Swift, hassle-free onboarding

We simplify adding an employee's details to Remote, with an automated invite emailed to your new starter

Once your employee signs in to the platform, Remote asks them to supply administrative details and upload the required supporting documents

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

We prepare the employment agreement and send it to the employee for formal signature

The employee is enrolled in both payroll and benefits programmes, and their status is set to active within Remote.

Where you hire will determine the capabilities you need: employee onboarding software lets you add new staff to your organisation while remaining compliant with relevant employment legislation. For hires local to your business, the process is typically familiar and relatively straightforward. New employees generally sign an employment agreement and upload essential documents, tasks that the onboarding software administers. Often, the onboarding tool remains in use once the individual starts work, since onboarding is frequently part of a broader employment software solution.

The situation is more complex when firms seek to onboard remote employees in jurisdictions where they lack a legal entity. Lack of familiarity with local law and practice can impede rapid, compliant onboarding. In such circumstances, employers commonly engage an employer of record, or EOR, to bring new workers on board. An EOR enables businesses to employ staff in other countries by acting as the local employer of record and handling functions such as payroll, benefits, tax withholding, compliance, and share options.

New employees won't automatically know what is expected of them when they begin a new role. Even in small businesses, onboarding is the first chance to handle administrative matters, set clear expectations, and convey company culture. In many jurisdictions, onboarding involves multiple deadlines for paperwork and registrations, so organisations hiring across several countries must be vigilant during the onboarding process.

Few things annoy a new employee more than problems with payroll and benefits. You want new hires to have a positive experience with your organisation and to feel an immediate sense of care and belonging.

If you cannot pay their first salary on time, or they cannot enrol in insurance due to administrative mistakes, new team members will quickly lose trust and motivation. Efficient onboarding processes deliver a positive experience from the beginning, creating a welcoming environment from day one.

Onboarding remote staff can be as straightforward as bringing on in-office employees — or considerably more complex, depending on the hiring location and your level of preparation. If your remote hires live in the same area as your team (for example, the same city or region), the process is fairly simple. You must supply the new employee with the necessary equipment and make sure they feel welcomed and included, while the legal aspects (such as signing the employment agreement) typically remain unchanged.

Onboarding remote staff in different locations, whether another region or another country, introduces additional challenges. Beyond accommodating time zones, you must also allow for the paperwork and registrations that accompany a distributed hire. In some countries, for instance, new employees must undergo a medical examination as part of the job offer process, even if they work remotely.

In many cases, specific documents must be filed with government authorities within tight deadlines, and employees must be enrolled in social programmes by a prescribed date after employment starts. To bring employees on board in a country where your company lacks a legal entity, you can hire abroad confidently using an employer of record, or EOR like Remote.

Begin with the fundamentals when onboarding remote employees. Have you arranged everything necessary to employ this person lawfully?

For contractors, the process is usually quick and straightforward. You can use an international contractor management platform like Remote to pay your contractors in their local currencies.

Onboarding full-time remote employees is often more complicated. The crucial factor is understanding the rules applicable in the jurisdiction where the employee resides and works. If you operate a local entity in that country, you will be accountable for numerous duties, including local compliance, payroll, taxes, benefits administration, and various filings. Because of these hurdles, firms commonly engage an employer of record when onboarding remote employees in other countries.

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

Onboarding independent contractors is generally simpler than onboarding full-time staff, but be cautious. Failing to define the work relationship correctly can be costly — not just in fines, but potentially jeopardising ownership of your intellectual property (IP).

Begin contractor onboarding by drafting and signing a formal agreement with the contractor. The contract should address pay rates, deliverables, and ownership of any created work. Rules vary by country, so when hiring internationally use an international contractor management platform rather than merely a payment tool with no contractual safeguards.

You may wish to convert contractors to employees at some point. If this happens, you have several options. You will need to onboard the contractors into their new roles, including any new paperwork required in that country.