International Recruiting 

Networking and mobility continue to increase and globalize our world. In combination with the growing shortage of skilled workers in Germany, international recruiting is becoming increasingly attractive for companies. The search for talent beyond national borders can be a valuable strategy for securing a company’s long-term competitiveness. In addition, international human resources management and EU-wide recruiting can increase a team’s innovative strength and cultural skills.  

As a placement agency for foreign employees, we know what is important for successful international recruiting and how you can find the right foreign employees. We outline the advantages, challenges and approaches of international recruiting in the following text.  

What is international recruiting?  

The term “international recruiting” refers to the process of finding and hiring qualified employees from abroad. A distinction can be made between different approaches based on the recruitment area of the foreign specialists:  

Continental recruiting: here, the pool of potential workers is expanded to include countries on the same continent. Recruiting from other EU countries is particularly popular in Germany, as EU freedom of movement means fewer bureaucratic hurdles for German companies.   

Global recruiting: International recruiting covers all continents and involves candidates from all over the world. This method is particularly popular in sectors that are highly specialized and in which only few young professionals are trained in Germany or the EU.  

More employer attractiveness thanks to international recruiting  

The shortage of skilled workers is already a well-known problem in many sectors in Germany. Companies that focus their search for qualified employees internationally significantly expand their talent pool. International recruiting therefore makes it possible to recruit highly qualified specialists.   

In addition to high motivation, professional expertise and multilingualism, international employees also bring different perspectives, cultures and ways of thinking to a company. With international recruiting, companies become more international on the market and can potentially develop new target markets. However, international recruitment also makes companies more attractive to German employees who are looking for an international working environment. Finding foreign employees therefore not only combats the shortage of specialists and workers, but can also strengthen a company’s image and increase recruitment at a national level.  

Challenges for companies: What you should know before recruiting  

Good international recruiting, which enables companies to successfully find foreign employees, requires comprehensive knowledge of the foreign labor market. As a responsible HR manager, you should not recruit “into the blue”, but rather develop a clear strategy. This includes the following considerations and requirements:  

Select targeted job advertisements and job portals: Decide from which countries or from which specialist areas you want to recruit employees and place job ads on the platforms that specialize in each. Also use multilingual ads.  

Cultural sensitivity: Companies should promote intercultural training for the HR department and managers. This enables managers to develop the cultural skills that are essential in the search for and integration of foreign specialists.  

Legal framework conditions: If you are recruiting international employees, you should find out about immigration and work permit regulations or seek legal advice. However, if you limit your recruitment to the EU labor market, there are no legal hurdles due to the free movement of persons within the EU. Depending on the country of origin of the future employee, different requirements apply, which you as the person responsible should be aware of.  

State support: The federal government offers initiatives to facilitate the immigration of skilled workers. Find out about topics such as the Skilled Immigration Act and take advantage of current projects and funding.  

As experts in recruiting foreign talent and placing them with companies, we know how challenging these issues can be for entrepreneurs and HR managers alongside their day-to-day business. JOBSMART is happy to support you in EU recruiting and find qualified specialists from the EU for your company.   

How companies can support international specialists  

When it comes to international recruiting, both companies and employees face a number of challenges. International workers have to overcome not only cultural but also bureaucratic hurdles, such as applying for the right visas and work permits. In contrast, the process is much simpler when it comes to EU-wide recruiting. Regardless of whether you are recruiting employees worldwide or from the EU, it is beneficial to support foreign employees to ensure sustainable integration and long-term professional collaboration.   

One of the biggest challenges is dealing with language and cultural differences. These can play a role not only in the application process, but also in the integration of new employees. This is because foreign specialists not only want to integrate professionally, but also into society in order to gain a long-term foothold in Germany – and therefore in your company. Structured onboarding that goes beyond the traditional professional framework and also promotes social support is therefore an important means of retaining employees from abroad. Mentoring programs can also be a targeted measure beyond the onboarding process.   

Finding qualified employees from abroad with JOBSMART  

At JOBSMART, we support you in international recruiting and find suitable talent from other EU countries. In addition, we regularly support you in the JOBSMART recruiting blog with current topics and information on all topics relating to the employment of foreign employees.   

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Still have questions about JOBSMART? We are happy to help!