5 ways an Employer help an International Employee during Onboarding Process

If you’ve recently hired an international employee for your business, it’s likely you’re thinking about global expansion in the near future for your company. Not only does it bring in an extended audience but it also opens the doors for attracting top talent from overseas. You’ve got the international expertise that you need, but now it’s about ensuring their transition into the company is seamless. How do you do this to ensure that they feel comfortable straightaway? Here are a few tricks and tips that you can use as an employer to help your new recruit.

Role and Performance Expectations

New employees are always eager to impress and show the hard-working individual that they are when they first come in, particularly if they’ve come from overseas and made a large commitment to move from their country. 

At the same time, they shouldn’t be overworked by being set unrealistic expectations. Ensure you have a productive conversation with your new employee and help them understand what is expected of them. Make sure they’re capable of managing the workload they have and can achieve the goals they’ve been set based on their natural skillset. It’s likely they may have been trained differently to the norm in other countries, so make sure this is discussed before their role officially starts.

Providing Guidelines On Managing Computer Hardware

Every employee will have been informed about the guidelines around software and hardware usage. Although the majority of well-known hardware brands are applied for global use, there may be an occasion where international recruits won’t be too familiar with the system you use internally. This can be a risk if they’re unsure how to use it properly as growing your team means your network usage will expand to different points of the business. This makes the concern over data security even more important. So, to ensure that security remains tight provide thorough information on standard IT protocols and policies within the company so there’s less of a risk with managing data.

Meet and Greet with Colleagues

Within any business, there are likely to be first day nerves for employees that have recently been hired. After all, it’s unfamiliar surroundings with new people which can make many feel initially anxious, particularly if they’re not completely fluent in the native language and they’re still getting used to getting around the place. However, this is where you can help them feel right at home immediately. You’re likely to be the only familiar face they know, so they’ll likely latch on to you at the beginning by asking questions and having conversations. So, one way you can help them feel relaxed with other team members is by offering them a meet and greet. It’ll allow them to be formally introduced and make conversation easier in the long run. 

Personal Attention

A common issue with many onboarding processes in companies is that they’re extremely generalised and make assumptions that aren’t necessarily relative to foreign hires. This means that international employees, in particular, can feel unprepared when they start. A better way to prepare them is to communicate with them regularly during the early stages of onboarding. Discuss with them aspects such as what is their preferred choice of communication? Do they have any regular work habits? Are they are aware of the local laws and practices? Treating them as an individual can help to go a long way.

Global Benefits Package

The biggest worry for international employees, when they accept an offer from overseas, is how well they’ll be able to manage to be in a new country. They need to think about several aspects such as accommodation, legal documents, and choosing the right visa. These can be areas which you could help with as an employer. If the employee feels as though their transition from their home country to a different one will be made easier without them having to do much, they’ll more likely accept the job offer. So for example, if you’re a business based in the UK, you could arrange a meeting with an immigration lawyer Manchester to discuss organising the correct work visa for their stay.  Making that extra effort will prove to the employee that you’re making an effort to secure them for your business.

Having a reliable onboarding process in place within your business ensures that you’re able to secure the top talent from across the globe. In some aspects, it can be the difference between choosing you over your competitors, so ensure you have a solid one for your business.