Are You Engaged? Asking for a Friend

Best Practices for Welcoming International Staff and Helping Them Feel Settled from Day One

By Josh Williams
Director of Operations US at Yummy Jobs

After their first 24 hours do your staff feel connected, informed, supported, and genuinely glad they chose you over the other offers they had?  Do they phone home and say. ‘Everyone is so nice, they made us feel so welcome’?

For many international staff, arriving in the U.S. is one of the most exciting things they have ever done. It is also one of the most overwhelming. They are navigating a new country, a new workplace, a new culture, new housing, new transport, and rooms full of strangers before they know where to buy shampoo.

Great news, engagement is not complicated. It does not require a complex budget, committee, or a team-building consultant. But it does require intention. 

It starts before they land

Staff who know what to expect before they travel are calmer, more confident, and significantly less likely to message you at 2am asking if someone is actually coming to pick them up.

That means giving them the practical details in advance: pickup information, housing address, what their first few days look like, who to call if something goes wrong, and what to pack. Not a forty-page document. A clear, simple one page arrival guide that answers the questions they are already anxious about but might not feel comfortable asking. The goal is straightforward: no staff member should land and be wondering what happens next.

The airport pickup is a first impression

The airport is the first time staff meet their new life in person. It matters more than most employers realise.

A well-run pickup feels organised, warm, and safe. It has a visible sign, a friendly face, confirmed flight details, and ideally a bottle of water and a “we are really glad you are here” that sounds like it means it. It also has a backup plan for delays and missed connections.These things happen. Being ready for them is the difference between a stressful night and a story they laugh about later. Oh and snacks, lots of snacks, boxes of snacks, packets of snacks, barrels of snacks!  If you’re doing food, think gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and collect that info in advance. 

The first 24 hours should feel human

There will be forms, ID checks, housing rules, and onboarding steps. That is unavoidable. But the first 24 hours should not feel like being processed. Participants need time to breathe, eat something, call home, and understand where they actually are before being handed a stack of paperwork and a uniform.

A strong first day covers the essentials without being overwhelming. A room walkthrough, Wi-Fi access, a meal, a clear plan for tomorrow, and a named person they can go to if something feels unclear. Participants do not need to know everything on day one. They need to know they are safe, that someone is paying attention, and that asking for help is not going to be a problem.

“Reach out if you need anything” is not a support system

There is a meaningful difference between being technically available and being genuinely accessible. International staff often do not know who to ask, whether their question is too small, or whether approaching HR is even something they are allowed to do. Some will sit with a problem for two weeks rather than risk seeming difficult.

Introduce your people as humans, not job titles. When someone knows exactly who to go to, they go. Problems get smaller. Trust gets bigger.

Help them figure out the life admin

Getting a Social Security Number, opening a bank account, finding a pharmacy, figuring out the bus. These are not small things when you are doing them in a foreign country for the first time. Employers who help participants navigate this by providing a simple step-by-step guide and accompanying them to local offices remove an enormous amount of background stress. 

Do something that has nothing to do with paperwork

Orientation covers what participants need to know. A welcome event covers how they start to feel. These are different things and they both matter. A meal, a mixer, a casual afternoon where people can meet each other as humans rather than new colleagues, these moments cost very little and return a great deal. Participants who feel connected to the people around them work better, stay longer, and are significantly less likely to be quietly miserable while pretending everything is fine. Staff also love to instagram so if you’re looking for some organic traffic, they got you! Throw up a volleyball net and have a BBQ, have an ice cream truck swing by the housing! 

Engagement is built in the small moments

International staff do not need perfection. They need clarity, consistency, and attention. The properties that get this right are the ones that put a name on the binder, that have someone warm on the bus, that check in all week three without being asked. Those are the ones staff talk about when they get home. They are also the ones staff come back to. They are the programs that become popular. 

The international staffing market is getting more competitive with the amount of forums, social media coverage and threads that now exist. Your employee reviews are online and accessible to all. GOOD NEWS: You don’t need the biggest budget, you don’t need extravagant living spaces, you need care, engagement, relationships and trust. 

So. Are you engaged? Asking for our friends

Finding the right international staff is only the beginning. At Yummy Jobs, we work with host employers not just to place great people, but to help make the experience exceptional for everyone involved. From arrival day logistics and orientation support, to cultural guidance and ongoing programme management throughout the season.