The Checklist When Hiring Talent Abroad: Hard-Earned Insights from the Field

When my childhood friend and I co‑founded Deverr, our vision was global from day one. But our journey started on a very human note after a massive layoff at our previous company. Our first and immediate goal was to help our former coworkers and other talented developers land on their feet and find meaningful work. From the start, we knew that meaningful partners often don’t care about borders, they care about quality and alignment. We also knew from the outset that aligning international talent with those partners’ needs would require precision and care -- more chess than roulette. Building those connections has always been a tactical process of finding the perfect fit between skill, mindset, and mission.

Still, going global adds a few gears and gaskets to the engine. From day one at Deverr, with over a decade in the industry behind me, I’ve been gathering insights that shaped this checklist. A practical framework built through experience to help navigate the nuances of hiring talent abroad. It’s less of a discovery and more of a reflection on what it takes to make global collaboration thrive.

1. Define What You’re Actually Hiring For

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Before diving into global recruiting platforms or job boards, get clear on your needs:

• When it comes to balancing skill depth and versatility, ask yourself whether you need a specialist (say, a React wizard / MERN magician / Data Analyst extraordinaire) or a generalist who can comfortably handle product, design, and code review.
  
  
• Consider how much time zone overlap matters. Do you need real‑time collaboration, or can your team work effectively in an async setup?
  
  
• Reflect on cultural alignment. Technical chops matter, but so does communication style, ownership, and curiosity.
  
  

When hiring abroad, clarity beats charisma. If your job description is vague, expect a flood of misaligned candidates.

2. Understand the Legal Landscape (and Don’t Wing It)

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Each country has its own rules around employment laws, taxation, and contractor classification. So:

• Take time to research how employment is classified. Are you hiring a full‑timer or a contractor?
  
  
• If you’d rather not juggle payroll, taxes, and compliance manually, consider instead working with an Employer of Record (EOR).
  
  
• Make sure your data practices align with international privacy regulations such as GDPR. If your team handles customer data, compliance isn't optional.
  
  

Think of this as tuning your car before a race: a bit of upfront adjustment saves you a roadside breakdown later.

3. Align on Compensation and Benefits

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Don't assume cost of living automatically translates to fair pay. An outstanding remote engineer in Colombia or Honduras deserves more than being seen primarily through a cost lens. Even more in this era where you don't need to physically be in Silicon Valley to race with or against it.

Keep these ideas in mind:

• Aim to pay fairly on a global scale. Use tools like Glassdoor, or even sources like H1Bdata.info to get a grounded sense of what companies actually offer abroad versus self-reported numbers. While H1B data reflects U.S. filings and may include underpaying companies, it still provides a useful ballpark for comparison.
  
  
• Offer non-monetary perks. Learning budgets, flexible hours, and clear growth paths can make your offer stand out.
  
  
• Be transparent about how raises and progression work. If you can’t match big‑tech salaries, show how you invest in people differently.

Your global team shouldn’t feel like a hierarchy of value based on geography.

4. Set Up for Communication Success

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Working across time zones can feel like trying to change lanes on a foggy racetrack. The secret? Clear systems and shared understanding.

• Establish clear and regular rhythms for communication: weekly syncs, async standups, and a shared workspace (Jira, Notion, Linear, etc.).
  
  
• Document everything important. If it's not written down, it's likely forgotten.
  
  
• Make space for cultural connection. Celebrate local holidays, host casual coffee chats, and keep humor alive -- humanity travels better than bandwidth.
  
  

Remember: Good communication isn’t about constant messaging; it’s about consistent context.

5. Protect Team Morale and Belonging

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Remote doesn’t mean disconnected, but also, connection doesn’t happen by accident.

• Pair people from different countries to encourage shared learning and perspective.
  
  
• Rotate/align meeting times so no one is always stuck with the early morning slot.
  
  
• Create moments for real connection. Even one annual meetup can recharge the team’s sense of purpose.

At Deverr, our global standup isn't just status updates. It's half project sync, half friendly banter. That's where the real culture lives.

6. Build for Long‑Term Trust

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The best remote relationships grow like any good partnership -- through reliability and shared wins.

• Offer constructive feedback early, clearly, and kindly.
  
  
• Give people autonomy and space to own their work. Trust travels faster than oversight.
  
  

When people feel trusted: they deliver like owners, not outsiders.

To recap:

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1. Define what roles you’re truly hiring for
2. Research about legalities & implications
3. Set up transparent + fair compensation models
4. Define efficient communication lines
5. Establish a united work culture
6. Empower teams with trust, autonomy, and ownership. 

Remember: Hiring abroad isn’t about chasing "cheap talent" -- it’s about improving financial efficiency thoughtfully, in ways that strengthen both sides. When done with care, it can improve a company’s finances while extending coverage across time zones, powered by trusted people embedded within their teams. The internet erased geography, but trust, clarity, and fair partnership remain the real currency.

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