Quick, hassle-free onboarding

We make it simple to add the employee's details to Remote and send an automated invite to your new starter

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

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

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

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

Depending on the hiring location, employee onboarding software enables you to bring new people into your organisation while observing all relevant employment laws. For hires within the same country this is normally a familiar process for most firms. New starters usually sign an employment agreement and upload key documents, all managed by the onboarding software. Often, onboarding software remains in use once the person starts, since it is typically part of a broader employment software suite.

When companies try to onboard remote employees in countries where they do not have a legal entity, the process gets more complex. A lack of familiarity with local laws and customs can slow onboarding and risk non-compliance. In such situations, employers often engage an employer of record, or EOR, to onboard staff. An EOR enables businesses to hire workers abroad by acting as the local employer of record, handling tasks such as payroll, benefits, tax withholding, compliance, and share options.

New starters won't automatically know what to do when they begin a new role. Even in small organisations, onboarding is the first chance to handle administrative tasks, set clear expectations and communicate company culture. In many countries onboarding includes a number of deadlines for paperwork and registrations, so firms hiring across borders must be vigilant when bringing on new workers.

Few things frustrate a new starter more than problems with payroll and benefits. You want your new employees to enjoy 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 sign up for insurance due to administrative errors, new team members may quickly lose trust and motivation. Efficient onboarding processes deliver a positive experience from the outset, creating a welcoming environment from day one.

Onboarding remote employees can be as straightforward as bringing on office-based staff — or considerably harder, depending on the hiring location and your preparedness. If the remote hire lives in the same area as the rest of the team (for example, the same city or county), the process is usually straightforward. You will need to supply appropriate equipment and make sure they feel welcomed and included, while the legal steps (such as signing the employment agreement) are largely unchanged.

Onboarding remote employees in different areas, such as another county or another country, brings extra challenges. You must cope with time zones and also handle the paperwork and registrations that come with a distributed hire. For instance, some countries require a medical examination as part of a new employment offer, even for remote roles.

In many cases, specific documents must be filed with government bodies by strict deadlines, and employees need to be enrolled in social schemes within a set period after starting. To onboard in a country where your company lacks a legal entity, you can hire abroad confidently using an employer of record, or EOR such as Remote.

Start with the basics when onboarding remote employees. Do you have all the arrangements in place to employ this person legally?

For contractors this is typically a quick process. Use an international contractor management platform such as Remote to pay contractors in their local currencies.

Onboarding full-time remote employees can be more involved. The crucial step is to understand the rules that apply in the country or region where the employee lives and works. If you have a local entity in that jurisdiction, you will be responsible for local compliance, payroll, taxes, benefits administration and various paperwork. Because of these hurdles, companies hiring remotely in other countries commonly use an employer of record.

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

Onboarding independent contractors is generally easier than hiring full-time employees, but be careful. Failing to define the working relationship correctly can be costly — not only through fines, but potentially by jeopardising ownership of your intellectual property (IP).

To onboard independent contractors, begin by drafting and signing a formal agreement setting out pay rates, deliverables and ownership of created works. Rules vary by country, so when hiring internationally use an international contractor management tool — not merely a payment service that offers no contractual protections.

You may wish to convert contractors to employees at some point. If this happens, you have several options. You will need to onboard them into their new roles with the appropriate paperwork, which will vary by country.