Are Digital Nomads the Same Old or a New Breed? 

Contrary to what many might think, the term “Digital Nomad” isn’t an invention of the 21st century. The word was first introduced in Wiley’s homonym book “Digital Nomad” published in 1997. However, until recently, people tended to connect this denomination with names of fancy Facebook groups or forums where a small number of privileged and techy professionals were allowed. Until ten years ago, the typical graduate who entered the workplace would be shown their desk and tied to it afterward.

If, on the one hand, a few digital-first companies were already offering the possibility to work flexible hours and/or from home, on the other hand, most employees could not even dream of working from a paradisiac location ten thousand miles away from the company’s office. 

Digital Nomadism has become a real working trend, and it is becoming increasingly appealing among Millennials, who will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025, according to Inc. With this data, it’s easy to see that we’re dealing with a new breed, not a restricted circle of tech-savvy gurus. At this point, it’s also easy to predict that the rise of this category of workers will also have a substantial impact on Global Mobility policies. You probably want to choose a great location before embarking on your journey, so check out this resource on cities for digital nomads.

The Six Points You Need to Make Sure to Check

Ayeesha is a determined woman who works as a freelancer in Global Mobility. She recently moved to Switzerland, where she continues to work, and calls herself a “Digital Nomad.” If, like her, you too are a Digital Nomad and you’re about to or have just moved to Switzerland, this article might enlighten you on some fundamental technical issues you must be aware of in the Helvetic Confederation. Despite this article being Swiss-specific, these points are worth considering wherever you dream of living, either temporarily or permanently.  This is an overview of risks we see frequently. I recommend seeking advice from specialists in individual areas for more profound advice on your situation. I’m happy to introduce you to these specialists in Switzerland.

1 – Labor Law 

The labor law that applies to your case changes significantly whether you are classified as self-employed or employed. In Switzerland, being self-employed means working on your behalf, being independent, and assuming financial risk. You may decide on the type of company you build.

You will need your infrastructure, you draw up invoices in your name, you assume the risk of collection, and you work out your taxes. Additionally, you decide on your organization and your method of working. You may outsource work to third parties and work for multiple clients. Based on this employed/self-employed differentiation, the aspects concerning your work permit also vary.

It is also possible that, due to different legislations across countries, the Swiss labor inspection authorities could qualify you as an employee of your current “employer” or “client”. This can happen even when your status is self-employed or freelancer in your country of origin. If this should happen to you, you must provide further documents to the competent authorities. Based on your host country, you must familiarize yourself with the local employment law, especially if you plan to hire other people for your business.

2 – Immigration

You will probably travel often if you share the typical Digital Nomad spirit with Fatima. Even during Corona times, you will most likely travel more frequently than a traditionally employed person. For this reason, you must have the correct permits to enter and work in these countries. 

If you’re an EU / EFTA national not yet residing in Switzerland and working there over eight days per calendar year, you will need both a residence and work permit. If you only work here for up to 90 days per calendar year, your employer must register you via the online registration procedure. Usually, the permission will be given. However, you can only work here for 90 days in a calendar year. 

As a “third-country national,” you must know that work visas are limited to quotas and are not easy to obtain.  You are not allowed to work in Switzerland while on a tourist visa. You don’t want to get into trouble with the Swiss authorities.

The permits that allow you to work in Switzerland are L, B, C, and G. They have different purposes and durations. If you want to read more details about the characteristics of each permit, check our resources at the bottom. As an expat spouse, you are generally approved when you receive a B-permit. With the L-permit, there is often a restriction. Do you feel confused? Trust me, it’s normal. That’s why it’s always best to get advice from an Immigration Specialist. I suggest you contact BecomeLocal. 

You might be up-to-date already, but if you didn’t know it, some forward-thinking countries have already introduced specific visas for Digital Nomads! These visas are not for any Digital Nomads, and every country has listed its requirements and benefits, but it is worth checking them out. Up to today, the countries that offer this opportunity are Barbados, Georgia, Estonia, Bermuda, and Thailand, while Croatia is next in line. Check out our resources below to learn more about the topic! 

With the Digital Nomad trend rising, Ayeesha wishes that Switzerland, too, would have this specific type of visa, simplifying the bureaucratic burden she must endure. You can find more details and updates on Digital Nomad Visas here.

3 – Personal Tax

According to Swiss federal tax law, you become a tax resident after living and working in Switzerland for 30 days or after 90 days without earning any income. In Switzerland, you are responsible for paying your taxes. You are taxed only on income generated in Switzerland and not on your worldwide income. This applies regardless of whether you’re self-employed and does not depend on whether you receive a one-time payment or a regular salary. You must learn to differentiate between your turnover and the potential salary that you are paying yourself. My most important advice is to find a good accountant like Joerg Blaettler of Winston Wolf or learn accounting with basic software such as Bexio.

Contact Card 2

4 – Corporate Tax

If you work for an international company without an office in Switzerland, be aware that your presence could create a “Permanent Establishment” for the company. This means that the company might have to pay corporate tax. If you want to keep working from Switzerland, you should discuss this with them beforehand. If you own your own company and are registered outside Switzerland, corporate tax issues could become even trickier, and you might incur double taxation. Treaties have specific clauses depending on the countries involved, and you will have to look at your particular situation. 

5 – Social Security

For Digital Nomads like you and Ayeesha, it can become challenging to ensure at least basic insurance for retirement, disability, or unemployment because social security is generally connected to the country of employment. 

The first thing you need to know is that Swiss social security is based on three pillars that I will explain here briefly. The first pillar is basic insurance (old-age, survivors, disability, and unemployment insurance): this is mandatory if you are a resident and earning an income in Switzerland. If you are self-employed, you must pay the total contribution through a self-declaration made to the authorities. If you don’t do this, the rules will estimate and claim the gift, and you will incur a fine. 

Let’s focus on the pension scheme. When you reach the official retirement age (64 if you’re a woman and 65 if you’re a man) and have contributed for at least one year, you can claim the retirement annuity. Please remember that the assistance is limited and calculated based on the years of contributions.

The second pillar is the employee’s pension scheme. This is mandatory and covers the same risks as the first pillar, but it’s provided by the employer instead of the State. 

When you leave or give up your job in Switzerland, a vested benefits account lets you keep your retirement savings. You can look at how to open this type of account (Freizügigkeitskonto in German) with a bank such as UBS. 

The third pillar is additional private savings, which you can undertake, depending on your preferences.

If you have a foreign employer who can apply for a certificate of coverage, they might be exempt from Swiss Social Security. If not, the foreign employer might have an obligation to register in Switzerland and seek a first—and second-pillar solution for you while you’re based in Switzerland. 

6 Health and Accident Insurance

As a Swiss resident, Ayeesha needs to have mandatory health insurance in Switzerland. She’s entering her third month in the country, and her time to stipulate one is almost over. You have up to 90 days to sign your health insurance contract when you set foot in the country.

All health insurers in Switzerland provide the same benefits under basic insurance. However, if you want to be covered for other needs, such as better hospital accommodation, legal assistance, and so on, you need to add voluntary supplemental insurance. 

In Switzerland, each person must pay health insurance premiums. The premiums are independent of the individual’s income but vary depending on age, residence, and health insurance, so you can choose the health insurance company with which you wish to take out basic insurance.

If you move to Switzerland but still work in an EU/EFTA country, you must be insured in the country where your employer is based. This also applies if you are self-employed. In this case, you can’t purchase health insurance in Switzerland. If you feel lost and need guidance in making the right choice, please email us.

As you figured out, there’s a lot on the list of items you must consider when deciding to work as a Digital Nomad in Switzerland. Having a clear vision of how everything works isn’t easy, especially if you need to understand bureaucracy in a language you speak poorly. This is why we always recommend contacting a trusted expert in the field. If Ayeesha worked it out, you can certainly do it too! And remember, it will be worth it; Switzerland ranks number 1 in the world for quality of life! 

We have published “The Global Rockstar Album, ” a self-help book for managers and nomads who want to bring purpose, performance, and productivity to their work while becoming more inclusive servant leaders.

Resources: 

https://www.kumospace.com/blog/cities-for-digital-nomads

Job Board for Global Nomads

Global Relocation Checklist_10_2020_Weinberger Angie 2020_1

I have been a strong proponent of Global Mobility for years now and most readers and clients will know my general optimism towards it. I will be taking a critical look at the trend towards more Lifestyle Expats and various shortcomings that need to be addressed by Global Mobility Managers, Recruiters, and HR Directors if we want to hire qualified professionals from other countries into the German-speaking regions without annoying them in the process.

Another trend we have to take into consideration here is that our populations are a lot more diverse than they used to be ten years ago (Weinberger, 2019). We especially see a rise in female expats such as Ayeesha on assignment (Yeah!).

As I already wrote in The Global Mobility Workbook (2019): “In recent years, we have come across a new source of mobility traffic. We can call this driver “lifestyle”. Through technology, the economic crisis, and mobile mindsets, younger professionals are more willing to move to other countries to find work. The local-to-local hires from abroad are often “coming for love and staying for the job”. Locations with a high influx of foreigners due to low unemployment, high staff turnovers, and perceived high quality of living – such as Australia, Canada, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland – attract professionals from many countries. The jobs require academic backgrounds and professional experience but can be filled by local staff if the talent is available in the marketplace. There is, however, a downside to this trend. Not many professionals think about the long-term consequences of moving from one place to another. Social security is covered in a later chapter, as well as other potential issues that can arise for global mobility professionals.”

Lifestyle expats are often expat spouses in Dual-Career couples, Third Culture Kids ((TCK’s), and Gig Workers (or Digital Nomads as they tend to be called). Also, as an international employee or migrant, you could face similar challenges. Often the packages of lifestyle expats are limited. They have a local employment contract in the host country and sometimes get help with the immigration and relocation process. The company does not always offer international medical insurance or an international pension plan. In many cases, this is not because of bad intentions, often, local HR Directors have not considered it as they have misconceptions about how these systems work globally.

Meet Yuki, a dreamer envisioning a move to Brazil. The excitement of the idea soon gives way to frustration as she navigates the complexities of immigration. Politics and an insistence on perfection turn the process into a labyrinth. Yuki seeks legal counsel, illustrating the challenges of realizing one’s aspirations in Brazil.

Introducing Luca, an adventurous soul planning a move to South Korea. Before he packs, safety concerns in the country catch his attention. Luca diligently researches, checking government resources and noting his Embassy’s location for emergencies. His tale emphasizes the priority of safety when exploring new destinations.

Enter Sasha and her partner, starting anew in New Zealand, only to discover they’re expecting. The catch? No health insurance or social security yet, leaving them in bureaucratic limbo. Sasha’s narrative sheds light on the hurdles families encounter when relocating and the challenges in accessing local healthcare facilities.

Meet Aiden, a young individual pursuing job opportunities in Germany. Sounds promising, right? However, his job contract implies potential deportation if he loses employment. Aiden grapples with understanding his rights, obligations, and the role of his residence permit in job security. His story underscores the importance of being well-versed in the rules when working abroad.

Enter Mia, an ambitious professional opting for a work-life adventure in Canada. Expecting a new experience, she encounters a work culture vastly different from what she’s used to—long hours and constant socializing. The fast-paced environment takes a toll on Mia, illustrating the significant variations in work cultures across countries and their impact on work-life balance.

Let’s delve into the world of Raj, ready to work in Australia. However, he faces a unique challenge—taxes. Distinct tax situations for local hires and expats require Raj to comprehend the intricacies. His tale underscores the importance of understanding the financial landscape before embarking on a professional journey in a new country.

And you already met Ayeesha who moved to Zurich, Switzerland recently.

What they usually need help with

• Immigration Process
• Partner Career and Life Support
• Education of Children
• Health Insurance
• Old-age pension transfers from their home countries
• Potentially relocation, settling in, and moving of their household goods.

What I advise you to do about it in the Corporate World

1 – Have the Global Mobility Leader Report to the CEO

What can be done to improve on these shortcomings? On an organizational level, I strongly feel that making Global Mobility a  function reporting to the CEO is the most logical path to positive consequences. Global Mobility activities need to include all sorts of cross-border activity including weekly commuters, International Business Travellers, International Hires, and “Digital Nomads”.

It would allow for smarter, involved decisions as part of the company’s expert staff. Looking after the well-being of your international workforce is now considered essential to an organization’s success, there really is no justification for slacking off on that front. Having the CEO directly involved with Global Mobility allows them to devise budgets and become the escalation point for critical hires and moves. Often, CEOs only hear about expats when things go pear-shaped and there is, for instance, a real life-and-death situation such as a terrorist attack or a tsunami – at times like these the Global Mobility Manager might not be able to get through to them because there are too many layers of organization between them.

2 – Address the Package Issues through an International Permanent Hire Guideline

We should address the package issues and devise at least medical coverage, support with the immigration for the expat and spouse, international pension, pay for the move and repatriation in case of redundancy and ensure the personal safety of the expat family.  Let’s make sure the expat experience is well taken care of as there is a need to sort out the details of the package, making sure there’s proper medical coverage. It’s crucial to provide support with immigration not just for the expat but also for their respective spouse. International pension arrangements should be in place, and the costs of moving and, if needed, returning home in case of job changes should be covered. Above all, we must ensure the safety of the expat and their family in their new environment is made a priority.

3 – Support with Relocation Planning through Career Coaching and an Expat Helpline

Many companies have not implemented great processes for hires from other countries. HR often works ad-hoc and as mentioned doesn’t understand all implications. I once met an expat who moved to Switzerland around the New Year and didn’t have a place to stay when she arrived! Normally, the company could have provided temporary accommodation but that did not happen, the expat ended up having to figure things out on her own. Despite the tougher aspects of being involved in being a Lifestyle Expat  I still maintain my optimism. We will be able to support our diverse global clients even better than today. Great strides have been made in recent years and I am certain that the coming days will see more positive resolutions to people’s pain points and enhance the expat experience.

Check out our new offering to enhance the Expat Experience via our RockMeApp Expat Experience Coaching for Global Rockstars.

Finance planning is connected to food intake. If you have a bad relationship with food, chances are high that you also have a bad relationship with money. You might tend to overeat and overspend, especially when stressed out. “Why did I not learn more about Finance?” I repeatedly asked myself. Since I started my own business, will I ever understand the financial side? Will I ever get better at managing cash flow?

It didn’t make sense to me. I was good with computing cost projections and balance sheets in Global Mobility. I was an excellent math student in high school. I like numbers. My issue was that I lacked the practical understanding of a “good housewife.” I was curious to know how much a liter of milk would cost in the supermarket. I learned those little secrets of saving money in Switzerland, such as Migros and Denner, which are essentially under the same corporate umbrella, but you can buy twice as much food at Denner.

Working as a Global Mobility Leader, I had a good paycheck. In Germany, I would even go grocery shopping in the “bio” shop Alnatura. My mother would say I could go shopping in a pharmacy. For me, this meant “quality of life.” I would not be stressed at the cashier on Saturday because five other people were in line behind me. Another reason I stopped learning more about finance planning, investments, and retirement savings when I was employed was because I had a bad relationship with money.

Money stinks. It doesn’t make you happy, and when you have it, you don’t talk about it. I had all sorts of relationship issues with fortune and with food. Over the years, through consulting and coaching, I have worked on my relationship to financial planning, and food planning came along with it. I feel ready to share my lessons learned with you and give you a few tips. 

If you start as a business owner or feel you need to heal your relationship with money, this article is for you. You may also read this article if you are not a female founder but feel you need to get better with money. Let’s try to understand a few basics of Finance.

1 – Maintain one spreadsheet called Cash Flow Plan

If you want to run a sustainable business, work with a cash flow plan. It can be simple, but you must have your finances in order. In the early days of my business, I asked my BFF (a Finance guru) to review my business plan. She explained that I would need to ensure that there is a cash flow in and that it is bigger than the cash flow out. It’s easier said than done, but I still use that same plan over ten years into the business.

TEMPLATE_300_Business Plan_&_Project Plan_Weinberger_v1

2 – Move to a Fluctuating Income

When you are used to a particular lifestyle with a fixed monthly income, you rely on that paycheck often because you tend to tailor your lifestyle around your consistent monthly payment. If you are unemployed or start as a freelancer, you must get used to a fluctuating income. You probably had 100,000 CHF in your bank account as a starting capital and reserve, and in my experience, you will need that in Switzerland in your first two years of business (unless your business is a hobby).

3 – Find your Finance Guru

Finding the Finance Guru is a challenge I have addressed with bankers several times. Most financial writing is so that no one wants to read it. Some of it does not even make much sense. I received a weird letter the other day and sent it back with edits and side comments. The main message was: We could not deduct money from your account, but there was much fluff around it. It took me a while to understand why this company wrote to me. I have started to read the Cashguru blog now, so at least I know what is happening at the SMI in Switzerland.

The most important figure I remember from uni is the relation between borrowed capital and your capital. Now, if you start, you should use your cash. That’s a lot smarter than lending. It would help to find a healthy ratio between investing and earning for the years ahead. That’s all. Remember that if you have a sole proprietorship in Switzerland, many of your reporting obligations change at the magic 100k CHF turnover mark.

WhatsApp me to discuss your business idea via Contact Card 2

Start a Business or Land Your Dream Job with HireMeExpress – From Frustrated to Fantastic in 90 Days

4 – Learn Vocabulary 

Suppose you want to appear financially competent when talking to your bank manager, financial advisors, insurance brokers, mortgage providers, or lawyers. In that case, you must know a few basics and speak their language. For example, you need to understand the interest and how it works. Also, adverse interest, debt, and how you get into debt. What is the advantage of a mortgage versus paying rent? How do open and closed investment funds work? I agreed with my bank lady that we would meet in person once a year to review the main issues, look at my risk profile, and discuss my financial planning for the year. I enjoy having a personal contact and someone who helps in case I need urgent support with online banking.

5 – Budget the Fun Stuff

In the early years and even before I launched my company, I used to spend more than I earned. I applied “Reaganomics .” That did not work. At the time, I needed to understand that this early investment could hinder my potential to get out of the red figures in the long term. In the past, as a female founder, I made bad financial decisions. For example, I started to pay myself a salary too early. I listened to an advisor and should have listened to my gut feeling. Remember that other people’s experiences in the business world could be biased. They opened their business many years ago. Switzerland has also suffered from the global economic crisis. The Swiss often have access to networks that foreigners will not get into. Also, men might have faster results than women because of the unconscious biases of their buyers.

Depending on your type of business, you should have a current account that balances your company’s investments and costs. Please separate your private and company accounts. My business is cyclical, and once I understand the cost and earning cycle, I can prepare myself better for downtime. For example, I have a lot of annual invoices in January, but January is often a slow month. It’s generally better to split invoices into smaller parts. When you ask the insurance provider, they are often willing to support you on a payment plan. If you want to be ahead of your costs, ask for larger invoices and pay them as soon as possible.

One cardinal rule is that I pay all my vendors in advance so that they always get their money. This means that I have to budget their quarterly invoices, too, and it has happened once or twice that I had to put a service on hold because of a lack of funding.

Another principle I have developed is to check my account twice or thrice a week, sometimes even daily. I will issue an invoice once the service has been delivered or the booking has been confirmed.

Many large relocation companies and training agencies have very long payment periods. I suffered greatly from these in the early years of my business. I had delivered a service but sometimes was only paid 60 to 90 days later. Occasionally, invoices got lost in cost center discussions and destructive processes. Once, an invoice was not paid by the company I worked with for over two years.

Now, I am more careful about the agreements in the contracts, and I follow up on outstanding invoices faster. Although I still see room for improvement, my financial stress eased greatly when I started using a tool for small businesses called BEXIO.

Even though Finance is not my favorite subject, I discovered that if I research more about a topic, I can reduce hassle and costs for my business. For example, I clarified how the VAT system works when working across borders. On invoices I received from service providers outside of Switzerland, I asked them to change their invoices so that my company would show as responsible for VAT. I also found a good rule for issuing invoices for service providers located out of Switzerland. 

I allow most of my investments to be investments in myself. I enjoy having a beautiful working space where I can hang out all day. I love to go to seminars and invest in my skills and knowledge. I know that I have to be better than average to stay competitive, and that requires keeping up to date with technology and knowledge in my field and updating my skills constantly. Keren-Jo Thomas helped me organize my pension and understand what I needed to improve in case I plan to stay in Switzerland during my old age. While this was a down-turner, to say the least, it helped me gain clarity. I also set up my last will as I do not have children and in case of an emergency would like to ensure that my elderly relatives have financial support. Money and food have a lot in common too. If you tend to overeat, you might also tend to overspend. 

Before we discuss this further, I would like to remind you that you can always talk to me. Book your slot here via Calendly.

Thinking about Starting a Business as an Expat Coach?

Starting a Business in Switzerland – Helpful Links

General Overview of Legal Structures

STARTUPS.CH

Social Security – Self-Employment Declaration

Beiträge der Selbständigerwerbenden an die AHV, die IV und die EO

Rechtsform wählen – Selbständig werden – was tun?

Funding

STARTUPS.CH | Guidelines for self-employment

Immigration Support

BecomeLocal: https://becomelocal.ch/en

Prime Relocation: https://www.primerelocation.ch/service/

Auditing and Accounting – Joerg Blaettler http://winstonwolf.ch/

Print material, business cards and advertising: 

• Marie Platten, our graphic designer via marie@globalpeopletransitions.com
• Herr Richard Gautschi at Schnelldruck Thalwil GmbH, Zürcherstrasse 73, 8800 Thalwil, tel: 044 720 49 07, email

Freelancing – Payrolling Companies

• Payroll Plus http://www.payrollplus.ch/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh63zhfvF1wIVK5PtCh3_WAgREAAYASAAEgIzKvD_BwE
• Helvetic Payroll https://www.helvetic-payroll.ch/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh63zhfvF1wIVK5PtCh3_WAgREAAYAiAAEgKdFPD_BwE
• Swissroll http://www.swissroll.ch/
• KABO-Payroll https://kabo.ch/en/payroll

Insurances

• Ralph Endres from ExpatPartners, email: ralph.endres@expatpartners.ch 
• Domenico Bilotta from Helsana Group, email: domenico.bilotta@helsana.ch

Digital Nomad Series

Digital Nomad Series Part #1
Digital Nomad Series Part #2
Digital Nomad Series Part #3
Digital Nomad Series Part #4
Digital Nomad Series Part #5

Marketing and excellent Copywriting

Ash Ambirge – The Middle Finger Project

Podcasts on building Digital Nomad Businesses

• Sundae Schneider Bean
• Amy Porterfield

Financial Planning:

Keren-Jo Thomas, Financial Planning for Women, www.kerenjothomas.com, kerenjo@kerenjothomas.com

This week I’ll be talking about one of the most important tools in a professional’s repertoire and that is creating a killer LinkedIn profile. With over 500 million users, a LinkedIn profile isn’t just an afterthought, it is a mainstay of modern recruitment and now serves as a business development platform across the globe.

1 – Get a Personalised URL for Your Killer LinkedIn Profile

In my experience, far too many professionals forget to do this, often because they simply forgot about it. LinkedIn provides you the ability to discard the standard URL (which is a jumble of letters and numbers) and have a vanity URL instead. This personalized URL can be used to promote your profile in email signatures, business cards, portfolios, and resumes. It also gives you the ability to target better organic SEO by putting in your job title or industry. Having your profile appear as a top Google search result against a job title keyword is a pretty useful trick! Check out LinkedIn’s own guide on setting up a personal URL for your profile here.

2 – Nail that Headline!

You’ve got only six seconds to catch the attention of a recruiter on LinkedIn, which makes your headline do-or-die. Make sure your headline contains the necessary keywords that are SEO friendly (that is, they contain certain words that people generally use when searching for the relevant job title or industry) and allow people to identify your industry with ease. Do make the most of the allotted 120 characters, don’t just write your job description. Try being playful (if appropriate) with word choices – the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity. Of course, don’t forget your real purpose: catching a recruiter’s attention. If your profile views drop, a reason could be that your headline needs to be re-worked.

3 – Populate your Experience

Just like some people sometimes forget to update their CVs, LinkedIn profiles too can become stagnant. That’s why, every so often, you should sit down and make sure that everything from your summary, work history, projects, training, and education is up-to-date. It helps to employ the same sort of creativity you used to create your perfect headline to show how you excelled during a particular role. Make sure that you review and plug in any gaps that may have been left the first time around. The more a hiring manager sees of you, the easier it makes for them to decide if you meet their requirements.

If you have privacy concerns, you can choose not to share details about your career or self that you consider sensitive, as a LinkedIn profile is public and trawled by internet search engines. Concerns about private data stored by LinkedIn can be addressed by going through their GDPR-compliant privacy policy.

4 – Get Creative!

This is the third time I am mentioning creativity – that is how important it is. In a sea of automation (LinkedIn now has a feature that auto-fills your summary), it is very easy to drown in the overwhelming number of similar-looking profiles. Learning to showcase your skills and experience in a smart, catchy manner greatly increases your chances of getting noticed by the right people. Put in media from YouTube, your favorite design wireframes, or any public mentions or accolades you may have accumulated! You can do that by going to Add Profile Section > Accomplishments and choosing the appropriate section.

5 – Engage, Engage, Engage

LinkedIn is a social network after all and engagement is key to building a healthy profile. Engaging with peers through endorsements is a positive methodology, not only will you establish a good rapport with your network but will receive endorsements in return. That rapport can help you reach out for recommendations, an important aspect of building your brand and establishing yourself as a significant presence in your industry. It is also imperative that you join the conversation. In groups, with key influencers, colleagues, and peers. Profiles that engage actively in groups are 5 times more likely to be viewed!

6 – Master the Algorithm

A killer LinkedIn profile hits the top of the search results every time someone searches for a certain kind of professional. Want your profile to be the one the LinkedIn search algorithm chooses? Here’s how: Complete your profile, 100%. LinkedIn’s algorithm is designed to give top priority to profiles that are complete (they are referred to as “All-Star Profiles” and only 51% of users have those). This means that if you miss out on any aspect of your profile, you will essentially be invisible in the search results. No one wants that.

On the subject of LinkedIn Premium: spending money on a premium account will not affect your profile in any way, there are no new features there. Those accounts are targeted more towards recruiters and job seekers looking to directly connect with people not on their network. That is why purchasing a premium account will not help improve the quality of your killer LinkedIn profile.

7 – SEO is King

Some digital specialists posit that the modern Internet is driven solely by SEO. That may be debatable but in the case of LinkedIn, that is very much true! Make sure that your profile is the one found by external search engines: optimize job titles, descriptions, and as previously mentioned, the vanity URL. All these fields are text only and thus will be parsed by search engines, you want to maximize your chances of being at the top of those result lists. “Digital Wizard” may sound like a catchy job title but people searching for “digital marketer” or “digital marketing specialist” will never know of you! The key is to keep it simplistic so that you can be easily found.

8 – Be Pixel Perfect!

Having a professional profile picture on LinkedIn is critical – first impressions matter! Questions to ask yourself when selecting a profile picture: Does it have a neutral background? Are you appropriately dressed? Did a professional photographer take the picture or is it just a selfie?

I’m also going to direct you towards how you can elevate your profile by making sure you optimize the technical aspects of the images you use. Hootsuite covers it in great detail if you’re interested, but to summarize: Make sure your images are in the right aspect ratio, meet the minimum pixel count, and are the correct file types. You don’t want your images to be blurry or misshapen due to incorrect dimensions!

9 – It’s not a Sprint, it’s a Marathon

You burn through an entire weekend getting your profile into tip-top shape. Great, you now have a killer LinkedIn profile! However, what happens after a week? A month? Six months? Remember this statistic: 40% of LinkedIn’s active user base logs in daily to the platform. These are the people who take time out every day to post, interact, tweak, and improve their profiles, connections, and more. Emulate them, and make LinkedIn a part of your routine, it will maintain your profile as one of the best and help maximize your chances of catching the eye of recruiters, should you be looking for a new job.

10 – Run a Company? Treat the Page as you would your Profile

If you run your own business and have it listed on your LinkedIn profile, you should make sure that the company page receives the same care and attention as your profile. After all, both must reflect the same values. Rigorously fill in and verify the information about your company, set up a consistent posting schedule, and boost posts from your employees – all add up to creating an interactive and healthy social space around your company.

https://globalpeopletransitions.com/the-social-media-newbie-series-part-1/

About the Author

Nabeha Latif is a Digital Media Manager and runs her own company Sparkzing in Islamabad, Pakistan. She has a Master in Digital Communication and more than Nabeha is also an influencer and blogs about lifestyle and beauty. We originally met via Twitter in 2010 and became real-life friends afterward. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabehalatif/

https://www.inlytics.io/post/the-ultimate-guide-linkedin-business-development-grow-your-business

I’m on a MISSION to bring the HUMAN TOUCH back into Global Mobility. One theme that I see more now is that we Global Mobility Professionals are involved in the recruiting of Global Talent. This makes a lot of sense when you consider that we have the knowledge and skills to deal with most of the challenges that hiring people from other countries brings. However, since in most organizations, we are not officially responsible we don’t get the resources we need to deal with recruiting professionally. Hence, we can consult but not support. So, dear recruiters, I hope this is helpful.

The Search for the Right Talent

Lifestyle Expats, or Self-Initiated Expats (SIEs), are an important factor in today’s global force and the actual circumstances suggest the phenomenon is on the rise (Habti & Elo, 2019). Thanks to technological changes, such as online recruiting, the labor market has become more international and more fluid and made the process of filling jobs internationally (internally or externally the organization) much simpler. As a consequence, an increasing number of professionals consider working abroad a realistic career option and there are growing opportunities to identify and eventually find a job abroad. We are in the middle of an unprecedented global crisis, which is bound to create a stronger recession than the 2008 financial crisis, and the war for talent is as heated as ever. 

Specialized Subject Matter Experts are increasingly hard to find and when you turn to places rich in talent such as Singapore and certain areas of the US like Boston and Silicon Valley, that’s of course where competition is already extremely high. Moreover, there is no real point in stealing from the competition if you aim at bringing in innovation. 

The Need for More Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our global workforce is as varied as ever, with five generations working side by side and companies striving to fulfill all their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals (gender/religion/ethnicity/sexual orientation). As cited by Forbes, diversity plays an ever more important role in recruitment and is proving to be directly correlated with increased revenue for the company (Boston Consulting Group, 2018; KPMG, 2018). The newest McKinsey Report comes to the same conclusion. 

“Despite a rapidly changing business landscape, the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) not only holds but grows even stronger. In our research, we continue to explore the link between diversity and holistic impact.” 

Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact | McKinsey

Über Sprache zu mehr Diversität in Firmen

The Development from Global Mobility Policy to individual, Customized Offer Letters

Global Mobility policies have historically been a one-size-fits-all model and are often still struggling to include points such as religion, ethnicity, age, disability status, working mothers, non-traditional family units, etc. Make sure your Global Mobility policies acknowledge and support your employees’ varying needs to make them feel more encouraged to accept International Assignment. The point is to ensure that deserving and promising talent does not experience barriers to success. I would even go as far as ditching your policy and working with individual “Box of Chocolates” models (where you select service from a budgeted bundle).

Demographic changes will require highly skilled migrants to fill positions as the turnout of university graduates declines in developed countries. Also at the EU level and among the Member States there is consensus on the need to address labor market shortages, worsened by the deepening demographic crisis and skill mismatch (Platonova & Urso, 2012).

Even rich countries like  Liechtenstein, (Beck et al., 2018; Hauri et al., 2016) may have a hard time attracting talent. Other more traditional expat hubs, like Singapore, London, New York City, the UAE, Hong Kong, and Switzerland, continue leading the ranking despite the high costs of living. What makes the difference are their socio-economic policies in which talent growth and management are central priorities. 

https://www.adeccogroup.com/future-of-work/latest-research/global-talent-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/

The Need for Nomadic Flexibility

Perhaps even more important to acknowledge is that the world of work as we know has already changed. With new technology enabling employees to work almost anywhere and anytime, the classic ‘nine to five’ is outdated. In an article published by Sage People even before the pandemic changed companies’ approach, figures speak for themselves:  not only do 50% of the US interviewees say they’d like to be more mobile at work, but a good 54% would change jobs if it meant more flexibility.

In Global Mobility, Virtual Assignments are an opportunity to give employees the much-longed-for flexibility they seek. Despite Virtual Assignments having always been on the rise since the widespread implementation of the internet, it’s easier to see how they’re going to be even more numerous in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis. Never before have so many employees worked remotely to guarantee essential business continuity. 

But there is another side of the medal, and this is the portion of talent who seek international experience as part of their decision to join a company.  In particular, overseas assignments are becoming more appealing among Millennials, who often see the opportunity to live and work abroad as more rewarding than a pay rise. They are called Digital Nomads or Telecommuters. According to Smart Gear, 90% of digital nomads plan on working remotely for the rest of their careers, while 94% of them encourage others to try Digital Nomadism themselves.

Whether or not you’re having trouble attracting talent, here are six basics to add to your recruiting suite that you should consider during and after the recruiting process. 

1 – Make Sure They Have a Realistic Picture

Try to put yourself in the mind of a candidate who is contacted by a company in a foreign location. What’s the first thing that you would like to know? Salary? Job title? The direction of the company? Probably none of these things, but rather: “Why would I want to move there?” Moving continents, or even “just” countries, isn’t a decision that can be taken on the potential of a great office view only. Instead, candidates need to know what the place looks like, what language is spoken, where they (and maybe their families) would live, and whether they would fit in.

It is useful to include this information on your careers page to make it more of a relocation portal and less of a job listing. Workable offers a service to help you in this process. Not only will candidates benefit from this information, but so will your company: showing what candidates want to know during the overseas job hiring process builds your credibility from the beginning.

This type of thinking is beneficial for companies at every level, whether you’re hiring someone 70 or 7,000 miles away.

2 – Help with the Move of Household Goods

Among Expats and Expat Spouses, the phase of moving abroad is often cited as the most stressful one. Moving out doesn’t take one day only: there are farewells, often a party, and especially when small kids are involved, the family needs to stay with friends or in a hotel room. While Expats are still busy handing their work over and finalizing conversations with clients, Expat Spouses are often alone in coordinating all the logistics behind the move. That’s why they must be connected with a moving company. Having someone who takes care of their house goods until they are settled in the new location surely spares the Expat family from a lot of stress. If you are looking for a global relocation company, consider paying a visit to the Keller Swiss Group. They offer relocation services, household removals, business relocation, and household storage services, both in Switzerland and worldwide.

3 – Take the Anxiety out of Immigration by Working with a Pro

Organizing support with immigration is another helpful and efficient way of helping the expat family during the stressful pre-assignment phase. In recent years, the process of obtaining work permits and visas has become more complex. Letting Expats and Expat Spouses navigate this sea of bureaucracy all alone would put them under an incredible and unnecessary amount of stress. When it comes to immigration compliance, each case is different and needs to be examined thoroughly. Some relocation companies, like BecomeLocal in Switzerland, are specialists in this field. They can help you handle the permit process, write applications and submit them to the authorities, and instruct professionals and executives to obtain visas, sparing your organization and the expat family a lot of hustle. If you need immigration support in other countries, please reach out to me as I can refer you to a global network.

4 – Provide Spouse Career Support and A Pre-Hire Assessment for the Spouse

The effects that International Assignments have on the Expat Spouse’s well-being and state of mind are often underestimated. For some Expat Spouses, the sudden change from independent career person to stay-at-home parent has a strong psychological impact, even more so if getting a working visa is not possible. Coaching is a very powerful tool with which companies can support Expat Spouses. With the help of a Career Coach, some Expat Spouses manage to start their businesses while living abroad, thus finding deeper fulfillment in the experience. It is also very fair to the Expat Spouse to have a realistic idea of whether their profile leads to potential employment in the host market or whether their chances of finding work are slim. An Expat Spouse Coach can also help with a pre-hire assessment for the Expat Spouse. Also, clarify and be honest about their entitlement to a work permit to avoid disappointment at arrival.

5 – Consult them on Technical Issues

Once again try to put yourself in the mind of your future employees. They now have a clearer idea of what it means to live in your expat hub and they are positively considering relocating there. Perhaps their spouses and children are coming along. In this preparatory phase, Expats are inevitably very busy with what needs to be handled back at home in their professional and private lives. But they also need to be ready for what’s coming next. Handling both “back home” and “in the host country” can be extremely overwhelming, especially if this means going through important technical issues of a country with a different system and in a language they don’t understand. This is the right time to step in and consult them on important decisions such as which type of health insurance to get and how to do it, but also on how to handle their taxes. If you can’t deliver this in-house we’re happy to help.

6 – Sprinkle Everything with Human Touch

As I said earlier and many times before, HUMAN TOUCH is my MISSION and the key to enhancing the Expat Experience. Deloitte (2019) proved to be on board with that when stating that today’s global workforce is attracted and motivated by a more personalized, agile, and holistic experience than before. This is why you must find your way to unlock the HUMAN TOUCH. For example, you can start by welcoming new team members with a hand-written card. You will make their first day a celebration. 

Enhancing the Expat Experience

Work with me

 Please contact me for a proposal via angela@globalpeopletransitions.com. We also have a global recruiting license for Switzerland.

Resources 

Become Local. Swiss Immigration Adviser. https://www.becomelocal.ch 

Harrison, C. (2019, 19 Sep.). „7 Surprising Statistics about Digital Nomads.” Smart Gear Blog. https://smartgear.travel/7-surprising-statistics-about-digital-nomads/

Hayes, A. (2020, 7 Apr.). „What is a Digital Nomad?”Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/digital-nomad.asp

Keller Swiss Group. Worldwide Moving Relocation. https://www.kellerswissgroup.com/

MBO Partners. (2018). „Rising Nomadism: A Rising Trend.” MBO Partners, Inc. https://s29814.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/StateofIndependence-ResearchBrief-DigitalNomads.pdf 

Montilla, E.  (2020, 17 Jan.). „Achieving workplace diversity through recruitment in tech.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/01/17/achieving-workplace-diversity-through-recruitment-in-tech/#2214496a1359

References

Beck, P., Eisenhut, P. and Thomas, L. (2018). „Fokus Arbeitsmarkt: Fit für di Zukunft?”. Stiftung Zukunft.li. Retrieved 28 May, 2020, from https://www.stiftungzukunft.li/publikationen/fokus-arbeitsmart-fit-fuer-die-zukunft 

Boston Consulting Group. (2018). „How diverse leadership teams boost innovation.”, BCG. Retrieved 28 May, 2020, from https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation.aspx 

KPMG. (2018). „Inclusion and Diversity: How Global Mobility can help move the Needle”, KPMG. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://assets.kpmg//content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2018/06/global-mobility-inclusion-and-diversity-how-gms-can-help-move-the-needle-FINAL.pdf

Habti, D and Elo, M. (2019). Global Mobility of Highly Skilled People. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 

Hauri, D., Eisenhut, P., and Lorenz T. (2016). „Knacknuss Wachstum und Zuwanderung: Hintergründe unde Zusammenhange.”Stiftung Zukunft.li. Retrieved 28 May, 2020, from https://www.stiftungzukunft.li/application/files/3215/1635/3318/Knacknuss_Wachstum_und_Zuwanderung_Endfassung_22_11_2016.pdf

Platonova A. and Urso, G. (2012). „Labour Shortages and Migration Policy.” International Organization for Migration. Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/labour_shortages_and_migration_policy.pdf?language=en