Transformation in HR over the last couple of years has been fast-tracked. Once frequently perceived as an administrative function, the pandemic and hybrid working has now redefined HR as a key strategic function – putting HR leaders in the driving seat to successfully attract and retain people, says Stephanie Coward.
With this change comes greater responsibility and a clear imperative to fix one of the biggest challenges businesses face at present: a shortage of talent. For many businesses, looking internationally could be the answer – particularly given how employee sentiment towards the world of work has changed.
What has changed for employees and employers?
Today’s candidates think differently about work than previous generations. Pay is an important factor – but so is freedom, the ability to explore the world post-Covid and the autonomy to work in a flexible hybrid model.
The pandemic clearly proved that technology has enabled remote working, so do we just need to be more creative about what we consider acceptable, in terms of geography? Many employees took the opportunity to move away from the expensive places to live they were tied to because of their office location.
Is it time for employers to think differently? Even pre-Covid, many international organisations had plans to enhance employee mobility in the next five years. Talent shortages have heightened this need, so for businesses struggling to fill gaps while seeking the top talent, an obvious solution is to look further afield.
Widening the recruitment pool to embrace international talent can help businesses find the right people and bring together a mix of perspectives and experiences– but they will also need the right technology in place to make it work.
The role of technology in international recruitment
International recruitment is a complicated strategy to follow through on, due to the intricacies that go into it. This is why HR professionals should consider stepping out of what they know and embrace new technology, as that will go a long way in finding the right candidate.
When trying to find potential international candidates the use of a multinational HR system can help answer the questions HR professionals would have. It will allow you to easily manage multiple languages currencies, date formats, along with many other capabilities.
These capabilities will give HR professionals the opportunity to streamline the recruitment process and ensure that the employee experience is positive. When a suitable candidate has been found, HR tech can then aid in the onboarding process.
The next step: bringing international candidates onboard
Once the recruitment process is complete and an international candidate has been found, the next step will likely be more complex than hiring domestically. Hiring internationally has payroll and tax implications – so HR needs to be prepared.
Fortunately, there are a range of technologies on the market today that can guide HR through the minefield that is international payroll. Such platforms have capabilities set up for predefined policy rules for local compliance requirements, and can easily manage localised policies that accrue automatically, such as annual leave. If in doubt, there are many subject experts that can provide that guidance – HR professionals don’t need to be experts in all these matters.
Every country has different requirements and HR professionals must tread carefully to employ people in the correct manner, keeping in line with all the legislation. Getting this right can be time-consuming, but this is energy well spent. After all, this doesn’t only keep the business compliant – it gives HR the opportunity to make the process of employing the candidate easy on all sides, therefore creating a better experience for the employee.
Looking forward
There are clear opportunities in expanding the workforce by looking internationally. From accessing global talent to unlocking diverse perspectives, recruiting from abroad unlocks plenty of value. Adopting the correct technology can definitely assist in achieving this at every stage of the hiring process.
And when the technology has done its job, the next step in fully onboarding the employee is assuring all the requirements are met, which includes having payroll correctly set up. There are challenges involved in expanding the talent search, to be sure – but the benefits that international employees can bring outweigh the initial effort that it takes to get the machine going.
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Stephanie Coward is the MD of HCM at IRIS Software Group.
Stephanie Coward is the Managing Director (MD) for HCM and is responsible for driving forward IRIS’ HR and payroll offering and focusing on meeting the needs of HR professionals.
Stephanie has over 25 years’ experience in the technology sector, managing and transforming businesses. Prior to joining IRIS, Stephanie held a number of senior director positions at Capita for 17 years, working across all areas of business. Initially focused in sales and business development and operations, Stephanie then moved into MD and Chief Operating Officer roles with a remit to transform traditional on-premise licence based businesses into competitive subscription based SaaS cloud solution providers.
Over the past 10 years, Stephanie has managed businesses providing strategic HCM software technologies as well as HR and Payroll managed services.
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