Recruiting and hiring are important aspects of any expansion. Employees help ensure that your company runs smoothly each day, so when growing to Cambodia, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the country’s market intricacies and cultural nuances to ensure a successful hiring experience.
Recruiting in Cambodia
The country has numerous job boards, but they’re often used for junior positions or in situations where a company needs to recruit multiple team members. Using this option can help you curate a large pool of applicants and reach thousands of people at a low cost. However, anyone can apply without a screening process, meaning you’ll need the time and staff to examine all applicants.
Another option is to work with a local recruitment agency to search and interview candidates. These companies will typically give you a shortlist of candidates who seemingly match your requirements. Unfortunately, not all agencies live up to expectations, and your company can face repercussions if the third party does not follow the right employment or recruiting laws.
Laws against discrimination in Cambodia
You can hire and recruit employees for your Cambodia business directly, but you have to notify the Placement Office of the ministry in charge of labor or the local employment office of any vacancies at your company. It’s prohibited to discriminate against employees based on race, sex, language, religion, political views, social status, or union membership.
For equal conditions, wages must be the same for all workers who have the same skills and output, regardless of factors like age or gender. The country also has laws related to the minimum age of wage employment. Individuals must be at least 15 years old to work or 18 years old for jobs that could potentially harm their health, safety, or morality.
How to hire employees in Cambodia
Cambodia requires that companies hire all employees under a fixed- or indefinite-term employment contract. Fixed contracts must be in writing and cannot extend longer than 2 years. Indefinite contracts can be oral or written, but we recommend drafting a strong written contract in Khmer. Companies can also hire employees under a probation period no longer than 3 months for regular employees, 2 months for specialized employees, and 1 month for unskilled employees.
All contracts should include important employment terms such as benefits, compensation, termination requirements, severance pay, and more. You should also make sure salary and compensation amounts in the contract and offer letter are in riel instead of another currency.
Cambodia employment laws
Once you develop a hiring strategy for Cambodia, you need to make sure you’re meeting the country’s employment compliance laws. For example, employees typically work Monday through Saturday for a maximum of 48 hours a week. Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and trade unions are common and may stipulate separate Cambodia employment compliance laws that you must follow for your industry.
Onboarding in Cambodia
Onboarding employees is largely left up to companies. Since every company is different, you should find a way to onboard new hires that matches your company’s culture, brand, and goals. We recommend reviewing employment contracts with employees on their first day or week to make sure all terms are acceptable. Other steps you can take to help employees feel more comfortable include:
- Providing any job training that can help employees succeed.
- Traveling to Cambodia for the employee’s first week.
- Onboarding multiple employees at one time.
- Going over any other important company documents and workflows.
If you expand to Cambodia the traditional way through setting up a subsidiary, you must incorporate before you can hire in the country. The entire process can take weeks or months before you’re ready to fill your open positions, leading talented candidates to search for jobs elsewhere.
G-P offers an alternative. As a global Employer of Record (EOR), we’ll hire employees to work on your behalf without the need to establish a subsidiary. You can feel confident that all employees will meet Cambodia’s employment compliance laws and start working for your team in a fraction of the time.
Grow globally with G-P.
G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With the #1 Global Growth Platform, you have the recruitment tools and services you need to find your perfect full-time or contract match.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.