Attracting International Talent: Why the First Step Is the Hardest
Attracting international talent starts with an uncomfortable truth: the tools that work in domestic recruiting simply don’t work internationally. Different markets, different platforms, different expectations, and a candidate pool that will never see a German job board.
This is the second article in our blog series on the international employee journey. In the first piece, we laid out the full picture: eight phases, two of them without any equivalent in domestic HR, and the case for a structured process. Today we focus on Phase 1: International Attraction. The moment when a company first enters the field of vision of a potential international candidate — or doesn’t.
Searching, but not being found
According to an Employer Branding & Recruiting Study 2024, only 15% of SMEs actively use employer branding to attract international talent, even though 78% name the skills shortage as their biggest challenge. That’s not a contradiction; it’s a pattern. Because companies feel the shortage acutely, yet keep searching with the wrong tools.
Posting a role on a domestic job board doesn’t reach candidates in India, the Philippines, Brazil, Vietnam, Turkey, or Japan. These aren’t theoretical markets either. The Opportunity Card attracted professionals primarily from India — by far the most common country of origin — followed by China, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. So reaching these candidates means being present where they actually search, and that is rarely a German job portal. (Make It in Germany)
What international visibility actually requires
International Attraction is not simply an extension of familiar recruiting. Although the goal is the same — finding the right person for the right role — the channels, the language, and the logic are fundamentally different. Based on what consistently works in practice, four areas stand out.
Build a careers page that answers the real questions
An English-language careers page is essential, but only if it’s built for international candidates rather than translated from the German version. Because what these candidates are looking for isn’t a list of job openings. They want to understand what life in Germany actually looks like. What does the salary look like after taxes? How competitive is the housing market? What does the visa process involve? Companies that answer these questions honestly build trust before the first conversation has even taken place.
Use the networks that already exist
Presence in countries of origin means working with German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs), which are active on the ground in countries like Brazil, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The “Hand in Hand for International Talents” initiative, run by the DIHK, connects skilled professionals from Brazil, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines in electrical engineering, metalworking, IT and other fields with German companies, coordinated through AHKs and chambers of commerce. These structures already exist, so companies that use them gain immediate access to vetted talent pools without building from scratch. (Haufe)
In addition, LinkedIn is global but not equally strong in every market. In some regions, other platforms matter more, local networks carry more weight, and personal recommendations are decisive. Therefore, investing in the wrong channel means missing the right candidates entirely.
Partner with German universities
This channel is often overlooked, although it offers some of the most direct access to qualified, motivated talent. Two thirds of international students in Germany plan to stay after graduation, yet around one third are still looking for work a year after finishing their degree. These are highly qualified professionals, already living in Germany, already learning the language, and still not being found. Companies that actively build relationships with universities tap into this pool with comparatively little effort, while also supporting a smoother transition into the workforce. (PwC)
Why honesty is a competitive advantage, not a risk
One thing many companies underestimate: candidates from India, Brazil, or Vietnam research employers intensively before applying. They read reviews, talk to people who’ve made the move, and often know the reputation of individual cities and companies better than expected. As a result, polished messaging without substance doesn’t build interest, it creates distrust.
Companies that offer only glossy content on their careers page don’t lose these candidates at the rejection stage. They lose them at the first click.
Authentic information about life in Germany is not a deterrent. It is a trust signal. A company that honestly communicates that the housing market in Munich or Frankfurt is demanding, that bureaucracy takes time, and that gross salary is not what lands in the bank account — that company is showing it takes the candidate seriously. And that is the foundation of every successful working relationship.
What this means for your company
International Attraction is the starting point of the employee journey, and simultaneously the phase that is most often underestimated. Without visibility at this stage, there is no opportunity to get anything else right. And if the wrong expectations are set here, the professional is lost later — at a point when the company has already invested considerably.
65% of SMEs have no specific employer branding strategy in place, in an international context, that means they are simply invisible to the talent they need most.
That doesn’t have to stay that way. International visibility can be built with the right channels, a clear message, and the willingness to show Germany as it actually is: demanding, but worth it.
HereLocation supports companies in structuring international relocation processes from the very beginning: from first visibility through to a successful arrival. In the next part of this series, we look at Phase 2: Recruiting and Pre-Check: what needs to be legally and organisationally clarified before the first conversation with an international candidate takes place.
Follow us on LinkedIn so you don’t miss the next part. And if you’d like to know how your company can become more visible internationally — get in touch.
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