How to Optimize Your International Recruiting Process for Emerging Markets

Are you looking to expand your teams into a global workforce or outsource some of your back-office tasks? Emerging markets are increasingly popular for foreign companies seeking to source highly skilled talent while reducing overhead costs. This article will guide you in optimizing your international recruiting process to ensure that you stand out from the competition.

Adapting your international recruiting strategy to your target talent market

Identifying the most popular positions in a specific market

When considering which market is most suitable for your outsourcing needs, you should first determine what are the particular specializations for some of the key international recruiting hubs. While there is a volume of young, skilled, and tech-savvy individuals in most Southeast Asian countries, some markets are more likely to produce position-specific candidates:

• Common remote positions in the Philippines:
  Customer service representative
  • Virtual Assistant
  • IT Professional
  • Remote CFO
  • Software Developer
  • Back office accounting
  • Back office legal
  • Web developer

  RecruitGo can help you find exactly the right talent based on your hiring needs. We have an existing talent pool in the aforementioned countries which also extends to several emerging markets including Vietnam, the UAE, and Malaysia. Our locally based recruiters can also help you screen potential candidates and set competitive salary expectations.

  Taking cultural differences into account

  One of the main challenges you will face as a foreign employer seeking to establish remote teams in emerging markets is adapting your recruiting strategy to each country’s cultural norms and expectations. Markets like Indonesia and the Philippines have significant differences in communication styles and working cultures when compared to Western countries:

  Australia

  • Strong emphasis on work-life balance
  • Informal communication rooted in banter and humor
  • Social connection is valued

  United States

  • Hard work, commitment to longer hours and personal achievements drive work culture
  • Communication is direct and less filtered

  Philippines

  • A collectivist culture that emphasizes flexibility
  • Indirect /non-verbal communication based on hierarchy

  Indonesia

  • High value placed on mutual respect and teamwork
  • Formal communication
  • Work-life balance rooted in religious accommodation

  To avoid alienating staff or committing a cultural faux pas, you should consider basing your hiring strategy on diversity and inclusivity. This can increase your chances of attracting prospective employees by branding your company as a safe space that respects cultural differences and provides accommodation for different work and communication styles.

  Ensuring compliance with local labor regulations

  When designing your international recruiting process, it is essential that you put a heavy focus on understanding and complying with local labor laws and regulations specific to the market in which you are sourcing your candidates. Potential employees are far more likely to want to work for a company that includes its commitment to local standards in its recruitment process:

  1. Employers are expected to accurately calculate and deduct statutory contributions for mandatory benefits such as health care and social security.
  2. You must adhere to regional wage requirements (and competitive wage standards for in-demand jobs), and follow proper income tax deduction and reporting schedules.
  3. You need to offer employees the minimum leave entitlements as set out by local law, as well as consider offering additional leave to attract candidates in competitive fields.
  4. Be prepared to set up a local legal entity and HR support, or consider partnering with an Employer of Record to facilitate employee administration, onboarding, and offboarding.

  RecruitGo’s team is well-versed in legal requirements for hiring in emerging markets and can provide you with market-specific insights to ensure that your international recruiting process is tailored to your target demographic. Alternatively, our in-house recruitment team can handle the process for you through our EOR service, thus allowing you to focus on your operations.

  Essential logistical considerations for international recruiting

  Efficiently navigating timezone differences for your remote teams

  Depending on the nature of the position that you will be outsourcing, you will have to address the navigation of timezone differences in your international recruiting process. If you are hiring primarily for back-office tasks, then you can promote flexible scheduling and a company culture that encourages mutual trust. 

  If you are mainly looking for remote teams that will handle customer support roles, then it is important that you set expectations in terms of working hours, potential night shifts, and the fact that the position requires adaptability to a different time zone. Transparency throughout the recruitment process will facilitate finding candidates who share adaptable working styles.

  It is also best practice to focus your international recruiting efforts in markets that are more prone to working across time zones. For example, working night shifts to accommodate foreign markets is more common in the Philippines than in other countries. To learn more, read our related post on remote work across time zones for US companies hiring in the Philippines.

  Providing physical office spaces for your remote teams

  While remote work has seen a significant boom since the global pandemic, more and more companies are looking to promote a return to the office to ensure better internal communication and avoid isolating remote team silos. This is also an increasingly important topic for prospective employees who want more opportunities for social interaction and team building.

  Remote hubs consist of setting up a physical office space within a foreign market which you can customize based on your company’s preferences and needs. RecruitGo can support you with setting up the necessary logistics to ensure a smooth transition back to the office for your remote workers:

  • Securing property in a strategic location
  • Setting up company equipment and local network security
  • Designing appealing common areas to encourage social interaction
  • Putting in place conference rooms for more personalized onboarding, training, and corporate communication

  How partnering with an Employer of Record service can simplify your international recruiting process

  An Employer of Record (EOR) acts as the legal employer for your remote workers in emerging markets. This allows you to start hiring virtually immediately without having to set up a local legal entity. Through our EOR service, RecruitGo can recruit in your stead based on your specific criteria through our rigorous selection process:

  1. We will post job openings based on your needs and our market knowledge
  2. Our team will perform candidate pre-screening and background checks
  3. Interviews can be conducted by our recruiters or by your team depending on your preferences
  4. You get the final say in all hiring decisions
  5. RecruitGo will manage the entire onboarding process for your new employees

  Our locally based teams will also navigate local compliance for you through our expert people management solutions. Alternatively, if you want to hire candidates directly within your organization, you can outsource local HR through our managed payroll service to ensure full adherence to local tax and accounting regulations.

  To start setting up your international recruiting process, get in touch with one of our advisors via the form below!