Myanmar Recruiting and Hiring

Working in Myanmar requires a full staff of talented employees who will help you build a new company location. Do you know where to find those employees? Many companies expand to Myanmar, expecting to hire employees like they do in another country. However, you need to follow specific Myanmar employment compliance laws to stay compliant.

Globalization Partners can help you through the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding processes with Myanmar hiring outsourcing. Since we already have a subsidiary in the country, we can use it to hire employees to work on your behalf. Our team will follow the right laws, recruit talented candidates, and ensure that you can work in as little as a day or two.

Recruiting in Myanmar

With a variety of thriving industries from agriculture to infrastructure, Myanmar offers a wealth of opportunities to businesses looking to expand internationally. However, an overseas move inevitably comes with challenges. Chief among these is navigating complex cultural differences during the staffing and recruitment processes. It can be difficult to cultivate a good first impression and successfully recruit top talent without a strong understanding of your candidates’ culture and expectations.

As you begin staffing and recruiting, the following tips will help you respectfully understand a different culture.

1. Offer a Handshake During Greetings

Handshakes using both hands are the standard form of greeting between men. If a businesswoman initiates a handshake, a man can shake it but generally shouldn’t initiate a handshake with a woman. In lieu of a handshake, a man can make a slight bow as a greeting gesture. You can also pair a handshake with the traditional local greeting word, “mengalaba.”

2. Remove Your Shoes When Indoors

Visitors from other cultures may be surprised to discover that many offices are shoe-free zones. Most offices will have a shoe rack by the entrance, and you will be expected to remove your shoes before entering. As a result, try to wear shoes without laces. While removing your shoes to enter a workplace may feel counterintuitive, leaving them on can cause offense.

3. Show Respect for Elders

Elders are held in high esteem across the country. You can demonstrate respect for elders in many ways, including waiting for the eldest person to begin eating first, greeting an elder before anyone else, and always listening to the opinion of the oldest person in the room.

4. Expect Indirect Communication

As a general rule, the Burmese are indirect communicators. A spoken “yes” may not always be so simple, as the Burmese will likely say what you want to hear to avoid conflict. Instead of approaching issues head-on and in front of other people, ask open-ended questions that don’t demand pressure or a quick answer. Provide your candidates with accepting responses that won’t create friction or put them on the spot.

5. Take Your Time

Personal relationships play an integral role in Burmese business culture. People generally prefer to work with individuals they trust and feel comfortable with. As a result, it’s crucial to take your time and build relationships with your potential hires. Don’t rush their decision-making process to hit a deadline. Instead, meet candidates at their pace and adapt to prioritizing relationships over punctuality.

The Recruitment Process in Myanmar

With an understanding of Burmese culture in mind, it’s time to start moving ahead with your Myanmar staffing and recruiting processes. Before expanding overseas, your team will need to consider the logistics of international staffing, including determining the most efficient and effective recruitment channels. 

The recruitment process will include sourcing top local talent. You can choose from several different approaches to accomplish this successfully, including:

• Running recruitment in-house. If you decide to handle your recruitment internally, you’ll likely want to advertise online. Popular recruiting websites include jobsinyangoon.com. Social media is also widespread, so you may have success highlighting your open positions on Facebook or LinkedIn. 
• Hiring a local recruitment agency. Another solution for your Myanmar staffing needs involves turning to a local hiring agency. This route can reap faster results than in-house recruiting but comes with drawbacks, including hidden fees and a lack of legal compliance guarantees.
• Partnering with a global PEO. Hiring a global PEO to serve as your employer of record in Myanmar is an ideal alternative for many companies. A global PEO will reduce any legal risks, recruit and onboard your prospective employees, and eliminate the need to establish your own in-country subsidiary.

How to Hire Myanmar Employees

The Employment and Skill Development Law requires you to hire Myanmar employees using a written employment contract in both Burmese and English. You must draft the contract within 30 days of initially hiring an employee, and you’ll need to include the following terms:

• Remuneration
• Termination
• Duration
• Social security benefits

Not knowing how to hire Myanmar employees can lead to strict fines. Employers who fail to sign an employment contract can face prison for up to six months and a fine. If you don’t register the contract with the labor department, it could be declared void.

Myanmar Employment Compliance Laws

Myanmar employment compliance laws differ whether you’re hiring a resident or non-resident employee. As long as foreign employees have a valid business visa, they can work in the country. However, they’ll need a foreign national’s registration certificate if they want to stay for more than 90 days.

Another important law relates to working hours. Employees typically work eight hours a day or 44 hours a week. Although weekly working hours cannot exceed 48, some industries have their own regulations related to daily working hours, overtime work, and related elements.

How to Onboard Your Employees Successfully

After hiring Myanmar employees, you should onboard them. While this step may seem simple, the right onboarding process can ensure that your employees are successful in their careers with your company. Start by putting a written employment together within the employee’s first 30 days, and have them sign the contract. You should enroll them in a training program during those 30 days as well to help them prepare for a productive career.

Benefit of Myanmar Hiring Outsourcing

Myanmar hiring outsourcing with Globalization Partners provides numerous benefits for companies just entering the global market. Instead of spending months learning how to hire Myanmar employees and successfully expand, you can take advantage of our expertise and existing subsidiary.

We will ensure that you meet the right Myanmar employment compliance laws and help you work quickly. Our team will recruit the best employees for your team, or we’ll onboard the individuals you already have in mind. In addition, we’ll make sure every employee has a positive hiring experience that gives them the ability to work fast.

Globalization Partners Can Help Your Company Expand

The Globalization Partners team will act as an extension of your team. Contact us today to learn more about Myanmar hiring outsourcing.

Try the professional online HTML editor