How to lead, manage and motivate international employees

As per a survey performed by a magazine, 70% of our youth wish to settle in different countries, primarily the US and UK. Working in a foreign land is their idea of 'success'. Now emigration isn't as much of a problem as long as employers manage to keep the spirits of the international employees high, thereby, leading to their long-term engagement with the company.

So the question finally rises, what must be done to attract more international employees? An international manager needs to know what measures they can take to interest more foreign employees in the country.

What motivates an employee?

Some basic factors make a job 'ideal' for an employee.

  1. Salary: Money is at the top of everyone's priorities. It forms a primary reason why people switch their jobs. An employee would rather adjust than have himself paid less. Hence, an employee should be paid a salary that resonates with their job and position in the company.
  2. Safety: Health is wealth. The only thing that can deter an employee from a job despite being paid a handsome amount, is the safety factor. If the job environment risks the employee's health or life (for that matter) in any way, a smart employee would refuse the job.
  3. Leisure time: If an employee is earning enough, he would also like to have some time to spend it and enjoy the hard work pay off. The employees need to be given at least one day off, each week when they can spend some time with their families and friends and get energized for another coming week.
  4. Friendly working environment: An employee devotes at least nine hours of their day to the workplace. A friendly environment and some colleagues at the workplace just make it easier for a person to work and stay motivated. Otherwise, it could affect one's mental health terribly.

There are some other factors too, that determine one's motivation for their workplace. An employee can get bored of the same, mundane routine. So they must have a variety of work that can keep them interested and satiate their hunger for something new.

The Difference In Culture

Since we're addressing the different ways to appreciate an employee and keep them motivated, we must not forget to address an important factor, which is culture. Appreciation is expressed differently in different cultures and if not paid attention to, it can translate into embarrassment. 

In countries like the US, success is seen with a more individual lens than for a team. Hence, appreciating an individual for their outstanding performance can result in even better results. However, in many Asian countries, appreciation is more comfortable to accept if associated with a team, than an individual.

Identifying the Different Versions of Motivation

A talent manager should understand how motivation translates differently in different cultures. You could host training or come up with some focus groups for a particular culture/region. The incentives that shall work as a carrot for your potential employees, should firstly be rewarding in 'their opinion and view'.

After a detailed study of different cultures, you should plan incentives being offered to them accordingly. This shall keep them motivated and avoid any kind of toxicity that could come their way.

The PEO Companies

The process of recruitment is quite lengthy, not just for the employer, but the employees too. To add to the pain, the legal work that needs to be accomplished before one can start working for a company creates a place. Well, the PEO (Professional Employer Organisation) companies are there to help.

These companies help organisations recruit employees without getting into the legal stuff. They take care of all the legal work that needs to be done in the process. Companies that offer help with work visas in Ireland such NHGlobal Partners are leading PEOs in the business.

Wrapping Up

To attract more and more International employees to work for them, a company should consider several factors like providing them a good salary, a safe environment, and friendly environment and also a suitable number of paid leaves and week offs to relax and spend time with their families and friends.

The company should provide them with responsibilities so that they feel important and then also appreciate them for their work. To combat the trouble of the hectic legal process in hiring an employee, you have PEOs to your resort. They take care of all the legal procedures and save the time and efforts of the employee and the employer. Ultimately, it’s all about keeping your foreign workers engaged and helping them feel like they belong in your organisation.