Moving overseas to grasp a new opportunity is an exciting but daunting experience. Acquiring the talent is just one part of the process, but what needs to be done correctly and efficiently is the onboarding process to help your new recruit settle in. If not, it could lead to them leaving the business or finding other opportunities if they don’t feel comfortable. This is why it’s important for business owners to make the transition phase of working at a new company for international employees as easy as possible. The question is, how would you achieve this?
Provide Guidance Beforehand
To reduce the chances of adjustment issues happening early on, educate the new employee on what they should expect before they arrive. Think of elements they would need to be aware of when they’re in the office and the processes that apply as well as educating them more about the actual city/country too. The best way to do this is by sitting them around your commercial office furniture and providing educational resources on language, daily life, information hubs and attractions so they’re aware of the stuff that matters.
Set Clear Goals That Are Achievable
New staff can easily suffer from stress and anxiety, getting nervous about the new people they’re due to meet and the pressure of wanting to do well. To prevent them from feeling this way, help them to adapt to their new working environment by providing achievable goals that are reasonable to their ability. By setting these goals, it’ll make it easier for your new international employee to understand what’s expected of them. At the same time, talk to your employee so you know they’re aware of the goals they need to achieve. It’ll show that you care for their wellbeing.
Ask Them About Their Personal Preferences
If new recruits are unable to acclimatise to their new surroundings, they’ll find it difficult to work and could perform poorly as a result.
As their employer, you may just be the only connection they have in the country when they first arrive which is why there’ll be a strong emphasis on you to help them settle in. Consider factors such as office desks and office chairs to make sure they’re suitable enough for them but also more important factors such as accommodation, arranging a UK visa, perhaps purchasing a vehicle and other factors too.
Make Sure Communication Is Clear
You’d be unable to work effectively if you can’t communicate properly. It can lead to errors, inefficiency and errors. Out of all your employees, international employees are likely to struggle the most with communication as they still look to adapt to their new surroundings. Using language that’s easily understandable and training in the workplace can help, but there are other steps you can take also:
- Ensure good communication of essential information beforehand before perfecting it entirely
- Make communication a two-way thing by putting in the effort yourself to help them communicate better. This can be anything like sitting them down on office furniture London and having a one-to-one session or perhaps encouraging basic language lessons to improve their mode of communication
The most important thing to consider here is making sure that you come across condescending to international employees.
Try not to isolate them but have them involved in decision making and help to understand their specific issues.
Guest post by: Jamie Costello, Creative Writer