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

Organisations willing to look beyond crowded technology hubs are most likely to uncover undervalued pockets of remote tech talent. This report shows that ambitious organisations ready to build globally distributed teams can seize a largely untapped opportunity — and it’s simpler than you might expect.

What are the main challenges of recruiting tech talent globally?

Gain direct 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.

The 2022 survey asked participants about the main considerations when hiring in established talent hotspots such as New York, London, and Tokyo, as well as in 15 emerging tech hubs around the world.

Our survey showed that hiring managers are hesitant about remaining compliant.

38%

More than a third of all respondents say they find it difficult to learn the local legal requirements for hiring in new regions.

Download the report to discover how straightforward it can be to gain the benefits of international employment quickly, securely, and with minimal risk.

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Emerging tech hubs can provide a competitive edge

Often, you can recruit top-tier talent from other countries who aren’t reachable in your domestic market because competition is so fierce. Tech professionals living outside the usual crowded hubs are more receptive to established organisations that offer globally competitive pay. For candidates and their families in developing nations, these roles can be transformational. In return, you should expect increased motivation and stronger loyalty.

Brett Jones, Co-founder at OFFERZEN

02. Legal obligations and cultural fit worry hiring managers

Hiring managers who intend to hire tech talent from new regions are mainly worried about two key aspects of remote work — how to lawfully employ people and how to manage culture effectively across a geographically dispersed team.

Legal requirements

Survey results indicate hiring managers worry about staying compliant when recruiting beyond their own country. It’s a genuine concern, but one companies committed to onboarding the right talent can manage.

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Removing obstacles to hiring internationally

Hiring internationally delivers clear advantages — it opens access to the planet’s top talent. More importantly, it lets you build genuinely diverse teams. Recruiting around shared values creates the solid foundation needed for long-term success. Leaders who hire people whose values align can foster an inclusive, equitable and trusting culture that helps a global team flourish.

Anastasia Pshegodskaya, Director of Talent Acquisition. Remote

01. Experienced remote tech professionals are located around the world

Knowledge workers usually adapt to remote teams with relative ease provided you take a globally inclusive approach to recruitment. Great candidates are found worldwide, but securing their expertise requires a hiring approach built for remote work.

Action

Easily hire a global workforce while remaining legally compliant

Hiring remote tech talent needn’t be complicated. As the most trusted EOR in the business, Remote removes the requirement to set up a local entity in every location — a costly step that can slow your expansion. Remote gives you the assurance that you:

• Have the right contracts in place

• Be compliant with local employment laws and tax regulations

• Correctly classify your employees and contractors

With Remote, you can hire people across the globe legally, easily and quickly. You can even give your international employees share options in your business through Remote’s platform!

02. There is no single global compensation plan that fits every situation

Expanding your team worldwide delivers big benefits, yet HR managers must overcome several obstacles when developing remote compensation plans to build a high-functioning international workforce.

• Employees soon notice if they’re paid less than colleagues or prevailing international rates, but simply paying everyone the same isn’t the solution.

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

• People who share the same education, skills and experience should be able to enjoy a comparable lifestyle and level of disposable income in their country of residence.

Action

Offer competitive pay and benefits packages

Remote’s global employment platform reduces the time, cost, and effort involved by creating country-specific benefits packages at highly negotiated prices. This allows you to provide equitable, best-in-class benefits to your employees for a fraction of the cost of doing it yourself or of setting up a legal entity. You can even offer share options to your international workforce .

03. Asynchronous work is essential for successful global teams

Asynchronous (async) working lets a distributed team maximise productivity across time zones. Performance should be judged on the work completed, not on when people logged on. The freedom to work autonomously and with flexibility is a strong draw for the world’s most skilled and experienced tech professionals.

Many prospective hires already have years of experience delivering results productively in a fully remote environment.

Action

Create intentional remote-first work practices

An async work environment needs more communication and documentation, which in turn boosts employee morale and productivity.

04. Async work removes multiple obstacles to hiring across borders

An async approach to working addresses many of the hurdles that stop hiring managers from transitioning to remote roles. Deliberately inclusive practices encourage diversity and let truly global teams thrive. Skilled remote tech professionals are actively looking for roles that support a healthy work–life balance. That means employers can allow remote staff anywhere to work hours that fit their time zone and lifestyle. Beyond attracting top remote talent, putting in place the processes to run a globally distributed team will maximise productivity and boost staff retention rates.

Employ with Remote

A deliberate remote-first approach and asynchronous workflows encourage innovation and raise the productivity of your global team. Although creating robust documentation and shifting away from real-time processes takes discipline, the benefits far outweigh the limits of traditional synchronous working. Developing those documentation resources can turn your organisation into one that’s ready for the future of work. Diversity delivers substantial long-term advantages, and a culture of inclusion should be woven into the fabric of your company.

Remote can help take the complexity out of managing compliance with international legislation.

Creating local entities overseas is almost always prohibitively costly and time-consuming. We establish our entities to meet the highest standards of compliance so you can grow your global footprint with confidence.

About this study

Remote surveyed a total of 1,485 decision-makers across six key markets who self-identified as currently hiring tech talent. The survey ran between 9 and 26 September 2022 in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Each country contributed around 200 respondents to the survey.

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