What does it mean to hire people ethically?

Is it simply about being honest and clear in job advertisements, or perhaps it’s the fairness in compensation and working conditions? 

Ethical hiring means treating workers fairly and with respect, no matter where they are in the world. As more companies turn to offshore staffing—hiring talent from other countries—it’s important to make sure the process is fair and ethical for everyone involved.

Offshore staffing is becoming increasingly popular because of its benefits, such as saving businesses money and gaining access to talent from different parts of the world. However, this should never mean taking advantage of lower wages or different working conditions in other countries. Ethical hiring goes beyond respecting labour laws—it’s about ensuring that offshore workers are paid fairly for their work, have reasonable hours, and are treated with respect. 

Businesses, especially small ones, are constantly dealing with talent shortages. Meanwhile, job candidates are feeling the pressure of the job market, with mass layoffs creating instability. Armed with this understanding, some employers may see offshore staffing as an opportunity to play “dirty tricks” given the nature of a capitalist market, and that’s wrong. 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking about how you can stay ethical when hiring offshore employees. Here are some helpful tips:

Post Accurate Job Advertisements:

We get it — you want to make your job listing sound as appealing as possible. But in the process, you might end up posting a misleading job advertisement with a vague or overly glamorous job description. This might seem like a good idea at first, but in reality, it works against you.

Here’s why: when the job description doesn’t tell the whole truth about the role, you attract candidates who aren’t the right fit. This leads to longer hiring processes, wasted time during interviews, and confusion when the person hired realises the job isn’t what they expected. You might even end up with high turnover, as employees leave when their expectations aren’t met.

More importantly, posting accurate job ads is an essential part of ethical hiring. When you’re upfront about the role, responsibilities, and expectations, you’re giving candidates a fair chance to assess if the job is right for them. It is imperative that you respect candidates enough to be transparent with them. 

Pay Fair Wages

It’s alright for businesses to pay offshore employees less than their local staff due to differences in the cost of living between countries. 

Fair enough.

But what happens when the local company tries to lowball the offshore employees beyond what they’re supposed to be paid? This approach exploits the workers in unimaginable ways. It’s important to pay offshore employees a reasonable local market rate, and ideally, a little more if you can.  

Put yourself in their shoes for a moment: if you were being paid less than the local market rate, would you feel motivated to give your best effort?

Paying fair wages is not just about being ethical; it also shows respect for the skills and hard work of offshore employees. When you pay your people well, they’re more productive, and passionate about driving your vision.   

Create a Positive Culture

Employees should always feel like they’re part of the company, even if they’re working 10,000 miles away from the company. Even though this starts with honesty and clarity during the hiring process, it becomes even more important once they are hired and begin working at the company.

Creating a positive culture can mean different things to different organisations. However, at its core, it’s about making all employees feel valued and supported. Here are some ways to create a positive culture:

• Recognizing and appreciating their hard work
• Celebrating their contributions
• Showing them respect
• Offering training and development opportunities
• Providing clear paths for career progression

If all these elements are in place, the work culture feels more positive for offshore employees, and in turn, they’ll be motivated to work even harder for your company.

Conclusion

Hiring offshore talent can be a win-win situation for businesses and workers alike, provided that it’s done ethically. Businesses can show their dedication to treating all employees with respect and dignity, regardless of their location, by making sure job postings are truthful, paying employees fairly, and creating a healthy work environment. 

At Arwana, we ensure that our hiring practices are fair and ethical to create good outcomes for employers and talent. If you’re willing to give offshore staffing a chance, book a discovery call today or send an email to hello@arwana.co.uk.