Many people flock to the Bahamas for its gorgeous beaches, temperate climate, and various other positive features. Although there’s a large number of people searching for work, do you know exactly what type of employees you’re looking for? Recruiting and hiring talented and hardworking employees are vital to ensuring your success. Still, it’s often difficult to find the time to hire these individuals while you’re also running two company locations and handling other expansion tasks.
Globalization Partners understands the importance of hiring, especially during a global expansion. We offer Bahamas hiring outsourcing services through our PEO in the country. Instead of recruiting your own job candidates, remember that we can recruit top talent for you or onboard your preferred employees. You also won’t have to worry about Bahamas’ employment compliance because our team will shoulder all compliance for your company.
Recruiting in the Bahamas
Staffing your company in the Bahamas can be more challenging than you think. Exemptions from corporate and income taxes are the main draws for both investors and expats. The government has some measures that support investors, but there are also concerns about competition from overseas companies. Expats may also have a difficult time finding employment, as the government supports hiring locals.
If you decide to hire a nonresident, they will need a work permit — this document allows them to work for one year and can be renewed. However, it’s difficult to get a renewal after working in the country for five or more years.
Since the country prioritizes resident employees, you’re required to advertise all vacancies locally first. If you can’t find anyone within the country, you can apply to the Immigration Board for permission to recruit outside of the Bahamas. You must obtain a certificate from the Ministry of Justice and Immigration showing that you could not find a local person for the job.
Laws Against Discrimination in the Bahamas
Recruiting in the country also means following the right laws so you can stay compliant. For instance, the law does not allow you to discriminate against an employee or job applicant based on race, sex, marital status, creed, political views, age, or HIV/AIDS status. This means you cannot do the following based on the aforementioned qualities:
- Refuse to offer employment
- Refuse access to a promotion
- Refuse training or other benefits
- Dismiss someone
- Pay someone less than the rate of another employee for the same kind of work
The same rule applies to individuals with disabilities unless you can show that the job requirements warrant hiring a person with a disability at a lesser rate of pay or that you cannot accommodate the person without undue hardship.
Following these requirements while staffing and recruiting in the Bahamas will ensure you don’t face any fines, and also show your commitment to creating a diverse workforce.
How to Hire Employees in the Bahamas
Hiring employees in the Bahamas means understanding common customs and actions. Although people are relaxed and informal, business is extremely formal, with individuals using academic titles and surnames when addressing each other. People frequently exchange business cards, and it’s important to treat the card with care — don’t bend it, put it in your pocket, or write on it.
Usually, Bahamians use a straightforward communication style but are also friendly and funny. They use a hierarchical negotiation style, and people often use meetings to discuss decisions they’ve already made instead of negotiating a yes or no. Personal relationships are important, so meetings often include conversations on personal topics unrelated to business.
Bahamas Employment Laws
Learning how to hire Bahamas employees means also learning how to write a strong employment contract. Although the Bahamas allows you to use an oral or written employment contract, we recommend using a written contract to hire employees. All contracts need to include compensation, benefits, termination requirements, working hours, and similar elements. Salary and compensation amounts need to be in Bahamian dollars to create a clear agreement between you and the employee and follow the Bahamas’ employment compliance laws.
Onboarding in the Bahamas
At Globalization Partners, we’ll onboard your employees to our Bahamas PEO. If you expand on your own, you’ll need to find the best ways to onboard individuals after hiring Bahamas employees. We recommend having employees sign the employment contract on their first day with your company. It can also help to create a robust training program, especially if you have highly technical positions. You can either run the program through your company or enroll your employees in a third-party training program through another industry source.
Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in the Bahamas
Instead of spending months learning how to hire Bahamas employees and waiting until you have a subsidiary, you can choose Bahamas hiring outsourcing with Globalization Partners. We offer many benefits, including a quick start time, no worries about compliance, and a positive hiring experience for your employees.
Work With Globalization Partners To Expand Globally
Help your employees be productive for your company from day one. Contact us today to learn more about Bahamas hiring outsourcing.
