Hiring international talent is the first step to building a top-performing global team. However, companies need effective strategies to empower and retain their workforce. In an era where companies are competing for top international talent, leaders are channeling their efforts towards engaging and retaining their global workforce to sidestep local skill shortages.
Compensation and benefits are always on job seekers’ minds and are often deciding factors when contemplating different employment opportunities. But the current workforce is looking for more than just a competitive salary — factors such as career growth opportunities and access to learning and development programs are now tipping the scales. Global talent acquisition trends show that employees now prioritize their personal time, mental health, wellness, and work-life balance more than ever before.
Companies must first understand employees’ needs in order to cater to them — to achieve this, HR professionals must tailor specific skills to improve the employee experience and support long-term engagement and retention for remote global teams
Here are 6 key strategies you should consider if you want to secure top international talent:
1. Update your work model
Research conducted by Workplace Intelligence and WeWork found that flexible work policies are gaining popularity. In fact, lack of flexibility is one of the main reasons for employee resignation. Employees want options apart from the traditional 9-to-5 office jobs. Hybrid models and remote-first companies are attractive options that also give employees flexible schedules. Updating your work model by adding flexibility will result in higher job satisfaction ratings and employee engagement.
How to get this right:
- Design a work policy that defines arrangements for hybrid or remote work, such as guidelines on asynchronous communication, virtual meeting attendance, and schedule availability.
- Communicate new policies to all stakeholders, so they are familiarized with the procedures, expectations, and goals regarding performance and productivity.
- Schedule periodic reviews to adjust your policy according to employees’ performance and feedback.
2. Pay attention to feedback
Sending out surveys and asking for feedback is an effective strategy to learn about your employees’ perspectives and needs. It’s an important metric that allows companies to determine whether they are meeting expectations or falling short. But this information is useless if no action is taken. If you collect employee feedback, put it into practice by implementing changes and making adjustments.
According to qualtrics, listening and acting on feedback builds trust and is an important precursor to employee engagement and well-being
How to get this right:
- Make your surveys fun and creative. You can use polls, games, and visuals to make it a positive experience for your employees.
- Show your employees you are listening.Take some of the best ideas and put them into practice. Be cautious not to implement these changes drastically — do it gradually so that employees have time to adapt and adjust.
- Measure employee performance and engagement to gauge the impact of these changes.
3. Focus on work-life balance
Employees who don’t have a good work-life balance will likely reconsider their future at your company, so designing wellness initiatives is critical.
Now that more people are working remotely, the line between work and home has started to blur. Employers must build a company culture that prioritizes employees’ well-being, which means giving them more control over their work, flexible schedules, reasonable workloads, and emotional support.
How to get this right:
- Share stress management strategies and promote opportunities to disconnect to prevent mental breakdowns and health problems.
- Learn to read the signs of burnout, and take action.
- Encourage employees to take time for themselves, practice meditation, and do exercise.
- Create an employee assistance program that provides counseling for personal and work-related issues.
4. Empower autonomy
According to research conducted by the American Psychological Association, employees who work in an environment that supports autonomy — which means giving employees the freedom to work in a way that suits them — tend to feel more engaged and empowered, leading to greater probability of retention.
How to get this right:
- Forget about micromanaging, focus on building a culture of trust. This not only makes employees feel valued, but eager to perform at their best.
- Give your teams the tools and learning opportunities they need to do their job whether they work remotely or in an office.
- Set up regular one-on-ones to review progress, discuss concerns, and celebrate success, not to control your employees.
5. Cultivate inclusion
Cultivating inclusion can positively impact employees’ well-being, performance, and productivity. Inclusion is also key to a rich company culture, which leads to innovation and creativity. Diverse teams give employees a sense of belonging and connectedness to the company. Employees with a strong sense of belonging are six times more likely to be engaged.
How to get this right:
- Focus on building cultural competence to understand, communicate, and effectively manage diverse teams.
- Prevent discrimination with education. Organize training programs, and ensure employees and managers know about potential cultural biases.
- Define anti-discrimination policies and outline procedures to report any trouble or concerns.
6. Promote communication and collaboration
Promoting communication and collaboration leads to a positive employee experience. With open communication, employers can build trust and engagement among teams. Collaboration is also key to a more transparent, productive, and happier workplace, and therefore, higher retention rates.
How to get this right:
- Make sure to enable open channels of communication and collaboration tools, such as Slack, Trello, or Zoom.
- Welcome constructive feedback and promote a safe environment for sharing and discussing ideas.
- Create team-building initiatives that promote cross-departmental teamwork and communication.
Finding and hiring international employees can be complex; however, retaining top talent is the real challenge, which is why Globalization Partners’ AI-driven Global Growth Platform™ is with you every step of the way. We help you recruit, hire, onboard, and manage international teams so you can focus on scaling your company.
Contact us and start hiring today!
