Hiring the right team members can make or break your new subsidiary, and hiring isn’t as simple as finding a talented employee and onboarding them. You have to learn all of Belgium’s employment compliance laws, recruit candidates from another country, and establish a subsidiary. Although setting up your subsidiary is a necessary first step, it can take weeks or months to incorporate, potentially causing you to lose time and good job candidates.
By acting as the Employer of Record, G-P will help you hire Belgian employees through a fast and productive process. We’ll use our subsidiary to shoulder all compliance and hire employees who all work for you, helping you accomplish everything in just a few days.
Recruiting in Belgium
Utilizing the right recruitment channels and following all of the country-specific laws for staffing are just as important as understanding the culture when you’re recruiting and hiring in Belgium. When it comes to sourcing talent in the country, corporate job sites are popular among companies looking to fill office positions. Recruitment agencies are somewhat popular as well, especially among younger job seekers. You can also use job sites, such as Indeed, to advertise your company’s open positions.
You should know that many Belgians prefer to grow and develop their careers with a single company rather than moving elsewhere. As a result, it’s essential for your company to invest in finding the best possible candidates during the recruitment process. There’s a good chance that the individuals you hire will be with your company for quite a while.
Laws Against Discrimination in Belgium
Belgium has a set of laws in place to prevent discrimination, and it’s critical for your recruiting team to keep this legislation in mind during the recruitment process and beyond. The law forbids discrimination on the following grounds:
- Racial criteria
- Sexual orientation
- Age
- Social background
- Trade union beliefs
- Religious or ideological beliefs
- Disability
- Civil status
- Birth
- Wealth
- Political beliefs
- State of health
- Physical characteristics
With so many protected characteristics to keep in mind, you’ll need to stay mindful of the language you use in interviews and job advertisements. While some of these traits might come up in casual conversations with candidates, be sure to avoid asking direct questions about them.
How to Hire Employees in Belgium
Learning how to hire Belgian employees can be a challenge because of the prevalence of trade unions and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the country. Most companies’ wages are fixed through a CBA, and trade unions and employers frequently negotiate changes to these contracts. Salaries increase each year automatically based on the health index and cost of living increases.
Belgium also promotes hiring local employees over non-European-Union citizens. Employers must apply for work permits for citizens outside of the EU, and you need to demonstrate that you could not find a local employee to fill your position.
Belgium Employment Laws
Belgium’s employment compliance laws require employers to draft an employment contract that includes compensation, benefits, and entitlement and termination terms. Your contracts should be in the local language and use the Euro for all salary and compensation amounts.
Another aspect of employment compliance is working hours. Your employees cannot work over 38 hours, and if they do, they should get paid overtime unless they’re a senior executive or manager. Compensation of overtime is compulsory and depends on the day and time your employee works.
Onboarding in Belgium
Onboarding employees looks different for every company, but every company must take certain steps as soon as they hire an employee. You need to register the employee with different government authorities, an insurance agency, a health provider, and Dimona, an electronic system used for social security.
After that, you’re free to onboard employees using a process that works best for your company. Hiring is complicated in Belgium, so we recommend reviewing your employment contract, CBA, and more with employees on their first day. Providing job training can also help prepare employees for their positions and give them more information about your company culture.
Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in Belgium
Because of many complex employment compliance laws, hiring Belgian employees is a challenge for companies looking to expand to the country. G-P’ Belgium hiring outsourcing services can take the stress out of finding the right candidates. We’ll provide a positive hiring experience and make sure your employees are productive from day one.
Work With G-P To Expand Globally
When you don’t have to worry about how to hire Belgian employees, you can instead focus on running your company. G-P can help through Belgium hiring outsourcing. Contact us today to learn more.