish to take on this burden or does not yet have the infrastructure in a specific country to do so, they can use an employer of record (EOR) which makes things much easier.

The EOR takes on full employment responsibility from a legal perspective. With an EOR, your company can hire anywhere in the world while avoiding the hassle of understanding complex laws, taxes, benefits, currency exchange, or payroll issues.

But even more importantly, an EOR can help you guarantee competitive compensation packages to your high-value international employees, based on their country standards. Working with an EOR is an excellent way for businesses to offer employees great benefits without setting up the legal infrastructure needed to put these packages in place.

If you work with an EOR, the hunt for talent becomes an international quest. You can now get the best person for the role, no matter where they live.

Q. How should companies and employers approach the adoption of remote-hiring practices long term?

A huge topic of recent discussion, organizations, and teams across the world have transformed their understanding of remote working practices in quick time. As a result, it seems likely that the office-based environment that has remained a foundation of modern business could see permanent change.

Although shifting to a remote workforce changes many of the tactical rules of managing a team, the fundamental principles remain pertinent. Diversity and proactive inclusion and engagement continue to foster more creative ideas and positively impact the bottom line.

Trust remains a critical component to efficient, successful, and fulfilled teams. And taking the time to say ‘thank you’ in a culturally appropriate manner can have a profound impact on the reception of your appreciation.

Remembering the fundamentals of good team composition and management will benefit your organization during this time of increased remote working--and beyond.

Q. What are some major challenges companies would be facing while adapting to this new hiring normal?

Keeping employees engaged is an important one. A key component to reaping the positive by-products of a diverse remote workforce is successfully including and engaging each team member. By ensuring employees feel a sense of inclusion in your organization, you bring out the best in them and what they can do for the company. 

Some cultures are more open to working from home, while others prefer the structure of a formal office setting. For example, a recent study of EU workers found The Netherlands and Finland have the highest percentage of remote workers (about 14 percent of the countries work from home), while locations like Romania and Bulgaria only see about 0.3 to 0.4 percent of its workforce operating at home.

So, depending on where employees reside, there may need to be additional focus on making sure they adapt and thrive in a remote work environment.

Also, some employees are set up better than others to work remotely. One of the efforts a business may consider is collaborating with HR to take inventory of each team and each employee’s home capabilities.

Q. What are some things to avoid when looking towards adopting practices long term?

Depending too much on email – establishing regular check-ins with your remote team members early is key to their success and integration into your business, but often times managers rely too heavily on email.

Even with the best of intentions, your tone in emails can easily be misconstrued. Be thoughtful in the communication methods you choose, video chatting being the best option, and remain available to your team to optimize efficiency and minimize miscommunication.

Hiring employees who can’t handle working from home – working remotely is not for everyone and this a skill set that needs to be screened for in your interview process. Building in questions that focus on time management, ability to work independently, and ability to find creative solutions on their own.

Someone may be a hard worker in traditional office environments but may easily get distracted performing the same role at home. It’s also important to find out if the candidate has a living arrangement that is conducive to working from home. Make sure that the talent you are hiring can handle the challenge of working from home before making a hiring decision.

Not including your remote worker in the perks of your office – when you have some employees in the office, it’s easy to surprise them with lunch or other opportunities to socialize and celebrate.

This is a wonderful thing to do, but remote employees can feel left out. Focus on small gestures of appreciation to bring your global workforce together like virtual award ceremonies or sending company swag.

Q. What are some additional challenges while hiring internationally?

Companies are still trying to expand into new markets, but because travel is difficult at the moment it’s a challenge to hire global employees using the traditional route of setting up an entity on the ground in-country. Add to that the fact that global employment comes with infinite questions and if done incorrectly, with expensive penalties.

Expanding into a new country is like starting a business from scratch in many ways. You can be good at spotting talent, but depending on where you are hiring, the process could be complex.

Drafting a contract and making sure you are compliant with all local labor regulations can absorb a fair amount of your HR department’s time, and you may not have dedicated HR resources available in-house.

A global EOR can ease that burden, as it specializes in international employment law and has local teams ready to engage with your candidates to get them onboard immediately and painlessly.

An EOR can ensure that the proper amount of tax is withheld in each paycheck, that employees receive compensation according to local regulations, and that employees are provided a compliant benefits package. You can hire faster – and therefore succeed faster.

Q. Tell us about how Globalization partners make the process easier for the organizations?

• We provide access to highly skilled talent outside of the home country of operation. It basically works like this: companies identify the talent and we put that team member on our in-country, compliant payroll making it easy to hire talent anywhere in the world in as little as a few business days.
• We reduce the cost, effort, and risks in navigating the complex process of establishing business entities and operations in foreign countries
• We love compliance (it’s true) and navigate and maintain compliance with the rapidly intensifying statutory HR and payroll regulations globally. This is particularly valuable for countries where the firm lacks a presence and expertise
• We enable HR through our modern, proprietary platform technology including a highly automated, modern, simplified UX, mobile-enabled ESS/MSS and client tools for managing talent
• We have unmatched deep country-specific expertise to help companies navigate the complexity of hiring internationally supported by our own established legal entities around the world (the most in the EOR industry).

Q. Individuals/organizations facing what kind of issues should reach out to Globalisation partners?

• Companies that are interested in expanding or testing new markets and are looking to hire global employees to support those initiatives
• Companies that are facing challenges with maintaining or hire talent due to Visa restrictions in the U.S.
• Businesses looking to hire talent and need to expand the talent pool
• Any business that is looking to hire talent in a new market that wants to ease the complexity and time associated with international expansion

Q. To every new organization in their initial stages still trying to crack the code of effective hiring, what would you like to advise them?

Make sure your candidates align with your company’s mission and core values. During the interview process, ask questions that require candidates to reveal their own values and associated behaviors to make sure they align with your organization.

Don’t rush the hiring process – you want to be absolutely sure. If you have any doubts at all, have that extra interview and spend more time with the candidate. Don’t be afraid to let your intuition inform your hiring decisions.

The right candidate won’t mind the opportunity to spend more time with you and your team because they are evaluating whether this is the right decision for them as well.