Recruting;

 

If your company competes in a crowded field in which experienced, high-quality employees are getting harder to find, maybe you're not looking far enough. When trying to fill key positions, especially technical ones, don't forget about other countries.

Daniel Williams, chief executive of Interactive Business Systems Inc., a dataprocessing consulting firm in Oak Brook, Ill., thought he had tried every recruiting method possible. But he still found himself having to turn away business because his company, which posted sales of more than $7 million last year, was short of people to handle it. Then, about two years ago, Williams started placing ads in British computer magazines. At the same time, an employee who had emigrated from South Africa offered to put out the word among former associates there. To Williams's surprise, topnotch candidates quickly started getting in touch. When he interviewed them by phone, he discovered that many were eager to expand their technical expertise by working on state-of-the-art American equipment.

To date, Williams has brought over more than a dozen workers, about half of whom will stay only temporarily, which helps control relocation costs. He plans to try Canada next. Although the international effort can be a strain, Williams says, it's worth it. "There's a talent pool of good people with a good work ethic out there."