Companies & Businesses | Cyprus Passport | Licenses & Permits
5 years August 22, 2018
Expat Life: Do Locals Really Have an Advantage Over Foreign Employees?
While locals typically have the edge over foreign employees in hiring and promotion processes due to language advantages; understanding typical customs during interviews, to even knowing the office area well. However, an observer from Frederick University in Nicosia says there is a lot to be said for expats who are applying for jobs in new places and integrating into local jobs in Cyprus.
So, why are so many companies promoting through internal transfers rather than hiring locally? There are a number of reasons.
Internal Hiring Allows Experienced Employees to Integrate
International firms often methodically rotate and restructure departments to integrate various levels of experiences within their highest potential employees by relocating them overseas. Therefore, it’s understandable that a Russian company would send a high-ranking employee to Cyprus to gain experience in Europe.
Foreigners Stimulate the Local Workforce
Research shows that a diverse and multi-cultural workplace and contact with new and different cultures make people more imaginative and open minded. Foreign morals, standards, and processes in viewing aspects of life, including troubleshooting and problem-solving often lead teams to grow a more complex and sophisticated view of common workplace issues.
Foreigners Fill Gaps the Local Workforce Lacks
Skills such as team building, cooperation, communication and management and are fundamental skills in all working environments however especially in an international office or department. This is because everyone has to work with coworkers that have values and ideas that can be enormously varied. Languages are also a huge reason to hire foreign staff, for obvious reasons.
In order to succeed and prosper in an international company, employees need to be able to effectively communicate across cultures, make convincing arguments, and possibly even participate in some self-promotion from time to time.