One solution is hiring abroad. Yet U.S. laws make hiring foreigners a job in itself. To add to the mayhem, is a shortage of visas. Small employers have been especially hard hit, and the lack of workers is inhibiting growth for some companies.
Companies use a variety of methods to find employees, from their own Web sites to commercial sites.
Or firms can hire in person, or seek the expensive aid of an international recruitment firm. And, of course, obtain a valid work visa from the government. Hiring a worker who will telecommute is a better solution. Jaffe Associates LLC, a 23-employee business development firm in Washington, employs eight consultants who log on from Britain and two from Canada. Or do as many other companies have done for years, and establish a foreign branch office.