Supporting an innovative technology company with employment and immigration services in Turkey
International technology companies increasingly operate with teams distributed across several countries.
For innovative companies, access to the right talent is often more important than where that talent is located. However, employing a professional in another country can create additional employment, payroll and immigration requirements.
This is particularly relevant when the employee is a foreign national who requires authorisation to work locally.
Myriad Sensors, Inc., the company behind PocketLab, worked with Azkan Group for its employment requirements in Turkey.
Azkan Group provided an integrated solution combining work permit and Employer of Record (EOR) services in Turkey, supporting the administrative requirements associated with employing a foreign professional locally.
The client: Myriad Sensors, Inc. / PocketLab
Client: Myriad Sensors, Inc.
Brand: PocketLab
Industry: Education Technology / Sensors / Science & Engineering
Employee location: Turkey
Services provided by Azkan Group: Work Permit + Employer of Record (EOR) in Turkey
Myriad Sensors, Inc. is the company behind PocketLab, an innovative technology platform designed to support science, engineering and STEM education.
PocketLab develops wireless sensors and educational technology that enable students, teachers and other users to collect, visualise and analyse real-world scientific data.
Its solutions bring together sensor technology, data collection, scientific experimentation and digital learning.
PocketLab devices can be used to explore areas such as physics, environmental science, engineering and other STEM subjects by allowing users to measure and analyse data generated through real-world experiments.
For an innovative technology company operating internationally, access to specialised professionals across different countries can be an important part of its workforce strategy.
When Myriad Sensors required employment support in Turkey, Azkan Group provided both the local employment infrastructure and assistance with the work permit process.
The challenge: employing a foreign professional in Turkey
Employing a foreign national in Turkey involves an additional layer of administration compared with employing a Turkish citizen.
The company needs to consider not only employment and payroll requirements but also the immigration procedures associated with the employee’s right to work in Turkey.
Several practical questions therefore arise.
How can the employee be legally employed in Turkey?
Is a Turkish work permit required?
What documents are necessary for the application?
How should the application process be coordinated?
Who manages the employee’s Turkish payroll?
How are social security obligations handled?
And who provides ongoing local HR support once the employee has started working?
For an international company without a complete local employment infrastructure, coordinating these different requirements remotely can be complex.
Azkan Group provided Myriad Sensors with a local solution covering both the work permit process and ongoing employment administration in Turkey.
Step 1: Work permit services in Turkey
Foreign nationals who wish to work in Turkey are generally required to obtain the appropriate authorisation in accordance with Turkish immigration and employment requirements.
The work permit process requires careful coordination between the employee, the employer and the relevant authorities.
Azkan Group supported Myriad Sensors with the administrative process associated with the employee’s work permit in Turkey.
Depending on the employee’s situation and the applicable procedure, our work permit support can include:
- preliminary assessment of the employment situation;
- identification of the required documentation;
- coordination with the employee;
- preparation and review of application documents;
- assistance with the work permit application;
- follow-up of the administrative process;
- communication regarding additional documentation when required;
- and support with related employment formalities.
This local support helps international HR teams navigate a process that may be unfamiliar to organisations without an established immigration function in Turkey.
Step 2: Employer of Record in Turkey
The work permit represents only one part of employing a foreign professional.
Once the appropriate employment and immigration framework has been established, the employee also needs to be administered locally.
Azkan Group therefore provided Myriad Sensors with Employer of Record services in Turkey.
Our EOR solution provides the local infrastructure required to manage the employee’s employment and payroll administration.
Employer of Record services can include:
- preparation of Turkish employment documentation;
- employee onboarding;
- monthly payroll calculation;
- preparation of payslips;
- salary administration;
- Turkish social security (SGK) administration;
- statutory payroll obligations;
- leave and absence administration;
- expense management where applicable;
- ongoing HR administration;
- local support for the employee and international HR team;
- and employee offboarding when required.
Myriad Sensors can therefore remain focused on the employee’s responsibilities and business objectives while Azkan Group manages the associated local employment administration.
Combining immigration and employment support
The Myriad Sensors project demonstrates the advantage of combining work permit and Employer of Record services in Turkey.
For an international company, these two areas are closely connected when the person being employed is a foreign national.
Obtaining the necessary work authorisation is only the first stage.
The employee must subsequently be integrated into the appropriate local employment, payroll and social security framework.
Using one local partner for both areas creates greater continuity throughout the process.
Azkan Group can support the work permit procedure while also providing the employment and payroll infrastructure required for the employee in Turkey.
Why work permit support matters for international companies
International companies increasingly recruit talent without limiting themselves to the country where their headquarters are located.
Technology companies in particular may work with engineers, developers, product specialists, researchers, sales professionals and other specialists based in different markets.
When a foreign professional needs to work from Turkey, immigration requirements become part of the international HR process.
The company therefore needs to coordinate several areas simultaneously:
Immigration. The employee must have the appropriate authorisation to work in Turkey.
Employment. The employment relationship must be structured locally.
Payroll. Salary and payroll obligations need to be administered in accordance with the applicable framework.
Social security. The appropriate registrations and contributions must be managed.
HR administration. The employee requires ongoing local administrative support.
Bringing these areas together helps simplify the management of international employees.
Supporting international technology companies in Turkey
The technology industry is particularly international.
Companies may identify the right employee in one country while the employee lives or works in another.
For businesses developing innovative products and services, restricting recruitment exclusively to the country where the company is incorporated can limit access to specialised talent.
Flexible international employment solutions allow companies to build teams according to expertise rather than geography.
However, international workforce flexibility needs to be supported by appropriate local employment and immigration processes.
In Turkey, Azkan Group provides this local HR, payroll and work permit expertise.
EOR and work permits as part of an international workforce strategy
Combining Employer of Record and work permit services can be relevant in several situations.
An international company may need to:
- employ a foreign professional already living in Turkey;
- relocate a specialist to Turkey;
- hire international talent for a Turkish project;
- employ a limited number of people without building a complete local HR infrastructure;
- support an employee working with Turkish customers or partners;
- or develop its presence in Turkey gradually.
In these situations, the company needs more than payroll processing.
It requires a local partner capable of understanding how employment, payroll and immigration processes interact.
Supporting Myriad Sensors from work permit to payroll
Azkan Group’s role in the Myriad Sensors project combined two complementary areas of expertise.
First, we supported the administrative requirements associated with the employee’s work permit in Turkey.
Second, our Employer of Record services provided the local framework for the employee’s ongoing employment and payroll administration.
This integrated approach enabled Myriad Sensors to work with its employee in Turkey while relying on Azkan Group for the local administrative aspects of the employment relationship.
Myriad Sensors could therefore remain focused on its technology, products and international activities while Azkan Group provided local HR and employment support.
Azkan Group: Work Permit and Employer of Record services in Turkey
Since 2005, Azkan Group has supported international companies with their employment and HR requirements in Turkey.
Our services include Employer of Record (EOR), Payroll, Recruitment, Work Permit and HR services in Turkey.
For companies employing foreign nationals, combining work permit assistance with EOR services provides a coordinated approach to both immigration and employment administration.
Our Istanbul-based team supports international HR departments throughout the different stages of employing professionals in Turkey.
Need to employ a foreign professional in Turkey?
Azkan Group can support international companies that need to employ foreign professionals in Turkey.
Our team can assist with the Turkish work permit process while our Employer of Record in Turkey solution provides the employment, payroll and HR administration framework required to support the employee locally.
Whether your organisation operates in technology, education, engineering, consulting or another international sector, Azkan Group can provide local support for your workforce requirements.
Looking for Work Permit and Employer of Record services in Turkey? Contact Azkan Group to discuss your project.
