We’ve certainly come a long way since COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our world at the beginning of 2020. It seems like an age since we were carrying on with hiring staff normally; many aspects of how we conduct business have changed for good. But, with the vaccine rollout picking up the pace and with Australia having succeeded in containing the virus up to this point, it seems there’s a light at the end of what has been a very dark and uncertain tunnel.

With all signs pointing to a return to some kind of normality, it won’t be long before international companies return to hiring in Australia. What can global businesses do now to prepare for employing workers in Australia in the months to come?

Digital recruitment

Video conferencing and virtual meetings have become the new norm during the pandemic, which will likely stick around even after the pandemic’s end.

Being prepared for hiring in Australia remotely means having the right equipment, software and video conferencing subscriptions to interview candidates from afar.

Recruiting staff via Zoom or other video conferencing platforms not only streamlines your recruiting process but also saves on overheads as your hiring staff no longer need to travel cross country to hire. A faster recruitment process also means you’ll have a better chance at securing the perfect candidate before a competitor jumps in first.

Future of remote working  

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that hiring in Australia and managing your teams remotely can be done effectively without sacrificing the efficiency and productivity of your teams. In fact, many businesses have actually identified improvement to their teams’ productivity levels since they’ve been allowed more flexible working conditions.

But does this new remote working norm mean for companies that haven’t yet expanded globally? By working with a PEO, your talent pool won’t be limited to a single city, but you’ll have access to experts in their field from across the world.

Equipping your HR team with the knowledge of your intentions to hire workers in Australia when conditions have improved will give you the competitive edge to secure top talent fast. This might mean tweaking your recruiting and induction processes to ensure all face-to-face aspects can be achieved remotely. Or looking at other avenues such as partnering with a PEO like Australia PEO who will take on onboarding procedures and other HR functions on your behalf. You might also need to look at your collaborative work processes like Work in Progress meetings and review sessions to see if they need to be adapted to suit a virtual environment.

Companies that think ahead by having systems and protocol in place to hire globally in the post-pandemic world will be a few steps ahead of companies that don’t.

Don’t rush into things when hiring in Australia beyond COVID-19

Employing staff face-to-face can be a stressful and costly exercise, so hiring from the other side of the world can be even more so.

When you’re recruiting in Australia from another country, expect to run into challenges along the way. Time differences, cultural barriers, contradictory employment laws and the inefficiencies that come with carrying out any virtual task can slow down a process.

Working with Australia PEO when you recruit and hire staff in Australia means you’ll have a single dedicated team on Australian soil undertaking the entire hiring process, from recruitment to onboarding. What this means is that you can be up and running in Australia in a matter of hours, not weeks or months.

Speak to Australia PEO to find out how we can help your business hire in Australia in a post-pandemic world.