Employer guides to international hiring
Most international placements that go wrong go wrong before anyone travels — in a brief that was too vague, a date set too late, or a site that was not ready. These guides cover the employer side of getting it right.
- Written for hiring teams
- Seven industries, eight destinations
- Practical, not promotional
What we are asked most
Six things worth settling internally before a brief is sent. None of them require a recruiter to answer.
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Write the brief in roles, not headcount
Ten people is not a brief. Six pickers, two packhouse operatives and two forklift drivers is — and it can be matched the day it arrives.
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Set the date before the volume
The start date drives the whole schedule, because documentation cannot be compressed. Fix it first, then size the crew.
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Decide what is genuinely required
Every licence or certificate added to a brief narrows the pool. List the ones the work truly needs, and mark the rest as preferred.
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State the language the site runs on
Not the office language — the language spoken on the floor, where instructions and safety briefings are given.
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Prepare the arrival, not just the vacancy
Who meets people, what happens on day one, and who they ask in week one. Short placements have no time to absorb confusion.
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Brief once for several sites
One brief can cover more than one site, sector or country, with different start dates. Splitting it rarely helps anyone.
Where a brief usually loses time
Four avoidable delays, in the order they tend to occur. Each of them is decided by the employer rather than by the recruiter.
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Waiting for certainty before briefing
An indicative window is enough to begin. Waiting for exact dates spends the time documentation needs.
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A role description written for a local hire
Local shorthand and internal job titles do not screen well. Describing the tasks matches far more accurately.
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Requirements arriving late
A certificate remembered after the shortlist means re-screening. Requirements belong in the first version of the brief.
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No single decision-maker
Shortlists need answering. A named person who can approve candidates keeps a season on schedule.
Ready to start hiring?
Start with a brief: the roles you need, how many, and when you need them on site.