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International Contractors: The Efficient Way of Hiring Globally

If you can’t find talent locally, it’s almost a given that you will find it globally

By | Connor Circle

You might have heard of the term international contractors and not known the difference between that and a regular employee. While there are a lot of similarities, an international contractor is someone your company enters into an agreement with to complete a specific project for a specific amount of time. They are not citizens of your own country but they perform work for your company.

Now, you might be wondering why this method would ever be necessary as opposed to just hiring regular, local, employees. Well, there are a lot of cases in which hiring international contractors is the right solution for a business. But first, it is important to define a few things we need to know before setting out to contract someone.

International contractors can help you save costs, and give you a competitive edge, as you will have skilled workers that are ‘work-ready’. Different countries have different rules when it comes to defining international contractors, such as the IRS defining it for the United States. But there are a lot of universal truths when it comes to international contractors, such as:

  1. Access to trained workers

This means that the workers your company will contract are already trained in whatever it is you need, and training or onboarding, if even required, is minimal. This is ideal for when your project requires a short-term engagement and employing somebody long-term would not be right for your company.

  1. Managed expectations

The shorter-term engagements mean that there is no obligation for you towards the contractor, who is expected to complete one task but is not owed continuous work. This means that you won’t have to worry about allocating the same type of funding you allocate when it comes to maintaining the well-being of regular employees. This does not mean that you will not be contributing to the international freelancers or contractors to have their work needs met, it just means that there is a predetermined agreement in which they know not to expect regular, full-time- employment.

  1. No need for office space or equipment

This can help save costs, as it is expected that the international contractor has their own equipment, whether it be design technology, high-end PCs, or whatever else the project tasks call for. If they’re editing videos, it is expected of them (or of the subcontractor) to find their own equipment. This is an extra worry to be ticked off your list.

  1. Finding the right talent

If there’s a lack of talent in a specific field in your city or country, then hiring an international contractor closes that gap between your business needs and finding skilled workers. If you can’t find talent locally, it’s almost a given that you will find it globally. Besides this, it’s also good to know that your company does not work just locally, but is branching out, and helping build relations between different countries.

  1. Helping out

Profit or not, we are all still human, and we all need to know that we are contributing positively to someone’s life. If we hire international contractors, we end up helping freelancers find work they want to do and help them feel valued on a global scale, which surely boosts someone’s self-esteem, or at least more than working locally would. 

While contracting someone internationally can be a great way to gain an advantage, it is not all sunshine and flowers. As with a lot of different procedures, things can get complicated. If you ever accidentally classify a worker incorrectly, there can be legal consequences. When you set out to contract someone internationally, you must be well-informed of the contractor’s country laws, exchange rates, payroll, administrative duties, etc.

Professional employer organizations which is a human resource outsourcing organizations, can facilitate the entire recruitment process, and take a big load off your hands. An upside to outsourcing recruitment processes, is that you will not have to worry about payroll processing, compliance with contracted country laws, or any other issue that might come up during the recruitment process.

International contractors can be the best solution for your business needs, and there are a lot of benefits to considering it as an option. However, as with everything else, complications can arise, so it is important to stay informed and maybe even utilize professional help.

 

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