Globalization and technological advancement enable people to travel all around the world. It is resulting in the fast mobilization of people and rising the pace of living.
People move to another country easily. Some of them are mere travelers, while others are moving to seek a better life. It is because the wage gap among countries can be so tempting. Thus, lead them to become migrants workers.
Migrants workers are the solution for the countries that are struggling with labor shortages. But new solutions come with new risks. Before knowing the tips, you have to understand the risks of hiring migrants workers.
Before hiring migrants workers, there are some risks you have to take into consideration. Based on research, here are the risks of hiring migrants workers:
1. Language Barrier
The language barrier is a very common struggle for the migrants. It prevents them from fully understanding the regulations and safety guidelines of their workplace. Thus, leading them to make mistakes that should be avoidable. Some mistakes may be fixable, but it can also risk their safety.
Other than their inability to understand the regulations, the language barrier will also prevent them from understanding the instructions. Failing to fulfill the targets will be the risk that the employer has to face.
Migrants workers with language barriers usually have a hard time expressing their feelings and bonding with the non-migrants. The consequence is workplace discrimination.
2. Cultural Differences
Culture shock requires a long time to adapt. It also involves language barriers, but cultural differences are wider than that. Culture affects someone’s way of thinking and solving problems. Their different ways of handling an issue might inflict instability on the company.
The non-migrant workers might find it irritable. The change in environments and attitudes affects the migrant worker’s performance and not reaching the worker’s expectation.
3. Skill and Education Gap
The prime risks of hiring a migrant worker are the skill and education gap. The different standards among the nation cause problems for the company. Migrant workers might not reach the expected level of required skill.
Migrant workers need to adjust their capability with the company’s standard. It is because their inability to adjust might reduce the company’s quality. Skill gap becomes the concern of the employers. Conducting training for the migrant workers won’t be cost-friendly.
Those are the common risks that a company will face if they are hiring migrant workers. To take them into consideration resulting in the tips to hire migrant workers.
Overcoming the Risks
The first step to overcome the risk is to make sure they have certification of migrants’ trade recognition. This first step will enable you to overcome the risk of the skill and education gap.
It is necessary to make sure the migrant workers have been through the assessment. It has the objective to prove their skill matching the standard in your country. Hence, it is most likely they already have the required level of skill.
The second step depends on the company’s budget. If the company is on a tight budget to conduct an intensive onboarding program, then choosing the one with familiarity with your company’s culture will be helpful.
If it is otherwise, then select the one with the best skill and conduct an intensive onboarding program to give your employee the big picture of your company’s work culture and expectations. The objective is to lessen the culture shock and help them to adapt faster.
The same case goes for the migrants with the language barrier. If it is not too severe, you may match the company’s budget with the working language training. But if the barrier is too strong, you have to reconsider your decision to hire the migrants.
Other than those practical tips, you have to be aware of the migrant’s status. Make sure that they are not illegal workers or criminals who escaped their previous country. Research thoroughly on their identity and administration.
Benefits
Tips to overcome the risks of hiring migrants workers will lead you to some benefits. According to research, hiring migrant workers can be beneficial.
Migrants workers is a fast solution for companies that are suffering from the labor shortage. Especially the companies in some countries with population issues.
On the other hand, migrants workers proved to be a cost-effective workforce. The cost-effective workforce will boost your company’s competitiveness. It is reducing the production costs and therefore, you can provide cheaper products or services.
But if you are hiring a migrant worker with higher skill, you will gain another benefit. Instead of them having skill assessment, the skilled migrant worker can transfer their skill and knowledge to your workplace. You will gain a lot of benefits when you manage to overcome the challenges.