HR for startups: built for speed and scale

Choosing the right provider for HR, payroll, and global employment is one of the most important decisions a startup can make. Look for a platform that simplifies complexity, supports your global goals, and protects your business from risk. Ask:

• Does the provider offer both HR and payroll in one system?

• Can they support employees and contractors across multiple countries?

• Do they own their own legal entities (or rely on third parties)?

• What protections do they offer for IP and invention rights?

• Is the platform compliant with global labor laws and tax regulations?

• How easy is it to onboard, pay, and manage your team?

• Is equity, benefits, or relocation support included?

• Do they offer pricing, support, and tools that are startup-friendly?

A good partner should grow with you — from your first international hire to your next fundraise and beyond.

In short: because not outsourcing HR services is more expensive for startups. Small, quickly growing companies cannot spare the resources or the time necessary to manage every HR function in house. This is not to say startups should not have HR teams — on the contrary, great HR leaders are invaluable for startups looking to scale past a certain point. However, building an entire HR team to handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and stock options does not make financial or operational sense, especially when services exist to handle all of these tasks for startups specifically.

Even the largest enterprises outsource many of their HR services. Want to hire someone in a new country? An employer of record is a type of outsourced HR that can help. Need to run a compensation review? There are companies and resources for that, too. For startups, where every resource is best dedicated toward the company’s central mission, outsourcing HR services is the most sensible course of action.

Outsourcing payroll allows startups to save time, conserve budget for more mission-critical uses, and ensure that everyone who works for the company has a great experience. Nothing can kill a team’s momentum like a round of missed payroll or benefits that don’t actually work. As much as startup employees want to build something great, they also want to be paid on time, access their health insurance, save for retirement, and take time off. Keeping these functions in house not only takes up valuable time for startup leaders, but can even create animosity between team members and the leadership team if something goes wrong.

By outsourcing payroll, startups can offload a time-consuming and sensitive process while greatly reducing the number of errors and frustrations employees experience. Which is more likely to succeed: a team of people who are constantly battling to get their pay payments corrected, or a team of people who can rely on regular deposits and are free to focus on the startup’s core goals?

Of course, every company and situation is unique. That’s why it’s important for startups to consider all the reasons to outsource payroll before deciding on a course of action or specific provider.

Yes! If your investor is not a Remote for Startups partner, we'd love to chat with them! Introduce us, and you'll get an additional 5% off (up to a 20% discount).

We partner with various regional and global entities, such as incubators, accelerators, venture capital and private equity firms, angel syndicates, and other startup-enabling organisations who actively invest in and support the growth of startups. We're looking for a mutually beneficial relationship where partners promote Remote's benefits within their community.

If this sounds like you, and you'd like to learn more about how you can get involved, head over to this page, and sign up to become a Remote for Startups partner!