When people discuss hiring overseas, the word “outsourcing”, or “contracting out” is often used. It’s a pejorative, outdated term that is synonymous with cheap labor. It’s more important than ever to have a global talent pool, whether you are hiring an employee or a contractor .
It’s interesting to note that the internationalization in the workforce occurs as companies become more inwardly focused in other areas. We’ve seen in recent years a wave nationalism being applied to the energy, agriculture and manufacturing industries to counter growing global supply chain vulnerability. While many industries have become more secluded, there is a new wave talentglobalization, which has been accelerated by internet and pandemic.
Deel’s State of Global Hiring Report for 2023 shows an increase in positions that go beyond technical. Sales, content, design, and product are the top roles that people are hired to fill.
can reach any labour market in the world. This is one of the greatest and often unspoken facts about the internet. Global hiring is still a secret because it’s a complex process for many businesses. Although not in a significant way, it’s been easier to hire a few foreigners in the United States on visas such as the H1B, than to employ dozens of them in their own countries. People are still forced to leave their homes and families to pursue job opportunities, rather than having opportunities come to them. This is changing.
The acceptance of remote work, and the widespread use of collaboration platforms such as Slack and Zoom has democratized the access to incredible talent, regardless of location. tools are finally catching up with the moment for HR practitioners. Hiring an engineer from Poland is almost as easy as hiring someone in your own city. Companies are beginning to understand that talent is talent no matter where it comes from. The companies are not outsourcing, but hiring. This trend gives everyone, no matter where they are from or were born, the chance to work for their dream company. Even though terminations have been the main news, hiring abroad continues to increase.
In 2023, based on the 300,000+ contracts that Deel will have in place, 82% of them are for remote positions. Philippines, US, Argentina Colombia and Brazil were the most popular places to hire remote talent. All of these countries saw their salaries increase. Teaching was one of the most popular job profiles. This role has seen an increase in salary of 24%. It is proof that companies are looking for the best talent regardless of location.
You don’t need to move to Silicon Valley, for example, to become an engineer. You can remain where you are. Your wages will increase as the demand for your skills increases.
What is the one thing that holds us back? The mindsets of companies, both within the leadership and HR teams. Should we not decentralize and de-stigmatize international hiring if the future of work is more decentralized? Teams that are not based in the headquarters shouldn’t be treated as second-class citizens because they live and work in another country. Executives need to change their HR strategies so that they are more flexible, inclusive, and global. All of this begins with the words you choose.
Stop calling it outsourcing. Instead, call it global hiring. Let’s get rid of the term “offshoring” and maybe, in the near future, we will call “remote working” “work”.
In the quest for top talent, we simply cannot ignore a global workforce. A global hiring strategy has many benefits, including more time zones covered, greater language capability, and a wider range of backgrounds and thoughts. No one should be treated differently or feel less valued because they don’t live within 50 miles of an office. New HR tools level the playing field, allowing borderless work to become a reality.
It is true that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. It can be if we change the way we speak and how think.
