How international recruiting works: Strategies for hiring global talent

With talent shortages persisting across industries, employers are expanding their reach to find the right people, no longer bound by borders. Recruiting internationally opens access to a much broader talent pool and creates opportunities to hire highly skilled individuals who may not be available locally. For companies looking to stay competitive, hiring global talent is now an important aspect of the business’s growth strategy.

This guide walks you through the international recruitment process, what to consider when hiring across borders, and how to build a reliable strategy that supports long-term global talent acquisition.

What is the hiring process for international talent?

International recruiting refers to the process of sourcing, attracting, selecting, and hiring employees from outside your home country. It includes everything from identifying global talent needs to onboarding and relocating international employees. This approach can involve remote hiring, relocation, or a mix of both.

The hiring process often includes:

1. Defining hiring priorities: Focus on roles where international recruitment makes sense, such as those with skill shortages or global relevance.
2. Attracting candidates: Use channels that reach international talent and align with your recruitment goals.
3. Screening applicants: Account for different resume formats and qualification systems.
4. Interviewing: Adapt interviews for time zones and cultural expectations.
5. Making an offer: Build a compensation package that aligns with local standards.
6. Handling employment setup: Decide between contractor or full-time employee and manage payroll, contracts, and compliance.
7. Relocation or remote onboarding: Depending on your setup, you may relocate international employees or integrate them remotely.

This process requires alignment between HR, legal, finance, and operations, and can be more involved than domestic hiring, especially when relocation is part of the plan. But with the right support and tools, it’s entirely manageable.

Components of an international recruitment strategy

A structured approach is essential to avoid legal risks, hiring delays, or unnecessary costs. Here are the core elements that support successful international talent acquisition:

• Role and location clarity: Decide whether roles will be remote, hybrid, or require physical relocation. Not all jobs or teams work well across time zones.
• Compliance knowledge: Understand local employment laws, visa requirements, and benefits expectations for each country you're hiring in.
• Hiring infrastructure: Choose your employment setup—direct hire, Employer of Record (EOR), or contractor—based on your business presence in the target country.
• Mobility and relocation planning: If relocation is needed, be sure your team can handle it or consider partnering with a global mobility provider like Jobbatical to avoid delays and protect the employee experience.
• Consistent communication: Hiring across borders requires extra attention to expectations, timelines, and cultural alignment. Keep candidates informed and engaged throughout.

If you're building your hiring plan from scratch, working with a partner that offers global mobility services can help you avoid delays and mismatches.

What are the best practices for hiring internationally?

Here’s what can make your recruitment for international talent more successful:

• Write job descriptions clearly: Avoid local jargon. Be specific about language requirements, time zone expectations, and any relocation support.
• Use the right channels: Use a mix of global job boards, social recruiting, and internal referrals to reach a wider audience.
• Screen fairly: Create a consistent evaluation process to compare candidates from different educational and cultural backgrounds.
• Communicate your offer transparently: Share compensation details, benefits, contract type, and next steps in writing.
• Onboard with support: Whether relocating or starting remotely, give your new hires the tools and context they need to succeed.

Hiring and onboarding talent from abroad is also a chance to review your current approach to international talent management. Are your systems and processes built for mobility, or do they assume everyone works in one country?

What should employers prepare for when hiring internationally?

The process of international recruitment and selection involves more than just finding the right person. Before you post a job, it's worth asking: Can we support a hire from another country from start to finish? Even well-resourced HR teams benefit from global mobility software or partnerships that reduce the administrative load and keep international hires on track.

Here are a few areas to prepare for:

• Legal and compliance: Every country has different rules around employment, tax, and documentation. Missteps can lead to delays or fines. That’s why companies working across borders often build systems — or rely on global mobility services — to stay compliant.
• Employment setup: Decide early if the hire will be a contractor or employee. The answer affects contracts, payroll, and benefits, and needs to match local regulations.
• Relocation: If the role requires moving, be ready to handle visa sponsorship, housing support, and documentation. Relocating international employees is easier with clear internal workflows or a global mobility provider who can handle logistics.
• Cultural alignment: Even the best candidates need help adjusting to a new team or country. Support their integration with onboarding, mentorship, and tools that encourage collaboration.

How to build a reliable international hiring strategy

International hiring pays off when it’s done intentionally. Whether you’re scaling your team across markets or hiring a few international experts, here’s how to set your company up for success:

1. Map out your hiring needs: Identify which roles are globally flexible and which require relocation or proximity to HQ.
2. Align with internal stakeholders: HR, finance, and legal all play a role in hiring international talent. Bring them in early.
3. Build your mobility infrastructure: This might mean setting up internal relocation support or partnering with a global mobility provider who can coordinate immigration, housing, and onboarding.
4. Use the right tools: Track applications, centralize documents, and keep communication flowing across countries. The right global mobility software can help simplify the admin and reduce delays.
5. Think long-term: Global hiring isn’t a one-off fix. It’s a way to scale, diversify, and compete for talent — and it works best when your strategy is built to support it over time.

Conclusion

The best international hiring strategies don’t stop at recruitment. They carry through to relocation, onboarding, and long-term support. That’s where global mobility plays a vital role, making it easier to bring in the right people, settle them into their new role (and sometimes country), and keep your company moving forward.

Want help relocating international employees? Let’s talk.