Make your Company a Welcoming Space for Immigrant Employees
In business, it’s best to have as many perspectives as possible. If your company’s whole team has roughly the same background and opinions, you’re inherently limited by what that worldview can offer. However, welcoming diverse employees, especially those from other countries, can help expand your teams’ ability to create, innovate, and drive your business toward a brighter future.
Many employees aren’t sure how to make their job offers to appeal to immigrants. Here’s a look at a few ways your small business can work to be a welcoming place for people from all over the world:
How to Be Organized and Efficient
Obviously, it would be best if you always worked to do right by your employees. When you’re working with immigrants, however, it can be even more important. For example, it’s easy for the payroll process to fall behind once in a while when a new business is just starting off. After all, there’s so much to figure out: setting up a payroll system, gathering employee information, setting up direct deposits to withhold payroll taxes, and more.
However, late paychecks are likely to be far harder on immigrants, especially if they’re still settling into their new area and already facing other major challenges. Therefore focus on using reliable software like QuickBooks or OnPay to make sure everyone gets paid appropriately and on time.
You should also be sure to have a clear organizational structure in your business. For your very first few hires, you may not have a firm sense of who reports to whom — odds are, everyone simply reports to you. By the time you have more than just a couple of people on staff, however, it should be extremely clear who is in charge of what.
This type of clear delegation of responsibility is essential when you’re training across a language or culture gap. People have a far easier time adjusting when they know what role they — and those around them — are expected to play.
Advertise Your Job Abroad
Another great way to get potential employees interested in your business is to advertise your role abroad. If you have to have it translated, make sure to hire a skilled translator like Faviola Valencia to avoid any embarrassing auto-translate mistakes. Make it clear on the job application whether or not they’ll need to move since many international companies manage employees remotely.
Consider using freelance job boards to find capable foreign candidates. For example: If you’re interested in hiring remote freelancers in India, you can list your job on sites like Guru and Upwork.
If they are working remotely, be sure to offer a benefits package that makes sense in the context of their home region. For example, health insurance may not hold much appeal to someone in a country with socialized healthcare. A technology credit that covers their WiFi bill could be an attractive alternative.
Regarding paying foreign remote workers, bank transfers can be cost-prohibitive. Instead, look for an affordable and secure money transfer service. For example, if you hire remote workers in Mexico, you can transfer funds through Remitly for no fee if you’re sending $500 or more.
Recognize the Value Immigrants Bring
Finally, be sure to recognize and acknowledge the value that immigrants bring to your business. Studies have shown that immigrants have a knack for building businesses that thrive. The very character traits that one needs to uproot their life and move to a new country are also essential for business success. Bravery, open-mindedness, creativity, and a good eye for opportunity are just a few of the valuable traits immigrants can bring to your small business.
However, it’s easy for people who already feel out of place to get the sense that their hard work isn’t truly seen by their employer. That’s why you should go out of your way to make sure that your employees know that you notice and value what they do. Call out victories in group settings and one-on-one. This way your whole staff will see that you’re aware of what they bring to the table.
There’s so much you stand to gain by hiring immigrants to work for your small business. We hope you can use the information above to make your hiring process more attractive to people abroad so you can have a diverse staff that’s excited to make your business the best it can be.
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