6 tips for working abroad

6 tips for working abroad

Apr 13, 2022 | Remote work, Teleworking, Tips

6 tips for working abroad

To help you work abroad successfully, here are some tips to consider.

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1. Research locations

Before choosing a destination for your international career, research possible locations. Learn about different countries and cultures and determine whether you will be able to easily work in your industry in the places you’d like to live. If you are considering changing industries as part of your work abroad, research opportunities in your new industry in the locations that interest you. Discuss options with an experienced traveler in your industry, if it would help. Reach out to industry professionals in your intended destination, as well. Consider using a list application or spreadsheet to keep track of what you find.

2. Understand your visa conditions

Some visa types in some locations require international workers to return to their home country periodically, or if you leave the job you were hired for when you moved. Many employers provide support with the process of obtaining a work visa, so consider clarifying these details independently as well as with your human resources department to be sure your understanding is clear. Be sure to develop a contingency plan for what you will do regarding your visa if or when your employment conditions change.

3. Leverage your company’s support

Your company will probably help you sort out the details of your visa and other necessary paperwork. Try to leverage your company’s support as much as possible in other aspects of your transition to working abroad, as well. For example, you might want to find out if your company offers relocation assistance. Some companies will help provide funding for moving services and transportation or help arrange these services for employees who are working internationally. Explore your company’s resources for locating housing and learning about your destination country’s culture, as well.

4. File taxes appropriately

Tax laws will vary depending on where you are moving for work, but you will probably have to pay U.S. federal taxes no matter where you go as long as you are a U.S. citizen. Research tax implications thoroughly as part of your decision-making process. You might take taxes into account, for example, when evaluating the relative salary you will receive in a particular location or role. Be sure to file your taxes appropriately as well, when they are due, and consider conferring with a tax specialist if you have questions.

5. Consider local transportation

Think ahead about how you will get around once you arrive in your destination. If you will need to purchase or rent a vehicle, look into those processes and availability before you go. If you are going to rely on public transportation, learn as much as you can about the local transit systems ahead of time and obtain any important maps and schedules. Try using the local transit system’s mobile app to access transportation information on-the-go, if it makes sense for your situation.

6. Carry your visa

In most places, it is often best to carry your visa with you when you are traveling in your new destination. You might be required to provide identification for different reasons in your travels, and if you are lost or experience an emergency your visa document might help you access services you need. Consider using a dedicated visa pouch and carry it close to your body to keep it safe.

Many people decide to move to work in another country. But did you know that many others are working for companies in other countries without the need to move?

Working abroad without the need to move

Yes, it is possible thanks to teleworking and companies like Roots that make the process of recruitment and payments legal and safe. Do you want to know more about us? Contact us

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5 tips to improve team performance

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Feb 1, 2022 | Remote team, Tips

5 tips to improve team performance

A happy workforce is an engaged workforce, meaning they should feel valued in their positions in order to do a good job

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Increasing productivity in the workplace goes beyond hiring new employees or growing your business — it also means making your employees happy and prioritizing their wellbeing. This is especially important as more and more offices shift to remote work.

What Is Team Productivity?

Team productivity is a measure of performance that compares the number of activities completed with the quality of the work and the time taken to finish. To be truly productive, you want to successfully and adequately complete a large portion of scheduled activities within the given amount of time.

For companies, team productivity means that the employees complete assigned tasks and produce quality work in the time frames allotted for each need.
Keeping teams productive starts with nurturing each employee’s physical and mental health and establishing healthy goals.

1. Implement a four-week cycle

The business world is fast-paced, meaning new microtasks or needs could arise at any minute. For teams trying to meet their goals, this might mean losing sight of current work to make room for new needs and watching as those prior tasks fall through the cracks.

Making a dedicated list of priorities can help team members know which tasks are essential to meet KPIs. That way, those main tasks will still get completed even if new needs come up.

Tip: When new needs arise, you may need to shift your priorities. In that case, meet with your team as soon as possible to discuss how to rearrange and readjust.

2. Break large goals into smaller chunks

Breaking your goals and workload up into smaller chunks can make you feel like you’re getting more done and prohibit feelings of being overwhelmed. The same concept applies to your employees: Breaking the weekly workload up into smaller, daily tasks can create feelings of accomplishment among your team and a drive to get more done.

Tip: Instead of setting many different, smaller goals, take large, overarching S.M.A.R.T. goals and break them up into smaller pieces to help make significant headway on these larger tasks.

3. Consider a hybrid schedule

Some employees enjoy hunkering down in an office from 9 to 5, while others might do better with hour-long breaks every few hours to recharge. Being flexible with your employees’ schedules can help them report to work when they’re clear-minded and energized to accomplish their goals.

Consider allowing a hybrid schedule that fluctuates between in-office and remote work or letting employees work at their own pace with weekly deadlines rather than a tight, hourly schedule.

Tip: Allow for flexibility but monitor your employees’ work to make sure they aren’t working too late into the night, which could hinder a healthy work-life balance.

4. Prioritize work-life balance

We’ve all known the stress of having to attend a sudden doctor’s appointment, run out for an urgent errand, or take care of a family situation during the workday. Allowing your employees the freedom to take care of life tasks or needs during the workday can help them feel appreciated and less stressed on the job.

Tip: Don’t send messages to your employees after business hours or on the weekends as they may feel pressured to respond.

5. Play to your team’s strengths

You wouldn’t ask a goalkeeper to score a goal, right? Same can apply to your work team. When assigning tasks and making a project plan, utilize your team in the way that they’ll be most efficient. Learn more about your team’s specific strengths and weaknesses so you can divide up work accordingly.

Tip: If you’re not sure how to gauge where your team members excel, ask them during a one-on-one check-in what they’re most confident working on. Ask something like, “Where do you feel the most confident and where do you feel you’re struggling?”

How to have a solid work team?

We have already seen how to form solid teams. Are you thinking of adding new talents to your company? Did you know that you can legally hire employees from anywhere in the world? Contact Us

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1. Respect public holidays

Employees working abroad are entitled to paid leave on public holidays in their countries of residence. Respecting this not only ensures your compliance, but also shows that you value your team members’ cultural contexts. This is a great way to foster a sense of belonging within your team and retain foreign employees.

2. Know where your employees are based

Employing foreign workers means your employees could be working anywhere in the world. You need to know where they are working from so you can employ them compliantly and ensure they have the right to work wherever they are.

3. Fair salary benchmarking

There are a number of ways to benchmark salaries when employing foreign workers. Whatever you decide, ensure you are paying salaries that are compliant, commensurate with employees’ qualifications and experience, and calculated the same way across your team.

4. Know how to pay your foreign workers

There is no one system from which to pay all salaries, as well as taxes and contributions to the authorities when employing foreign workers. Many countries have specific systems in place, like PAYE in the UK. We’ve created a step-by-step plan on how to pay your employees working abroad.

5. Streamline online onboarding

When hiring internationally, set up a streamlined online onboarding process for an easy start to your employee’s new job. Give them access to all necessary online tools and allow them to onboard independently and asynchronously if needed. We also recommend scheduling lots of 1-on-1 meetings in the first month. Introduce them to the whole team within their first week to foster connection to the wider team.

6. Set your team up with the right remote technology

Remote working tools are incredibly helpful for maintaining communication across internationally distributed teams. They can help facilitate external meetings, task management, socializing, and ad hoc brainstorming. New software programms like Slack or Monday are also helping teams work remotely across time zones. Be selective – choose the tools that suit your team’s needs.

cost-effective foreign employment solutions

Roots EOR can help you stay compliant and support your employees working abroad. As a remote-first team ourselves, we are well aware of the challenges and awesome benefits of hiring abroad. We offer an efficient and cost-effective foreign employment solution so you can focus on your activities and growing your business. 
Get in touch today

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Strategies for employers struggling to find workers

Strategies for employers struggling to find workers

Nov 9, 2021 | Employer Of Record, EOR, Hiring, Recruiting, Remote work, Tips

Strategies for employers struggling to find workers

What can employers do to brighten their hiring outlook and find skilled workers? Consider these tips:

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The rate at which unemployed people are getting jobs is lower than it was pre-pandemic, and it’s taking longer to hire people. What can employers do to brighten their hiring outlook and find skilled workers? Consider these tips:

 

1. Promote company culture

While wage incentives and benefits are a clear way to help meet hiring goals, these are proving to not be enough by themselves. Attitudes are shifting when it comes to what people want out of work, with newfound importance being placed on purpose, balance, and flexibility. This could be one indicator of why so many are staying voluntarily unemployed.

It’s crucial that company culture does not become a staged marketing exercise in order to meet hiring goals but that businesses really do embody the values they are espousing. The current crisis is as much about a labor shortage as it is about employee retention. Not only does that aspect make an employee happier, more productive, and more likely to stay, but it also makes them more likely to recommend the organization to others.

 

2. Expand your search globally.

Your usual pool of potential candidates might have become more shallow (or maybe even dried up), but there could be more talent overseas. For those positions that can be done anywhere in the world, open up your search globally.

Roots EOR can facilitate hires for you anywhere in the world. You can find talent in any other country — people who bring needed skills and refreshing cultural diversity to your team — and then engage a global EOR to help bring them on your team easily, quickly, and most importantly, compliantly.

 

3. Tap into the contingent workforce.

Partnering with an EOR can help you find and tap into the contingent worker talent pool. Bear in mind, though, that contingent workers are in such demand that they can pick and choose where they would like to be and what they would like to do, so be prepared to negotiate.

 

4. Partner with community organizations to recruit talent.

If your own talent pool seems smaller by the day, consider collaborating with outside groups (such as community and professional organizations or colleges) to recruit talent.

For example, some educational institutions currently are partnering directly with local manufacturing companies to help upskill their students for today’s manufacturing jobs. As with the above steps, you can use an EOR to facilitate these “internships” without taking on the time and administrative burden.

With forces conspiring to widen the skills gap and worker shortage in the U.S., you need to get proactive about widening your hiring process in response. Overcome these challenges, and you could find yourself tapping into talent pools you never considered before and creating a more diverse, skilled, and high-performing team.

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Sep 24, 2021 | EOR, Human Resources, Job, Job search, Salaries, Tips

5 tips to find the best jobs for you

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Guidance on how to find the work you will love.

Identifying how your personal ambitions, goals and needs align with a particular job opportunity is no easy task. But outlining these factors is essential when searching for a job that’s the right fit for you. Here are some tips to help you identify if a job is a good fit for you:

1. Decide what you want in a job

At the start of your job search, spend some time reflecting on what has prompted you to look. Are you interested in doing the same job for a different employer? Do you want to change career paths? Are you entering the job market for the first time? Are you returning from an employment gap?

 

2. Research job titles and descriptions

You can review different job titles to get a better understanding of what a certain role entails and what skills may be required. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also provides up-to-date information on a comprehensive set of occupations.

 

3. Review salary trends

Salary trends is a tool that lets you see the trends in compensation for specific jobs in different locations. Enter a job title and you’ll see the salary range in various cities and with different employers.

 

4. Identify your must-haves

Another method of finding the jobs that are right for you is to identify your non-negotiables and areas where you may be more flexible.

5. Experiment with different job searches

The best way to get a feel for the jobs that are available to you is to try out different search terms. As you search, you’ll get better at recognizing the jobs that feel right and those that don’t.

If you’re not sure where to begin, it’s a good practice to start with broad search terms and steadily narrow it down.

Finding the ideal job is not easy. Many times, you can find it in another country. Did you know that you can be hired and hire people without being in the same physical location in a simple way? Contact Our Advisors 

Tips for making the best first impression at your new job

Tips for making the best first impression at your new job

Sep 21, 2021 | EOR, Human Resources, Job, Job search, Tips

Tips for making the best first impression at your new job

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The first impression, counts. How to prepare your first day.

1. Research, research, research

Before your first day, experts recommend doing as much research about the company as possible, including checking out social media posts to get a feel for the office culture and appropriate attire.
Depending on your role, it may also help to research your company’s competitors, test out any software you’ll be using on the job, and look up your colleagues’ LinkedIn profiles.

 

2. Make contact with your manager

Before day one, send them an email or a Slack message to check in with them.
Ask about how people in the office generally dress for work (even when working from home!), whether there is anything specific that would be helpful for to know on your first day, if you’ll need to bring or prepare anything special with you that day, and what might be expected of you in your first week. Demonstrating a desire to be proactive and prepared will make a great impression and show your employer that you want to have the best start possible and be effective from day one.

 

3. Confirm your schedule

Don’t assume you know what time to show up or when your lunch break is. Even if it’s in the job description, there might be an important detail missing.
To avoid a mishap ask about schedules and routines ahead of time. What time will you be expected to arrive? What time does everyone usually leave? When is your lunch break and for how long?

 

4. Do a test run of everything

If you’ll be working on-site, test your commute. If you’ll be working from home, test your internet connection, computer, software, and other equipment you’ll need for the job. Knowing that everything is working smoothly will help you relax for the big day.

 

5. Introduce yourself to the team virtually

Your arrival on-site (or online) should never be a surprise to the rest of the company. Usually, HR or your boss will introduce you to the team before you start, but even if they don’t, take the initiative to do so yourself. Ask your boss if you can send a company-wide email or a Slack message to the main channel to let your team know who you are and what you do.

The first impression, counts. That is why it is important that the first days you start on the right foot.

Are you thinking of changing your job? Do you know that you can work in a place that is not physically in the same place as you? ROOTS EOR makes this much easier.
How? Contact Our Advisors