Demographics are pointing toward a continued global talent shortage. Experts are predicting a greater need for employers to consider hiring internationally and opening their minds to foreign staffing options for hard to locate talent. These shortages are going to become obvious in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) areas before other executive/professional talent segments experience shortages.
Driven by these demographic trends, employers will need help locating talent and may tap an international recruitment agency to make overseas hires possible. While many employers will look for international recruitment firms that are located close to where candidates are located, others are tuning into the potential of working with a local firm that is globally connected. Obviously, both options offer advantages.
Hiring internationally with the help of a recruiter in a country far away from corporate headquarters allows employers to engage candidates in a way that is comfortable and easy for the candidate. Local language, local times, local knowledge of market conditions is valuable. Either employer or recruiter will need to flex in order to make interviews and progress meetings happen. In addition to time and language, there may be financial terms and payment terms that create challenges. If you are working multiple foreign staffing locations, there will be multiple suppliers and hence multiple challenges to overcome one-by-one. All are manageable, but this is a learning curve for employers to climb.
Employers that find local recruitment firms with global connections can deal with a project manager locally, in the same time zone, with a language and culture common with the employer. Payment terms and currencies should be those that the employer currently has a process to support. There is little learning curve as these employers have found the international recruiter next-door.
If you are an international recruitment agency with global connections, share your capabilities with local employers. Employers, if you have a growing challenge filling STEM jobs, start asking your recruitment providers what capabilities they have. As an employer with very specific needs for oversea hires, develop local connections next door and compare those benefits to the option of making connections where the candidates are located.
