Quick, hassle-free onboarding

We simplify adding the employee’s details to Remote and send an automated invitation to your new starter

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

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

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

The employee is enrolled onto payroll and benefits schemes and their status is activated in Remote.

Depending on where you plan to hire, employee onboarding software enables you to bring new staff into your organisation in full compliance with relevant employment laws. For local hires, the process is usually straightforward (or at least familiar) for most businesses. New employees generally sign an employment agreement and upload key documents, all managed by the software used for onboarding. Onboarding software commonly continues to be used after the employee starts, since most onboarding tools form part of a broader employment software suite.

The situation is more complex when firms try to onboard remote employees in countries where they have no legal entity. Lack of familiarity with local law and practice can make it hard to onboard quickly and remain compliant. In such instances, employers commonly appoint an employer of record, or EOR, to manage onboarding. An EOR permits businesses to employ staff overseas by acting as the local employer of record and handling tasks such as payroll, benefits, tax withholding, compliance, and stock options.

New starters do not automatically know what is expected when they begin a new role. Even for small organisations, onboarding is the first chance to manage administrative matters, set clear expectations, and communicate company culture. In many jurisdictions, onboarding includes a series of deadlines for paperwork and registrations, so companies hiring in multiple countries should remain vigilant during onboarding.

Few things frustrate a new starter 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 you cannot pay their first salary on time or they cannot enrol in insurance because of administrative mistakes, new team members will quickly lose trust and motivation. Efficient onboarding processes create a positive experience from day one, establishing a welcoming environment from the outset.

Onboarding remote employees can be as straightforward as onboarding on-site staff — or considerably more complex, depending on where you are hiring and how well prepared you are. If remote hires live in the same locality as the rest of your team (for example, the same city or state), onboarding is relatively straightforward. You must supply the appropriate equipment and ensure the new starter feels welcomed and included, while legal formalities (such as signing the employment agreement) generally remain the same.

Bringing on remote employees in other areas, such as another state or a different country, introduces new challenges. You must account for time zones as well as the paperwork and registrations that accompany a distributed hire. For example, in certain countries employees may be required to undergo a medical examination as part of a new employment offer, even when working remotely.

Often, specific documents must be filed with government authorities by firm deadlines, and employees must be enrolled in social schemes within a set period after starting. To hire in a country where your company does not own a legal entity, you can onboard with confidence using an employer of record, or EOR like Remote.

Begin with the fundamentals when onboarding remote employees. Do you have the necessary arrangements in place to employ this new person legally?

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

Onboarding remote full-time employees can be more complicated. The key is to understand the regulations that apply in the country or region where your new employee lives and works. If you own an entity in the country where you plan to hire, you will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including local compliance, payroll, taxes, benefits administration, and administrative filings. Because of these barriers, companies hiring across borders typically work with an employer of record.

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

Onboarding independent contractors is generally simpler than onboarding full-time staff, but do not be complacent. Failing to define the proper boundaries of the working relationship can be costly — in fines, and potentially in loss of intellectual property (IP) rights.

Begin 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 between countries, so for international hires use an international contractor management solution rather than a payments-only tool that offers no contractual protections.

You may wish to convert contractors to employees at some stage. If that happens, you have options. You will need to onboard them into their new roles with the appropriate paperwork required by the country.