As compared to 15 years ago, a much larger portion of our business has a very active and robust cross-border population. While many companies select us specifically for that expertise, others discovered they needed our assistance as they expanded into new markets and needed assistance sending employees on international assignments.
We have seen that as companies continue to grow and expand, they find themselves looking further and further for the talent they need to power their future. For sure multi-national companies doing business in countries all over the world have been and continue to tap into talent wherever they can find it. But increasingly, even companies that are only engaged in domestic business within a given country are searching the globe for the right person to fill that critical position. That probably means they are working in an even tighter and more competitive environment.
Domestic companies are likely to find that attracting overseas talent can be difficult, especially if there is no international team to leverage. When a company decides to broaden their talent territory and start searching overseas, they are able to choose from a larger and more extensive talent pool – but don’t forget that those skilled individuals also have a greater selection of employers to choose from.
Suddenly, the level of support and expertise needed to manage the on-boarding of internationally sourced talent takes a sharp rise upwards. If you have found that special talent, you'll need to consider a win-win proposition for getting them in place, whether that is done through a permanent international relocation or through a short or long-term assignment structure. Tax, immigration and a whole new world of compliancy and risk management become driving requirements. And, the likelihood is that if your relocation program isn't there yet, it will be soon.