Top 10 HR considerations for international expansion
Global hiring is an effective way to bridge talent shortages. With the right planning, you can drive business growth and resilience. Here are the 10 factors to keep in mind.
1. Global compliance
Navigating international labor laws keeps many HR leaders up at night. Each country has its own rules for employment contracts, benefits, and payroll. For example, the U.S. allows at-will employment with minimal contract rules, while Brazil mandates parental leave and 13th-month salary payments.
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) add more complexity and set standards for entire sectors. In countries like Spain, CBAs can apply to all employers across a specific industry.
Staying compliant takes country-specific expertise. Partnering with an employer of record (EOR) can minimize the risks of global employment. As the legal employer of your global team members, an EOR ensures that contracts and HR processes adhere to local law, so you can expand anywhere without the stress of compliance.
2. Cultural adaptability
Awareness of local customs, languages, and communication styles is what makes an inclusive environment. Cross-cultural training and adapting your code of conduct to local customs are two ways of fostering this adaptability. Tailoring global HR standards to these nuances while preserving consistency encourages a sense of belonging throughout your workforce.
You can use G-P Gia™ to create compliant and locally relevant job descriptions, codes of conduct, interview questions, contracts, and more. Our AI-powered global HR agent can also provide translations for HR documents in over 50 languages to support understanding and communication with local teams.
3. Compensation and benefits
Pay and benefits are the top factors that influence an employee’s decision to join a new company. But to attract and retain top talent, your compensation and benefits packages must be locally competitive. Beyond complying with statutory minimums, this means benchmarking salaries and benefits to the local market.
For example, in some markets, a pension is a common perk. In others, pensions are rare, and comprehensive health insurance is a typical deciding factor between competing job offers.
4. Talent acquisition
The 2025 World at Work report found that 84% of executives struggled to find skilled talent in their local markets. If you want to improve your potential to attract top talent, start by:
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Including both contractors and full-time employees in your hiring strategy
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Using an EOR with extensive reach to access global labor markets
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Offering attractive and locally competitive benefits