According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2019 the unemployment rate in the United States was at a low rate of 3.6%. This is an excellent time to be a candidate on the market for a new job! Talented CEOs, VPs and Directors are being approached for positions from multiple companies with very appealing offers.
Firms who are recruiting can be compared to teams playing a fast-paced soccer match: everyone is after one ball and only one person can score the goal. At DSML Executive Search, we ensure our Canadian and European clients who are new to the hiring process in the US are well-prepared from every angle of the playing field.
Below are the Top 4 areas we suggest for our international firms to reflect upon, before initiating their talent acquisition game-plan:
- Logistics: Have you set up your US subsidiary and do you have a physical address? Do you have a US Bank account? Do you have an office space for your new employee?
- Compensation: Have you researched salaries in the location you plan to make a hire?
- Interview questions: Are you prepared to answer the following questions from candidates?
Payroll (Will the new hire be paid monthly or bi-weekly)? , Is there a bonus structure, will there be a 401k retirement plan, how many vacation days, which holidays will the employee observe, what type of health insurance plan will you offer and how much will the employer cover? How will training be conducted once hired? If recruiting a sales executive, do you have a commission or bonus structures defined? Do you have a written offer letter template on hand and ready to modify at any given time for the perfect candidate? - How much time can you realistically dedicate to the hiring process? Is your team in Europe available for interviews and willing to provide your recruiter with quick feedback?
While this may seem overwhelming, early preparation makes a company more attractive to the candidate. It boosts their confidence level in your organization because they will appreciate the time you put into understanding the American employment system. Executive search recruiting pitfalls can be avoided. The more you strategize and prepare, the more likely you are to scream, GOOAL!!