This is a guest post written by Heather Darby of international relocation specialists, Momentous Relocation (experts in relocating people — and potential recruits — from anywhere in the world).
International recruitment is a complicated process — but also a worthwhile one.
Onboarding international talent provides businesses with a range of benefits unattainable through other means of recruitment, from diversifying workplace culture to improving international trade.
There are a number of challenges to overcome on the way to successful talent acquisition: finding candidates, dealing with the immigration process and the resources required to physically relocate the prospect, to name a few.
However complicated these processes might be, these challenges are all controllable and manageable. Once you’ve leapt over the red tape hurdles, your business is free to enjoy the benefits of an international recruit.
Or is it?
Culture shock can blindside recruiters, but it shouldn’t. Culture shock is one of the biggest problems faced when recruiting international talent. After all that hard work, all that administration time, money and resources, recruits suffering from culture shock can just disappear, unable to cope with life abroad.
A severe reaction to a foreign culture, culture shock occurs when a person is unable to function in a new country or location, forcing them to move back to the comfort and security of home.
Like all aspects of the international recruitment process, however, culture shock is manageable. Attention must simply be paid to it, with preemptive and post-move actions taking place.
Pre-Relocation
- Communicate: You cannot work to a standard high enough to be deemed effective if you cannot communicate with the people around you. If workers cannot work properly due to language and cultural reasons, they’ll be more inclined to leave the position. Ensure they can — or are learning to — communicate in the work environment prior to the move. This not only includes language, but also knowing how to behave appropriately and understanding the unique culture of the workplace.
- Educate: It isn’t just work culture that is going to affect your new recruit. Life in general is going to change, meaning day-to-day tasks are going to need a different approach. Educate your prospect on how to live abroad. This can be done either through personal Q&As, training sessions, educational resources, or all of the above.
- Encourage: A long-distance cultural education process can only teach you so much. To really get a sense of the country, encourage recruits to visit and discover life abroad prior to their official relocation. This will allow them to immerse themselves at a more relaxed pace, without the stress of a new job piled on top.
- Prepare: A confident employee may be unwilling to accept the idea of culture shock affecting them, but it can happen to anyone. Ensure they are mentally prepared for the possibility and have plans in place to deal with such issues if they arise — support networks, home comforts and the like. Also, prepare your HR department for this possibility and that they may be required to offer guidance.
Post-Relocation
- Accommodate: Once the move has been completed, don’t leave your recruit to fend for themselves. Assist in getting them comfortable and settled in. The more roots your recruit lays, the more they’ll feel at home. If they need it, help them sort things like schools, accommodation, banks, utilities and anything else they need to feel like a resident, not a visitor.
- Translate: Learning how to communicate properly takes time. You can start the process early, but that doesn’t mean recruits will be 100% fluent in language and culture by the time they step in the door. Sometimes, you just can’t learn things from resource materials and have to live it to experience and learn it. During their transition stage, ensure adequate time is spent helping your recruit adjust.
- Support: As their employer, you may be the only link your recruit has to the country they now call home. Until they’ve built their own life, you’ll need to serve as a support structure. Offer an open-door HR policy. Allow them to come to you with any problems they have and guarantee that they won’t be turned away without help. If the recruit knows they can seek help if they need it, they’ll be more likely to try and solve issues rather than simply run from them. Having a friendly, supportive face can make a big difference.
- Adapt: Everyone is affected by culture shock differently, so a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. Be prepared to adapt to the needs of your employee. If they are struggling to communicate, focus on the communication aspect of the job. If they aren’t settling in properly, offer extra help and support in that area.
