Inclusivity is crucial to having a workforce that’s ready to tackle both your community and the world. When you bring in people from all walks of life and of all cultural backgrounds, you are in the very admirable position of being able to understand your entire customer base better. But there are challenges. Today’s 50skills blog touches on a few ways to make your business more attractive for a diverse range of workers.
Hire people from other countries for remote positions.
Before you begin your campaign to hire immigrants, consider outsourcing to freelancers in other countries first. This gives you an opportunity to get to know a range of cultures. Learning about your future new employees ahead of time is a respectful move that shows you are serious about their success. Further, having existing remote staff from other countries can make your in-person immigrant workers feel a bit more at home.
If you do plan to hire out of the country, you can use an online job board. You can even target specific countries, such as Nigeria, where around 100 million people already speak a form of English. For an example of the types of jobs you can post, check out sites like HotNigerianJobs.com.
Get to know the immigrant population in your city.
Another important step towards your efforts to hire immigrants is to get out in your community and get to know them. If you’re looking to hire locally, keep in mind that many areas tend to have a concentration of immigrants from a specific country. Think Chinatown or Little Italy, both which are known for attracting Chinese and Italian immigrants, respectively.
A great place to start is by visiting events and festivals that celebrate different heritages. You can also pay a visit to your local ethnic restaurant or shopping center. This not only serves to help immerse yourself into a new culture, but can also open up opportunities to network within the center of this community.
Tips On Hiring Immigrants Legally
Once you have made your decision to hire immigrants, you’ll need to get to understand the legal aspects of doing so. Hiring an immigrant means doing your research. You’ll need to first ensure that you are only hiring those with employment authorization in the US. If you find someone that has yet to obtain their legal immigration status, you might help them obtain their O-1A Visa or other work-related visas. Another option is to help them get a family-based green card; if you are bringing in your remote workers from another country, this might be the fastest option. Most importantly, remember to pay legally. While it might be tempting to bring someone in quickly that can’t legally work, there are penalties associated with paying “under the table,” and you may find that you have to pay back taxes, which can add up quickly.
Ultimately, making a business that is friendly to your immigrant population starts with you. Get to know the people in your community and you might hire later down the road. Then, get to know the subtle nuances between cultures. Once you are ready to hire, make it a legal process so that you and your workers can enjoy a healthy professional relationship without worry.
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