This trips up almost every new arrival with no local network, so you're far from alone. The usual workaround is a guarantor company — a commercial service that acts as your guarantor for a fee instead of a person vouching for you personally. It's a genuinely common, unremarkable path for foreigners specifically, not a workaround of last resort. Some employers also offer to guarantee housing for relocating staff, worth asking HR about directly.
Costs and how common this is varies quite a bit by country — check the Housing section of your destination's guide, several of the country guides cover this exact setup.