When you hire nearshore employees from Canada, it is usually assumed that they will work remotely. But could they work hybrid positions? Canada shares a border with the US, and most Canadian cities are near the shared border along the Southern edge. This means it is easier for Canadian employees to occasionally visit US business locations and events than it would be for more distant remote international team members.
It is possible to hire Canadian employees for hybrid positions in the US. The only question is how frequently they need to attend and how your company will plan for travel.
The Total Distance
The first thing to consider when hiring Canadian employees for hybrid positions is the total distance between your employees and your business or event locations. A business located in the northernmost states is more likely to be able to hire a hybrid Canadian employee, as the commute or travel time will be much shorter. For example, Rochester and Buffalo, NY are not far from Toronto, Hamilton, and Mississauga in Canada. These commutes are only a few hours, so a Canadian employee could be asked to visit weekly or a few times each month within reason.
However, longer distances should equate to less frequent appearances. This is unless the position is heavy on travel with business travel compensation.
Business Travel and Hybrid Work
When asking a Canadian employee to travel long distances to attend office or company events, prepare to provide business travel accommodation. The distance is longer than a commute, so they will likely need air tickets and lodgings to make the journey.
Canadian employees who enjoy travel may be willing to fly in several times a month if that’s what the business desires, and this is possible with modern travel. If you fly a Canadian employee in often, work with them to ensure the routine arrangements are comfortable and personalized. No matter their travel preferences, frequency will provide an economy of scale.
Hybrid Attendance of Special Events
Remote employees with partial hybrid positions will often be flown in for special events. Training workshops, product launches, and annual parties are good reasons to include Canadian employees in live events at the company headquarters or a booked event location. Often, employees will not mind flying over a few times a year for these special events while working remotely.
Travel-Intensive Positions
The exception to these standards, of course, is travel-intensive positions. Travel positions expect an employee to travel constantly. They can visit a company’s many job sites or work in person with clients on location throughout the year. Frequent travel opens the door to bringing your Canadian employee back to the home office location as part of their regular flights and percentage of time away from home.
In this case, providing airfare and lodgings will be routine, and easy to incorporate if you want to plan a hybrid work schedule in which your traveling Canadian employee spends a certain amount of time at specific work locations each month.
Can You Hire Canadian Employees for Hybrid Positions?
Yes. Of course, the details depend on distance, circumstances, and the work itself. A few Canadian and US cities are close enough for a “long commute” hybrid arrangement. But most nearshore Canadian employees will expect to work remotely most of the time.
Most importantly, include travel, hybrid, and event attendance expectations in your job listing when advertising for Canadian employees. The best fit will be someone who wants to travel as much as you want them to attend. For more insights into hiring Canadian nearshore talent for your business’s hybrid positions, contact us today. BrightR is your EOS of choice for Canadian employment.
