7th November 2022

Advice for international companies hiring graduates 🌎

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Are you struggling to find the perfect candidate? If you are wondering how to find the right candidate for a job, have you considered looking beyond your domestic candidates… It can be a great idea for companies to hire staff internationally for a variety of reasons.

Why you should hire internationally

Recruiting international graduates can increase your diversity and give you the opportunity to learn from the novel skillset of an international employee.

There are many reasons why firms in Australia are hiring international students and graduates, here’s why:

Adaptable

If the candidate is willing to move for this role, then it shows that they are genuinely ambitious and dedicated. Being able to adapt to a new country and culture is also a valuable skill that can be applicable in a professional environment and something to bear in mind when you hire staff.

Creativity

If you hire staff from the same background having had similar experiences, then it is easy for things to become stagnant and become increasingly difficult to think outside the box.

Having a homogeneous environment at work can cause your creativity to dwindle. Blending ideas, perspectives and opinions from a variety of cultures could be the key to sparking an innovative discussion.

New skills

Companies can also benefit from hiring staff internationally for the language skills and different knowledge that international employees can bring to you.

Retention

Having a working Visa and the time it takes to transfer the visa to a different employer means that international candidates are less likely to leave unexpectedly, and you may be able to have a more realistic expectation of how long they will be working for you.

Diversity

Hiring international staff is the best way to increase your diversity, learn from different people and cultures and make your workplace a more inclusive and interesting environment.

Recruit graduates today

What to know when you recruit internationally:

There are plenty of benefits of being an international company hiring graduates, but it is important to offer something back when you hire staff.

When you’re recruiting internationally, it is a good idea to be flexible with your employees.

Being flexible is something that will be appreciated when you recruit graduates and is often entirely necessary.

Starting a new job is exciting, nerve-wracking and sometimes stressful which can be heightened if you are moving into a new country and culture at the same time.

Remember that your international staff have the added pressure of emotionally and logistically transitioning to a new country, and so being flexible will be beneficial to both parties.

We have some top tips that will enable you to onboard your international employee with ease.

To help the international recruitment process you can:

Offer advice on VISA’s and permits. This is something you will need to look into when you recruit internationally for graduate jobs in Australia.
Be flexible with the interview. It may not be possible to have a face to face interview, so accept application forms, video and phone interviews or task-based tests in the international recruitment application process.
Don’t request an unreasonable time. While 11am might seem like an ideal time for you to hire international staff, remember that it could be 2 in the morning for them!

How to help your international employee once they’ve started:

Offer the option to work from home: This will give your new employee time to settle into their new home as well as their new office environment.
Flexi-time: Offer the option for your international staff to work overtime to meet a deadline and then leave early for an appointment or holiday.
Manage and be prepared to alter their job role: International employees may want to step outside their job description and learn more.
Be understanding: If there is someone that they need to attend to during business hours, try to be understanding.
Payment plans: Initiating an evaluation of alternative processes for processing loan applications.
Offer training: Perhaps they need business language training, or maybe ask which areas they think they would benefit from having some extra help on.
Be understanding of their holidays: If their home country have different national holidays, why not try and be accomodating by letting them swap a day off.
Different time zones: International staff might also need to alter their working times or workload if they are adjusting to a new time zone.

Embrace diversity:

International graduates have shown a willingness to break out of their comfort zone.

This sociable, self-challenging and adaptable attitude is very attractive to a company, especially if you are searching for a fresh perspective or someone who stands out from the crowd.

Diversity in the workplace is an amazing way to bond and build innovation for the company. Someone with knowledge and experience from a completely different culture will be able to open your mind to different perspectives, ideologies and perhaps even teach you how to tap into a new market.

It can be scary moving to a new place, especially a new country! Remember that your employee might be missing their friends, family and culture and understand that they may need to take time to adjust to yours.

There are so many more benefits of diversity in the workplace, watch our video to find out: