Today I’m going to show you how to get buy-in from your employer to move abroad and work remotely.
Moving your family and living abroad is an adventure.
But finding (and keeping) a job open to the idea is a key factor to make the move.
But most employers hate this idea.
We’re seeing companies pull back from full remote to hybrid (2-3 days mandatory in the office).
It makes HR, recruitment, payroll, and operations more complicated.
In the last decade, I’ve convinced 4 companies to let me work abroad while 100% remote.
While there’s no sure-fire formula, there are levers you can pull to sell the idea. You can make it palatable enough for your employer.
Here are five ways to stack the deck in your favor.
1/ Find company <> remote fit
Not all remote work opportunities are equal.
When researching companies, look for companies investing in remote or hybrid culture.
The future of work is dynamic and changing daily. If a company isn’t improving, it’s falling behind.
These companies will be more receptive to your move abroad.
Here are concrete things to look for:
- Documented remote work policies (e.g. no meeting days, email and Slack SLAs)
- Experimenting with remote and hybrid work tech
- Building culture with remote workers in mind
- (Check out more onboarding experiences terrific remote companies practice.)
Avoid companies that:
- Offer vague promises of “flex” hours
- Has 80%+ of its company in-person
- Can’t or won’t provide documented remote work policies
What if you don’t find a company that checks these boxes? That’s normal. Landing at a company with perfect company <> remote fit is difficult.
Start with “good enough” and improve your skills.
Then optimize for a better and better fit.
2/ Navigate a changing remote environment
Company culture is constantly evolving.
Keep an ear “close to the floor” for these changes, especially around remote work policies. Companies like Amazon, Unilever, Starbucks, and more are shifting back to in-person work.
If your company starts to shift back, tread carefully:
Your next move sets a precedent.
If you go back in-person, it’ll be difficult to reverse course.
(Nevermind move abroad.)
First, work with your boss to address their concerns about remote work. Dig into all the reasons. Listen.
Next, work together to address the objections. Propose solutions, e.g. more Zoom meetings, new project management practices, etc.
What if they say it’s out of their hands? That this is the new company policy?
Remember: there are always exceptions to company policy. It just takes time to find a solution.
If they insist? If moving abroad is non-negotiable, start informational interviewing at other companies.
Options = leverage.
3/ Do remarkable work
The question at the top of your employer’s mind:
“How will a move abroad affect your work?”
It’s 100% a fair question.
How do you respond? You can make promises to do good work. Or… you can just do good work.
Already doing good work? Then do remarkable work.
“Remarkable” is up for interpretation. But here are practices that tend to drive higher quality work:
- Focus on outcomes. Move metrics your manager cares about. Deprioritize the rest.
- Show your work. Show what you did, what’s working, and what’s not. Don’t wait to be asked for a progress report.
- Keep the score. Record accomplishments, projects completed, and any positive feedback. Compile concrete evidence of your impact.
Past behavior = future behavior.
(Regardless of where you live.)
4/ Help solve the payroll problem
The second question on your employer’s mind:
“How will I pay you if you move abroad?”
Help them solve this problem. You may not know the answer, but you should know the general landscape. Address this question head-on.
I’ve observed 3 different approaches:
1. Transfer to a local office. In this scenario, the company has a local office in the country you’re moving to. The company handles HR, the visa, etc. Makes the whole process easy.
(Note this will affect your wages. One data point: for the same role, the offer I received in Ireland was 30% lower than my offer in the states.)
2. Work through an Employee of Record. An EOR is a third-party entity that handles payroll, benefits, and other HR-related matters for employees working abroad. This can be a good solution if your employer cannot use a US permanent address to hire you directly.
3. Keep a US Permanent Address. I know of digital nomads who maintain a permanent address in the US (e.g. their parent’s house). They use that for HR, payroll, etc.
This approach comes with risk. I’m not advising you to try this, just that I’ve observed it. Do your research.
5/ Negotiate from strength
Time the conversation about moving abroad strategically.
You want to negotiate from a position of strength:
- Is the company growing or expanding?
- Are you critical in a visible initiative?
- Are your skills in demand?
For example, during my tenure at one company, I was the operational cog doing the grunt work that kept the lights on. I was a linchpin.
So when I told them I was moving…
They shrugged their shoulders.
This isn’t about strong-arming anyone. Be firm, but be a partner. Come into the conversation with a clear plan around the logistics:
- How you’ll manage work
- Communicate with your team
- Address surprise challenges
Conclusion
That’s it.
5 ways to get buy-in from your employer to move abroad and work remotely.
Give these a try and let me know how it goes.
