Are HR leaders looking for tech talent in the wrong places?

Those open to exploring new markets outside of saturated technology hubs stand the best chance of finding underappreciated pockets of remote tech talent. This report demonstrates that ambitious organisations open to building globally distributed teams can take advantage of an unexplored opportunity — and it’s not as difficult as many expect.

What are the key challenges of global tech recruitment?

Get firsthand insight from more than 1,400 executives and hiring managers from organisations across Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

This 2022 survey asked respondents about key considerations of hiring in established talent hotspots such as New York, London, and Tokyo, alongside 15 rising tech hubs around the world.

Our survey found that hiring managers are apprehensive about staying compliant.

38%

More than a third of respondents say they find learning local legal requirements for hiring in new regions challenging.

Download the report to learn how straightforward it can be to capture the benefits of international employment with speed, security, and minimal risk.

Expert global recruitment insight 02

Emerging tech hubs offer competitive advantages

You can often attract a country’s top talent who may be out of reach in your local market owing to intense competition. Tech professionals outside the established hubs respond well to offers from reputable organisations that provide globally competitive pay. Such roles can be transformative for international candidates and their households, which in turn tends to increase motivation and loyalty.

Brett Jones, Co-founder at OFFERZEN

02. Legal requirements and cultural fit worry hiring managers

Hiring managers who do plan to hire tech talent in new regions are worried about two primary aspects of remote work — how to employ people lawfully and how to manage culture successfully across a geographically varied team.

Legal requirements

The survey highlights that hiring managers are uneasy about remaining compliant when recruiting outside their home country. It is a genuine concern but one that companies committed to onboarding the right talent can navigate.

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Overcoming barriers to global hiring

The advantages of international recruitment are clear — you instantly broaden access to the world’s leading talent. Importantly, you can also form truly diverse teams. Value-led recruitment lays the groundwork for lasting success. Leaders who recruit team members who share core values can create an inclusive, fair, and trusting environment that enables a global team to prosper.

Anastasia Pshegodskaya, Director of Talent Acquisition. Remote

01. Experienced remote tech professionals are located around the globe

Knowledge workers adapt to remote team environments with relative ease provided you adopt a globally inclusive recruitment approach. Outstanding candidates can be found everywhere, but hiring them requires a fresh remote-first strategy.

Action

Hire a global workforce legally and compliantly with ease

Hiring remote tech talent doesn’t have to be complex. As the most trusted EOR in the sector, Remote removes the need for you to set up a local entity in every market — an expensive step that can restrict your ability to scale. Remote gives you the assurance you need to ensure you:

• have the right contracts

• comply with local employment and tax laws

• classify your employees and contractors correctly

You can employ people worldwide with Remote legally, simply, and quickly. You can even grant your international employees share options in your business via Remote’s platform!

02. There is no universal global compensation model

Expanding your team internationally brings substantial benefits, but HR leaders must address several issues when designing remote compensation frameworks that support a high-performing international workforce.

• Employees quickly notice if they are being paid less than colleagues or prevailing international rates, but equalising pay isn’t as simple as paying everyone the same.

• Benefits packages also need to be tailored to different countries.

• People with equivalent qualifications, skills, and experience should enjoy comparable lifestyles and disposable income in their country of residence.

Action

Provide competitive pay and benefits packages

Remote’s global employment platform saves time, money, and effort by assembling country-specific benefits packages at carefully negotiated rates. You can provide equitable, market-leading benefits to employees for a fraction of the cost of doing so independently or establishing a local entity. You can also offer share options to your international workforce.

03. Asynchronous work underpins successful global teams

Asynchronous (async) working allows a globally distributed team to optimise productivity regardless of time zones. Performance is judged on completed work rather than when individuals were online. The autonomy and flexibility offered by async working are powerful incentives for highly skilled tech professionals worldwide.

Many potential hires bring years of experience working productively in fully remote environments.

Action

Establish intentional remote-first work practices

An asynchronous environment demands better communication and documentation, which often leads to improved morale and higher productivity.

04. Async work removes many obstacles to global hiring

An asynchronous approach directly tackles several of the barriers that discourage hiring managers from recruiting remotely. Thoughtfully inclusive practices support diversity and enable truly global teams to prosper. Experienced remote tech professionals increasingly seek roles where life‑work balance is prioritised. Employers can enable remote workers anywhere to work hours that suit their time zone and lifestyle. Beyond attracting leading remote talent, putting in place processes to run a globally distributed team will maximise output and improve retention.

Employ with Remote

Deliberate remote-first practices and async workflows foster innovation and get the best out of your global team. Although it requires discipline to build strong documentation and move away from synchronous routines, the benefits considerably outweigh the limitations of traditional real-time working. While developing those documentation assets, you can transform your organisation for the future of work. Diversity delivers substantial long-term advantages, and embedding inclusion into your company culture is essential.

Remote can help you remove the complexity of managing compliance with international legislation.

Establishing local entities abroad is almost always time‑consuming and costly. We set up our entities to meet rigorous compliance standards so you can expand your global presence with confidence.

About this study

Remote surveyed 1,485 decision‑makers across six key markets who identified themselves as currently hiring tech talent. The survey was conducted between 9 and 26 September 2022 in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Each country contributed roughly 200 respondents.

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