Recruiting and hiring are 2 of the most important tasks you’ll take on during an expansion. Your new hires will help you build your location from the ground up; however, it’s difficult to find the time to recruit these candidates when you’re also dealing with compliance, payroll, compensation, and a host of other responsibilities.

G-P can take the stress of hiring employees in Türkiye off your shoulders. With us, you can hire your ideal candidates using our Türkiye entity. As the Employer of Record (EOR), we’ll handle all compliance matters too, so you can manage your company without concern.

Recruiting in Türkiye

The process for hiring Türkiye employees depends on whether you’re hiring a resident or an international worker. If you decide to relocate existing team members to Türkiye, keep in mind that they will need a residency and work permit. These are obtained in collaboration with the employer, Ministry of Labor, and the international worker’s embassy. The process usually takes about 4–8 weeks once the required documents are ready and the application is properly filed. More regulated industries can take up to 3–6 months where additional approvals, licensing, security checks, or ministry review are required.

Legal and background checks

Often, the first step to hiring is advertising your position. While there are no specific requirements related to advertising open positions, advertisements should not be discriminatory.

You may want to perform background checks on potential employees, but there are restrictions based on the type:

  • Criminal record: Employers generally cannot obtain criminal records directly. Ask the candidate to request and provide the record only where there is a lawful, role-specific need.
  • Medical history: You may request a health report where legally required or genuinely necessary for occupational health and safety. Do not rely on consent alone, and request only necessary fitness-for-work information.
  • Drug screening: You can generally only screen employees for drugs with their explicit consent. Testing should be role-based, proportionate, and handled as sensitive health data.
  • Credit checks: You can do a credit check with the employee’s consent. A power of attorney may also be required.
  • Immigration status: You can check documents provided by the employee, but companies must obtain a work authorization for them.
  • Social media: You can only check an employee’s social media with their consent.

How to hire employees in Türkiye

If you’re hiring an employee using a fixed-term employment contract exceeding 1 year, it’s legally required to be in writing. An indefinite employment contract is not generally required to be written, but the employer must provide written information on key working terms if no written contract is made. It should include information about benefits, compensation, termination and entitlement terms, working hours, bonuses, and more. Salary amounts should generally be stated and paid in Turkish lira. Avoid setting or indexing wages in foreign currency unless local counsel confirms an exception applies.

Türkiye employment laws

Türkiye’s main employment compliance law for private-sector employment contracts and working conditions is Turkish Labor Act No. 4857, but other laws and agreements may also apply. These laws cover everything from employment contracts to working hours and even military service. Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and trade unions are common in the country, and you should factor these negotiations into your hiring timeline.

Onboarding in Türkiye

After you learn how to hire employees in Türkiye, you need to focus on the best ways to onboard them. This process changes for each company, but we typically recommend reviewing all contracts and important company documents during the employee’s first week. Then you can start a training program to prepare every new hire for their specific position.

You can also create events that will introduce employees to each other and create a sense of camaraderie among team members.

Grow globally with G-P.

G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With the #1 global employment platform, you have the recruitment tools and services you need to find your perfect full-time or contract match.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.