According to a survey done by the Australian Bureau of statistics (ABS), more than 6.6 million  Australians were born overseas. That means that almost half of all Australians were either born overseas or have a parent who was. We are a nation of migrants and that makes the companies operating here very flexible by being diverse in the workforce they hire. When you want to hire remote or overseas workers, you have to be ready to face the challenges that come with dealing with them.  

However, they can prove to be an incredible asset to your company’s expansion and rapid growth. Internet has made it quite easy for companies to hire remote or overseas workers. The easy flow of communication and commerce has made it easier, convenient and very cost effective. It has empowered companies to consider the benefits of hiring top talent from anywhere in the world without being restricted by geographic boundaries.

When you want to hire an overseas employee, here are five important things that you will need to consider and get done before you do so.

• Delegate Tasks Before Virtual Outsourcing

Before hiring a new overseas worker, think and evaluate if you really need one. You may find that your employees are overworked and overwhelmed with responsibilities, a dilemma that can easily be solved by the delegation of tasks to minimize management and supervision. In the end, you may find out that there was no need for relying on an overseas hire. A quick re-structuring can increase your operational efficiency and help you reduce redundancies without bringing an overseas worker on the team.

• Look Far and Wide When Looking for Experts in a Field

In the past, there were just a handful of companies and platforms that provided the opportunity for companies to hire overseas employees. However, that situation has completely changed. Now, you can cast your net really wide to find the best talent for a job. You can use online portals to review a candidate’s resume and application materials as well as their portfolios before making a decision.

• Think About More than Just Hourly Rates

Before you decide on your compensation package, you will need to evaluate each remote worker’s skill set and level of expertise. Think about it; you might be attracted to an international worker who is bidding to work at $5/hour. In comparison with an Australian who is charging you $40/hour, this may seem like an obvious choice. However, if English is not their first language, the task that could have taken an hour to complete may take five hours to do so. Check the candidate’s full employment package before you decide to hire them.

• Think About Communication Channels and Time

Overseas workers shouldn’t have an “Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind” place in your business. Avoid any internal and external miscommunications and ensure that all the team members are on the same page. This will help avoid any disruptions in your business and decrease employee satisfaction. Daily status updates, weekly standup meetings, internal chats and calls to facilitate conversations among team members and regular employee meet-ups can reinforce communication between regular and remote workers.

• Think about Legal and Tax Obligations Beforehand

This will depend on whether you use a third party or an independent contractor to hire your remote employee or whether you hire them directly. This will differ according to the terms you hired them under and you may have to deal with a number of tax and legal obligations accordingly. You might also want to consider sourcing skilled professionals from overseas, in this case, it is worth getting advice from a qualified migration agent to ensure all the legal elements.