Hiring and relocating global talent: a guide to building your immigration strategy

La pénurie de talents persistant dans tous les secteurs d'activité, les employeurs élargissent leur champ d'action pour trouver les bonnes personnes, sans plus se soucier des frontières. Le recrutement international ouvre l'accès à un vivier de talents beaucoup plus large et crée des opportunités d'embaucher des personnes hautement qualifiées qui ne sont pas forcément disponibles localement. Pour les entreprises qui cherchent à rester compétitives, le recrutement de talents internationaux est désormais un aspect important de la stratégie de croissance de l'entreprise.

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

Quel est le processus de recrutement des talents internationaux ?

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 managing the legal complexities of employee immigration. This approach can involve remote hiring, strategic employee immigration, or a mix of both.

Le processus d'embauche comprend souvent

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

This process requires alignment between HR, legal, finance, and operations. It can be far more involved than domestic hiring, particularly due to intricate immigration requirements and visa processes. But with the right support and tools, it’s entirely manageable.

Composantes d'une stratégie de recrutement international

Une approche structurée est essentielle pour éviter les risques juridiques, les retards d'embauche ou les coûts inutiles. Voici les éléments essentiels qui permettent de réussir l'acquisition de talents internationaux :

• Role and location clarity: Decide whether roles will be remote, hybrid, or require physical presence. Not all jobs or teams work well across time zones.
• Compliance knowledge: Understand complex local employment laws, diverse visa requirements, and benefits expectations for each country you're hiring in. Navigating specific immigration rules is often the most challenging aspect.
• 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 immigration planning: If global talent requires a move, planning for employee immigration and visa processes is paramount. Ensure your team can handle the legal complexities, or consider partnering with an immigration services provider to navigate challenges and ensure compliant moves. To learn more about when and how to leverage external help, explore our guide on when and how to outsource immigration services.
• 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 immigration solutions can help you avoid delays and mismatches.

À quoi les employeurs doivent-ils se préparer lorsqu'ils recrutent à l'étranger ?

Le processus de recrutement et de sélection à l'échelle internationale ne se limite pas à trouver la bonne personne. Avant de publier une offre d'emploi, il convient de se poser les questions suivantes : Pouvons-nous prendre en charge une personne recrutée dans un autre pays du début à la fin ? Même les équipes RH bien dotées en ressources bénéficient de logiciels de mobilité mondiale ou de partenariats qui réduisent la charge administrative et maintiennent les embauches internationales sur la bonne voie.

Voici quelques domaines auxquels il faut se préparer :

• Legal and compliance: Every country has different rules around employment, tax, and documentation. Immigration compliance is often the most intricate and high-stakes area, as missteps with visa categories or application processes can lead to significant delays or fines. That’s why companies working across borders often build robust systems  —  or rely on specialized global immigration solutions  —  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 a move, be ready to handle visa sponsorship and the subsequent housing support and documentation. Successfully navigating employee immigration processes is the critical precursor to any smooth relocation. Relocating international employees is easier with clear internal workflows or a global mobility provider who specializes in immigration expertise.
• 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.

Comment élaborer une stratégie d'embauche internationale fiable ?

L'embauche internationale est payante lorsqu'elle est effectuée de manière intentionnelle. Que vous souhaitiez étendre votre équipe à d'autres marchés ou recruter quelques experts internationaux, voici comment mettre votre entreprise sur la voie de la réussite :

• Map out your hiring needs: Identify which roles are globally flexible and which require relocation or proximity to HQ.
• Align with internal stakeholders: HR, finance, and legal all play a role in hiring international talent. Bring them in early.
• Build your mobility infrastructure: This might mean setting up internal employee immigration and relocation support, or partnering with a global immigration services provider who can coordinate complex immigration processes, housing, and onboarding.
• 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.
• 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 navigating employee immigration, facilitating smooth relocation, seamless onboarding, and long-term support. That’s where global talent mobility plays a vital role, making it easier to bring in the right people, ensure immigration compliance, and settle them into their new role (and sometimes country), keeping your company moving forward.

Vous avez besoin d'aide pour relocaliser des employés internationaux ? Parlons-en.