Quick, hassle-free onboarding

We simplify adding an employee's details to Remote by sending an automated invitation to your new starter

Once your employee signs into the platform, Remote asks them to provide administrative details and upload the necessary supporting documents

Remote performs a right-to-work check to confirm workers hold the appropriate permissions, work permits, or visas required for their location

The employment agreement is prepared and issued to the employee for formal signature

The employee is enrolled in payroll and benefits programs, and their status is activated in Remote.

Depending on where you hire, employee onboarding software lets you bring new employees into your organisation while complying with applicable employment laws. For local hires this process is often straightforward or at least familiar to many employers. New employees typically sign an employment agreement and upload key documents, all managed within the onboarding software the company uses. Employee onboarding tools often remain in use once the employee starts, since onboarding is commonly a feature of a larger employment software package.

Onboarding remote employees in countries where you lack a legal entity can introduce extra complexity. A lack of familiarity with local laws and customs often slows hiring and complicates compliance. In those situations, employers commonly rely on an employer of record, or EOR, to onboard new workers. An EOR enables businesses to employ people abroad by acting as the local employer of record and handling tasks such as payroll, benefits administration, tax withholding, compliance, and stock options.

New employees won't automatically know their responsibilities when they begin a new position. For companies of any size, onboarding offers the first chance to handle administrative matters, set clear expectations, and convey company culture. Across many countries, onboarding requires meeting several deadlines for paperwork and registrations, so organisations hiring across borders must stay vigilant during the onboarding process.

Few things irritate a new hire more than problems with payroll and benefits. You want your new employees to have a positive experience with your company and feel an immediate sense of care and belonging.

If their first paycheque is late or administrative errors prevent them from enrolling in insurance, new team members quickly lose trust and motivation. Smooth onboarding processes cultivate a positive employee experience from the start, creating a welcoming atmosphere from day one.

Onboarding remote staff can be as straightforward as bringing in-office employees on board — or substantially more complex, depending on the hiring location and your preparation. If remote hires live in roughly the same area as the rest of your team (for example, the same city or province), the onboarding steps are relatively simple. You must supply the new employee with the necessary equipment and ensure they feel welcomed and included, while legal requirements (such as signing the employment agreement) typically remain unchanged.

Onboarding remote employees in different locations, whether in another province or another country, creates additional challenges. Beyond adjusting for time zones, you must also handle the paperwork and registrations that accompany a distributed hire. For example, some countries require employees to complete a medical exam as part of a new employment offer, even when they work remotely.

Generally, some documents must be filed with government authorities by firm deadlines, and employees need to be registered in social programmes within a specified period after starting. To hire in a country where your company lacks a legal entity, you can engage an employer of record, or EOR such as Remote.

Begin with the fundamentals when integrating remote employees into your workforce. Have you put everything in place to employ this person legally?

For contractors, onboarding is typically fast and straightforward. You can use an international contractor management platform such as Remote to pay your contractors in their local currencies.

Onboarding full-time remote employees can be more involved. The key is understanding the regulations that apply in the country or region where your new employee lives and works. If you operate an entity in the hire’s country, you’ll be responsible for local compliance, payroll, taxes, benefits administration, and various paperwork. For these reasons, organisations often partner with an employer of record when hiring remote employees abroad.

Remote is built specifically to remove the cost, risk, and complexity from global employment, enabling you to manage compliance with confidence.

Bringing on independent contractors is generally easier than onboarding full-time employees, but caution is required. Failing to define the correct boundaries of the working relationship can be costly — not just in fines, but possibly through loss of intellectual property rights.

To onboard independent contractors, start by drafting and signing a formal agreement with your chosen contractor. The contract should cover pay rates, deliverables, and ownership of created work. Different countries have different rules, so if you hire internationally, be sure to use an

You may decide to convert contractors to employees in time. If that happens, you have several options. You will need to onboard the contractors into their new roles and complete whatever new paperwork the country requires.