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Candidate Experience | 4 minute read

Global Recruitment Methods: 3 Tips For Approaching Global Talent

July 12, 2018

Many organizations today are expanding globally and, with these positive changes, comes the need to recruit global talent. In addition to compliance and employment branding nuisances, there are a number of other points to keep in mind regarding global recruitment methods. 

1. Time zones

This may seem like something you would naturally adjust to. However, becoming familiar with the different time zones and cultural practices associated with them becomes critical when scheduling meetings and reaching out to candidates across multiple time zones. Global recruiters may struggle with the timing of things at first, but with practice and familiarity using the suggestions below, recruiters will master global schedules like the greek god of time, Chronos.

Scheduling interviews and getting hold of candidates in different regions can lead to confusion and mishaps if you aren’t organised.

So, how does one keep afloat of all this? Well, that little clock app that came with your smartphone is going to become your dearest friend because it has the option to add several different clocks with multiple time zones.

For example, if you are in North America, set alarms for when morning hits the East Coast and West Coast so you know when it is appropriate to start calling people. (I know you are really excited about the fact that your candidate just got an offer, but candidates can have a mixed reaction when being presented with an offer at 3:41 a.m.)

Make sure to triple-check the times you arrange with your candidates and keep your calendar as up-to-date as possible.

It’s also important to keep daylight savings in mind – it can shift your schedule around a good amount. In Europe, we move to daylight savings on the last Sunday of March, and the US moves to daylight savings on the second Sunday of March. Some countries (like Costa Rica) don’t do it at all! So make sure you are taking all of these changes into account when organizing your schedule. 

2. Communication Style

Throughout my time recruiting global talent, I have found that there exists a different set of rules for approaching your candidates depending on the country.

In some countries, people don’t mind being left a voicemail message, or just to be emailed initially.

However in others, they would not like to see a missed call from you before they have received an email/LinkedIn/Xing message from you. Other areas of the globe are very happy to chat – but ideally after an initial message. Also, some prefer Skype to mobile phones – it saves them costs for an international call, and the sound quality is often better. And then some prefer to handle all communications as quickly as possible through email.

Before reaching out to a candidate in a region you aren’t familiar with, take some time and do your due diligence. Utilise your connections and set up a call with a contact who may know the global talent landscape well — pick their brain and learn more about the communication style before reaching out. A simple online search could also provide some tips on the best way to make outreach.

Luckily, most global talent do still feel intrigued when they get a message/missed call from a recruiter with a different country code on their phone number. However, keep in mind that hesitation may follow and it’s your job to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

All in all, you will have to gather your own thoughts of what to expect from candidates in the countries you work in and how to best approach them, but please do keep in mind that one size does not fit all.

3. Do Your Research

When I first began I spent time wrapping my head around all the legalities of recruiting in the UK, with permanent and contract markets, background checks, etc. For each country you work in, keep in mind, those get added to, rather than combined, as every country has different legislation, so you really need to know your stuff before you set off talking to candidates.

Global recruitment can be tasking, on more levels than one, so make sure you are always at the top of your game. With the right preparation and organisation, there is nothing more fun and rewarding than the world of global recruitment!

[WEBINAR] Global Talent Acquisition Strategies And Considerations For Overseas  Hiring.

About WilsonHCG

WilsonHCG is an award-winning, global leader in total talent solutions. Operating as a strategic partner, it helps some of the world’s most admired brands build comprehensive talent functions. With a global presence spanning more than 65 countries and six continents, WilsonHCG provides a full suite of configurable talent services including recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), executive search, contingent talent solutions and talent consulting. TALENT.™ It’s more than a solution, it’s who we are.