Our global economy has been enveloped by digitization. This combined with the explosion of startups and startup hubs, the constant pressure to drive down costs, boost innovation and scale, are all contributing to a shortage of skilled tech talent in North America and Europe. For Canada, international recruitment is helping alleviate the shortage of local skilled, tech talent and is also helping to counteract the on going U.S. brain drain. Studies show that the senior roles are particularly in short supply. In Europe, there will be a shortage of 800,000 IT workers by 2020. This labor shortage threatens to undermine economic growth in both regions. Canadian and European companies can sustain and bolster productivity and innovation by incorporating international tech talent into their hiring programs and policies.
At VanHack, we are seeing an increased focused on international recruiting from different teams within hiring companies, not only HR. Recruiting teams are collaborating more and more with senior management, product development, IT and we are also seeing the rise of the Diversity and Inclusion role. These team members are working cross functionally to create strategies, policies and programs to promote and implement international recruiting.
In the article below, we address 5 key benefits of hiring tech talent from abroad. To get immediate access to a qualified list of candidates, and speak to one of our talent specialists about the visa process head to our employer’s page and sign up 🙂
The Widest Pool of Qualified Candidates
Why not widen the pool of candidates as much as possible to ensure the right people join your business and help you achieve your business goals? Companies looking to expand their candidate searches beyond the local talent pool will find it much easier to cover some of the hardest roles to fill. With many in-demand roles like software development, security and other engineering roles seeing greater turnover from local talent, the need to expand the pool of candidates in any recruitment campaign is obvious. As the amount of technology roles outpaces skilled workers to fill them, companies who only hire within Canada or Europe are naturally forced to be less selective as result of the lack of supply. Why should you compromise on a small pool of applicants to meet your specific requirements? Hiring abroad solves this problem by providing a much larger pool of candidates that can ensure a better fit with the exact qualifications or experience needed for a particular role. Partnering with a company that has already built a vast community of international tech talent, that is skilled and ready for in person and virtual interviews, and to relocate is essential.
VanHackers, for example, are an eager and highly skilled community that consists of over 190,000 professionals, ready to relocate. Given recent changes to the government’s Visa programs, VanHackers can be ready to join an organization in as little as several weeks.
Cost Reductions and Speed
What are the main components that help company’s hire internationally quickly, while containing cost? Don’t settle for a company that only does one or two of these. Growing a company is no easy feat, and having all of these services centralized will save you time and money, and allow you to stay focused on innovation and execution.
a. Recruiting Automation Tool with AI power – Did you know that over half of HR professionals spend 30 hours a week on sourcing candidates? Time to fill is one of the most commonly tracked recruiting metrics in HR because it directly impacts the organization’s bottom line. If they do not have the proper automation tools in place, researching appropriate candidates can be slow, expensive and mean missed opportunities. It can also lead to unfit hires, poor company reputation and poor candidate experience. In the world of online review websites, a poor candidate experience can spread like wildfire and discourage others from applying in the future.
b. Recruiting companies that offer full service sourcing, recruiting, certification and relocation services, alongside an automation tool, helps companies reduce costs and act fast. In addition to a designated human recruiter, you will benefit from the best of what technology and the human touch can offer. Automated lists of the best candidates that fit your specific requirements within seconds, and a dedicated recruiter helping you to filter, prioritize and narrow your search and ensure a cultural, behavioral and technical fit is a must have.
c. Leave the Visa process to the experts – Having a team of experts that will handle all aspects of the Visa process and relocation for candidates is crucial. In house relocation experts know which programs to take advantage of, and quickly. Plus, VanHack’s new feature on its platform allows hiring companies to collaborate and track the Visa processing from start to finish. In addition, Van Hack provides assistance and guidance to make securing a Visa even easier, before and during the hiring process. In contrast, local hires may have difficulties relocating due to home ownership, familial obligations, or competing offers requiring additional resources to pre-screen, interview and hire a new recruit.
d. Partnering up with a company who already invests continually in engaging and growing their community of tech talent. An international recruiting company that offers on going certifications, online language and interview skill courses, mentoring and professional development, in addition to in person events (for recruiting and hiring) allows you immediate access to top talent. Allow them to do the heavy lifting here. Your job is made easier when you can connect with top talent from an ever growing community that is focused on developing themselves personally and professionally.
Adaptability and Initiative
Candidates willing to relocate for a specific position are generally more adaptable as they are used to responding to changing environments. While some local candidates may have these soft skills naturally, those willing to relocate have already highlighted their ability to respond to the changing landscape and provide a skill that organizations need given the speed of change in the current economy. Being flexible and adaptable about relocation, also means that they will carry these qualities with them when joining a new team, and living in a new city. These are all important elements of relocation and integration.
Deciding to move abroad also means managing all kinds of change, often all at once. Hiring someone who can deal with these differences rather than being overwhelmed by them can provide a significant business advantage. For employers, hiring abroad identifies employees who find change normal and refuse to accept the status quo. For those reasons, employees willing to relocate possess greater levels of openness, creativity and patience.
Independence and Commitment
While relocating is a big decision for anyone, the ability to relocate with or without family is a fairly strong indicator of an employee’s independence. This willingness to take on a new opportunity away from home means the employee has a high degree of self-motivation and initiative that can transform into innovation and creative thinking at the organizational level. It also highlights that the employee is not using your organization as a placeholder for a better offer; instead, those who relocate highlight their willingness to commit to an organization and establish a greater connection that leads to greater long-term satisfaction. In fact, the retention rate for hiring abroad vs hiring locally is significantly higher.
In short, Canadian or European organizations looking to hire abroad will find many benefits from lower recruitment costs to a better cultural fit, more innovation, better communication within the group and higher retention. Organizations looking to improve their access to international talent can join the VanHack community and get started today. To get immediate access to a qualified list of candidates, head to the employer’s page at vanhack.com/employers.