Highlights
- Companies hiring employees across borders need to rethink HR best practices to ensure compliance, on-time payment, and competitive benefits.
- Parnerting with an Employer of Record (EOR) can be helpful to get foreign employees on board fast, while staying compliant.
- Lightsource provides EOR services for global businesses hiring US-based workers. Contact us to get started!
Remote work is reshaping the world, providing workers with greater flexibility and enabling businesses to expand beyond their local offices and attract global talent. Hiring and managing a remote workforce brings unique challenges. Are your HR best practices able to keep pace?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 27% of the U.S. workforce is working remotely — while other surveys place the number closer to 50%.
If you are planning to hire US-based talent this year, this might be a good time to rethink your approach toward HR practices and make sure they are aligned with employee expectations and business strategic goals.
This post outlines 5 HR best practices to help you source, hire, and retain top talent across borders.
Let’s dive in!
5 HR Best Practices for Global Companies with a US-Based Workforce
1. Adapt your Recruitment Strategies to the US Market
Recruiting candidates internationally enables companies to access a larger, more diverse talent pool. For businesses in fields that require a highly specialized workforce —such as tech and financial services—, this means hiring experienced and qualified candidates that you may not be able to find in your local market.
However, seeking out top talent beyond your business borders also means facing a very competitive market. Consider these aspects when shaping a recruiting strategy to attract US-based talent:
- Leverage local insights: each state has specific employment regulations, salary expectations, and cultural considerations. Partnering with a local recruiting agency can help you understand the US market.
- Emphasize diversity and inclusion: a recent survey shows that nearly 40% of employees would switch to a job with a more inclusive culture. And that, of course, begins with your recruiting process. Start by reducing bias in your job descriptions, using broad and diverse channels to source candidates, and developing relationships with local communities and associations.
- Customize your employer branding: Position your company as a global employer. Highlight aspects of your company culture that align with American work values, such as innovation, career growth opportunities, and a healthy work-life balance.
2. Enhance the Onboarding Experience for Remote Workers
Employees’ onboarding experience can make or break their long-term relationship with your business. Onboarding is more than logistics or paperwork: it’s about making new hires feel welcome, integrating them into your company culture, and setting clear expectations for their roles.
“Onboarding is the passport to employee engagement.”
—Sharlyn Lauby, Author and HR consultant.
In a remote work environment, this can be a bit more challenging. Here’s what your well-crafted onboarding process should include:
- Share a company handbook. Include relevant information about your company’s mission and core values, your work policies, and the benefits available for them. Think of this as a roadmap for new hires as they navigate their roles within your organization.
- Create interactive onboarding modules: use an online platform to provide essential information about the company, team, and processes. To keep remote employees engaged, combine different training elements such as multimedia elements, quizzes, and interactive activities.
- Clarify expectations around communication and scheduling. Make sure new hires stay on the same track when it comes to working hours, deadlines, and communication channels. Also, set up a daily or weekly check-in meeting to address any potential issues and strengthen your relationship as a team.
- Have fun. Set up virtual meetings where you can share stories and play games with your team, so they can get to know each other in a more informal context.
3. Ensure Compliance When Hiring Abroad
If you are planning to hire international employees, you need to stay compliant with foreign employment laws and regulations. Depending on the country, there might be different ways of managing aspects like taxes and contributions, benefits, and payroll.
To hire US-based employees, for instance, you need to be aligned with federal laws but also with state-specific legislation.
“Compliance is the currency of trust in the business world.”
— Kristy Grant-Hart, Compliance Expert and Author.
Here’s how to prioritize compliance when hiring abroad:
- Conduct thorough legal research. Before expanding your workforce to different countries, invest time in comprehensive legal research. This knowledge is key for a compliant hiring process and helps avoid legal pitfalls.
- Consider partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) service. EOR services act as the legal employer, handling payroll, taxes, and compliance matters for you. This can save you valuable time and resources, as you won’t need to establish a physical location stateside or file for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Instead, you can delegate the overwhelming employment regulations to local experts and focus on your business growth.
4. Offer a Competitive Compensation & Benefits Package
A competitive benefit and compensation package positions your company as an employer of choice for top-tier talent. It also shows your commitment to the well-being and satisfaction of your US-based workforce.
According to a Forbes Advisor study, the top 3 benefits for US workers are employer-covered healthcare, life insurance, and pension and retirement plans.
Keep this in mind when designing your compensation and benefits package:
- Do your research. Regularly research and benchmark compensation against industry standards and regional trends to ensure your salary offerings remain competitive. You should also analyze benefits packages offered by peer companies to identify areas of improvement and innovation.
- Customize benefits for diverse needs. Tailor benefits to cater to the diverse needs of your workforce, considering factors like age, family size, and lifestyle.
- Offer specific benefits for remote workers. Flexible hours are a top priority for remote workers. However, take into account other benefits that might be attractive for them such as providing work equipment and office supplies, or paying for a high-speed internet connection.
5. Training Programs
Investing in training programs and career development opportunities should be an essential HR best practice for companies hiring abroad.
Businesses that prioritize training empower employees to reach their full potential and foster a culture where continuous learning and improvement are encouraged and valued. At the same time, providing access to diverse learning experiences ensures that employees remain engaged and adaptable in an ever-changing business environment.
“Every company must recognize that not only is the human capital of their employees a major asset, it is also a depreciating asset that needs continuing investment.”
— Gary Becker, American Economist.
Here are a few tips for developing your training programs this year:
- Identify skill gaps through regular assessments. Use insights to tailor your training programs and address specific skills that your workforce may need now or in the future.
- Offer diverse learning formats. Provide a mix of learning formats, including workshops, webinars, e-learning modules, and mentorship programs, to accommodate different learning styles. Make sure to include interactive and hands-on elements in your training programs to enhance engagement and encourage employees to take action.
- Develop a clear career development framework that outlines growth opportunities within the organization. Encourage employees to create personalized development plans, aligning their aspirations with the company’s strategic goals. Keep in mind to regularly revisit and update these plans, to make sure they stay relevant.
Manage Your International Workforce with Ease
The boundaries between local and international talent are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. This brings huge opportunities for businesses seeking qualified talent, but it also entails new challenges.
Managing a global workforce requires new strategies to approach hiring, onboarding, compliance, and more. In this context, HR best practices serve as guideposts, helping companies ensure compliance and efficiency, while driving collaboration and growth on an international scale.
At Lightsource Global, we help businesses hire US-based workers and make sure they are paid on time and stay fully compliant with federal and state regulations. Our HR outsourcing services cover all bases, from payroll processing to employee benefits. Do you need to bring qualified candidates on board fast and safely? Contact us and we can help you navigate the US market.
