With 72 percent of employers reporting that they have been affected by talent shortages, attracting international talent is becoming more important for many businesses.
New research from specialist recruiter Robert Walters has revealed that employers may be struggling to secure talent from abroad by neglecting to provide practical support to professionals moving internationally.
60 percent of professionals would consider taking a job abroad, making recruiting from overseas a strategy worth considering for employers.
The study, which surveyed over 600 professionals and hiring managers from a range of disciplines across the UK, also investigated which factors would influence professionals to take a job abroad.
The results showed that professionals consider sponsored language lessons (85 percent) and practical support from their employer to get established in a new country (88 percent) to be important when relocating.
Less than 50 percent of employers offer international workers practical help when relocating, despite the fact that nearly nine out of 10 of professionals consider this important.
Just 28 percent of employers offered sponsored language lessons to professionals moving from abroad, and only 48 percent offer practical assistance with tasks like setting up a bank account or acquiring a mobile phone contract.
When asked what would influence their decision to take a role abroad, 96 percent of professionals said that better salary or bonus would be important, while 94 percent said that better career development prospects would play a key role.
“We know that increased salary or opportunities for career development are the main reasons why professionals choose to relocate abroad, but employers shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to stand out from the crowd by offering additional incentives that may be crucial in influencing a candidate’s final decision,” said Chris Hickey, CEO of Robert Walters in the UK, Middle East & Africa.
“Initiatives such as sponsored language lessons are relatively low in cost but effectively demonstrate an employer’s commitment to supporting workers who transfer internationally,” he added.
Almost three quarters of professionals said that they would use a multinational recruiter when looking to move abroad, compared to just 49 percent who said they would use an international job board to seek a new role overseas.
“Engaging candidates from overseas can be challenging, and the costs of establishing your brand identity abroad may outweigh the benefits of acquiring international candidates, particularly if domestic talent pools can largely supply your needs,“ said Hickey.
“By working with a multinational recruiter, employers can take advantage of established networks and expertise to source the candidates they need when local talent pools are unable to meet the demands of a role.”
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
- Rebecca Clarke
- Rebecca Clarke
- Rebecca Clarke
- Rebecca Clarke
