Recruiting and hiring stellar candidates is essential to your company’s success in any country. When you expand internationally, you need talented employees on your team to turn your company’s vision into reality. Hiring an international workforce requires compliance with labor laws in other countries.
Finding the right fit for your team is difficult enough. The hiring and recruiting process should be simple. At G-P, we provide hiring outsourcing services that make building your global workforce easy.
Recruiting in Haiti
While a country’s culture can inform professional dealings, business is largely its own world. Just like you’re looking for the best fit for your company, top talents have the freedom to choose who they work for. Whether you’re recruiting Haitian workers or sending new hires overseas, candidates want to know they have the support of a company that understands the country’s business environment.
Meet your applicants’ expectations with these three recruiting tips.
1. Be Prepared to Communicate in French and Creole
Of the more than 11 million people in Haiti, over 10 million speak Haitian Creole. Though less than 10 percent of the population speaks French, it’s the language of many business professionals.
Candidates may speak one or both languages. If you intend to conduct a meeting in a language besides French or Creole, you should have a translator in the room. After a candidate accepts your job offer, you must provide an original draft of their employment contract in either French or Creole, according to the country’s labor laws.
2. Observe Local Expectations for Professionals
A person’s professional role determines many of the expectations others have for them. As an employer, you have a responsibility to represent your company. Leadership qualities, respect, and communication skills will help you impress your favorite candidates.
Maintain professionalism and share your company’s goals. The right applicant will be eager to help you achieve them.
3. Schedule Meetings Early
Book appointments in advance to give your candidates time to prepare for the meeting and make arrangements. You can schedule meetings over the phone or in writing.
Arrive at your meetings on time and be gracious throughout the conversation. Punctuality and politeness will showcase your company’s professionalism.
How to Hire Employees in Haiti
While there are some nuances to keep in mind, recruiting and hiring workers in Haiti is probably not that different from the process in your country. Follow these three steps to successfully hiring an international workforce.
1. Recruit Applicants
Begin the hiring process by crafting a comprehensive job description that gives applicants a clear picture of the position. A strong job description should contain details like:
- A summary of the role’s responsibilities.
- Relevant skills.
- Necessary education, training, or experience.
2. Interview Candidates and Choose an Employee
Once you’ve received some applications, you can conduct interviews and decide which candidates you want to hire.
3. Sign an Employment Contract
At this stage, you’ll need to offer an employment contract to new hires. Choose from three forms of employment contracts to create an agreement that meets your hiring needs:
- Fixed-term or temporary contract: Under this agreement, you and the candidate will set the term of their employment before signing the contract. When the contract expires, you can renew it for another preapproved term or indefinitely.
- Open-ended or permanent contract: This contract is an agreement for permanent employment. Either party can terminate employment if they choose. If you renew an employee’s temporary contract for an indefinite term, it becomes an open-ended contract, which may have additional legal advantages or benefits attached.
- Apprenticeship contract: An apprenticeship contract outlines an agreement where a contractor performs work for a company while another person provides professional instruction on an occupation or craft. Apprenticeship contracts must be in writing and registered with the Manpower Directorate, which will determine the duration of the apprenticeship. All apprentices must be at least 14 years of age and earn at least 40 percent of the minimum wage.
When in writing, a valid employment contract must contain certain information, including:
- The contractor’s work book and identity card number.
- Personal data.
- Expectations for working hours each week.
- Information about the new hire’s role.
- Compensation and duration of work if applicable.
- The contractor’s signature or fingerprints.
Haiti Employment Laws
You must obtain work permits and business visas for your international employees. Usually, this process takes between two and six months. According to the labor law, the government may revoke an employee’s work permit if they fail to perform the work you’ve hired them for or they lose the qualifications they need to complete that work. Each employment permit is valid for one year, and employees can renew them for up to five consecutive years.
As an employer, you’re responsible for paying your employees an accurate wage on a predictable schedule. Failure to compensate your workers, pay into pensions, or contribute to benefits violates the labor law.
Employers must not engage in discriminatory hiring or recruitment, ignore evidence of sexual harassment, engage in anti-union practices, or expose employees to forced labor.
Onboarding in Haiti
When you hire a new employee, the onboarding process sets the tone for their relationship with your company. How can you onboard international employees so they feel like part of the team?
Traveling to help onboard your new employee is a great strategy because you can walk them through their first days or weeks on the job in person. You can review the role and the expectations your company has for them. Making this effort shows your dedication to your team and leadership qualities.
Implementing a training program is another wise decision. You can design a training program that reflects your industry, the responsibilities of each position, and the difficulty of specific tasks. Depending on your company and the role, training can be a single day spent reviewing the job’s most important processes or a guided curriculum spread over a few weeks.
Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in Haiti
No matter where you’re hiring, the process can be arduous. Hiring internationally combines the challenges of setting up your domestic parent company with new laws, language barriers, and distance.
Most countries require you to establish a business entity before hiring a team and operating within their borders. Doing so can be costly and take months. Plus, you’re obligated to register with institutions like the Office of Occupational Accident Insurance, Sickness, and Maternity (OFATMA) and the National Old Age Insurance Office (ONA) within 15 days of launching your subsidiary.
At G-P, we already have an in-country entity registered with the required organizations. When you outsource your hiring with us, we act as an Employer of Record for your employees.
Without an employer of record, you’re legally responsible for employing your international workforce. When you use our PEO services, we take on that responsibility. Our Employer of Record model puts your employees on our payroll and ensures complete alignment with local labor laws.
We can support your search for the best talent in over 180 countries. We’ll focus on compliance so you can keep building your team and growing your company.
Work With G-P To Expand Globally
When your company finds international talent, G-P will help you hire them quickly and legally. Contact us to learn more about how our Haiti hiring outsourcing services can benefit your company.