October 6th 2022
Having employees who work abroad can be a great asset to your business. Whether they are in a branch of your company in another country or simply an overseas hire, they can add a multitude of benefits to how your company works.
Managing these employees is another beast altogether though. It requires pinpoint attention to detail and constant communication.
Today, we’re going to discuss both the challenges and the benefits of having an overseas workforce, and what you can do to minimise the impact on your overall business to focus on success.
Why Do Employees Work Abroad?
So, first of all, why do people want to work abroad? Well, there can be a million different reasons, but let’s go through some the main ones.
Some people like to travel
Working abroad isn’t just about the work itself. Some people love the thought of exploring countries or territories they’ve never seen before and immersing themselves into the culture of those places.
Learning a second language
Learning another language can be a huge asset in both personal and professional lives and is much easier to achieve when living and working in another country.
Networking
When working abroad, you can meet many different types of people, and this opens doors to creative collaboration, as well as building friendships and lasting professional relationships.
Improving the CV/Resumé
When people choose to work abroad, it can massively boost their CV or Resumé to make them look even more attractive to future employers.
Money
As simple as it sounds, working overseas has the potential to earn more money for the same type of work. This is a big reason why many choose to work abroad.
Challenges of Employees Working Overseas
While having employees that work abroad can be a huge asset to your business, it’s not without its downfalls. You can run into a few issues when employing overseas, so let’s run through a few of those here too.
Communication and Timing
Working with those in different time zones can be tricky to figure out initially. You’ll have to keep on top of when your employees’ working hours are, and how they may or may not line up with your workers at home. This may take time to finesse, but over time you’ll get a feel for the patterns.
Legal Issues
It goes without saying that many countries have differing laws when it comes to work. You’ll have to understand what the laws are of the countries of your overseas employees and help them navigate those legal issues effectively. This is best tackled with a legal professional – one hired by your company at home – to do some of that legwork and understanding for you.
International Payments
Paying money abroad can be expensive. Whether you are hiring at an overseas branch or utilising freelancers, you’ll need to streamline the way you pay money to them. Using online money transfer companies are a safe and effective way to do this, allowing you to avoid the huge fees that some banks may charge for international payments.
Benefits of Having a Flexible Business Set-Up
There are so many benefits that hiring from around the world can bring to your business. Creative businesses can flourish by having input from a range of people with different backgrounds and perspectives. Companies can open branches or factories in countries that have lower operating costs for things such as production lines and storage.
Being flexible on the location of your employees affords your company the opportunity to be culturally diverse, where people from many different backgrounds can collaborate and bring fresh ideas to the table – ultimately resulting in a better end product.
Many millennial and Gen-Z workers are more than happy to work from home, and studies have shown that they are just as (if not more) productive than if they were in an office setting. This is why opening up your hiring practices to overseas applicants who can work from home can be a huge boost to your business.
If you limit yourself to only hiring within your country, you could be missing out on a huge swathe of incredibly talented individuals that you’d much rather have on your side! To add to this, you’d also be saving money too, as you’ll no longer need to expand your current office situation to accommodate new employees. It really is a win-win.
Managing Employees Abroad
So, now that we’ve outlined both the benefits and possible challenges of hiring abroad, let’s dive into what you can do to then manage those employees effectively.
Set Clear Objectives and Expectations
You’ll need to define both the roles and responsibilities of those who work abroad effectively. Leave no detail out here, as they will need to understand what is expected of them each day. Set generous deadlines to compensate for the time difference and create a roadmap of how their work will weave into the work of those employees at home.
Discuss Time Zones and Language Barriers
Speaking of time differences, always be aware of the time zones of those working abroad – an email may not be received if it is midnight in another country! Also consider possible language barriers when employing people who do not have English as a first language. You can help them to develop their language skills by sending them on learning courses at the company’s expense. The investment will be worth it.
Think About Collaboration Platforms
Communication is key when working with those overseas. As a company, you can utilise platforms such as Slack or other instant messaging apps to ensure employees both at home and abroad can talk in real time. This lowers the time between emails and means that not everything has to have a scheduled meeting to tackle effectively.
Create a Positive Online Atmosphere
Creating a positive company culture is important, especially when employing overseas. It may be harder to establish with those working abroad, but this is where managers and leaders can increase digital 1-to-1s, smaller meetings with those overseas, and wider company touch-bases to ensure everyone feels included and productive.
Resolve Any Visa, Tax or Working Issues
This is relatively self-explanatory, but ensure you are following up on any employee issues regarding Visas, tax or working issues with them. Some of these can impact their work or stop them from working entirely until they are resolved, so keep the contact open and flowing with regard to these possible setbacks.
Having employees that work abroad is becoming very common in business today, as many company owners and CEOs are seeing the benefits that overseas talent can bring both productively and financially.
We hope you’ve taken something away from what we’ve discussed here today, and if you’re looking to expand your home offices, here at Click Offices we have you covered.
Head over and check out our serviced offices and our managed offices today, and use our free office search tool to find amazing offices in your area.
