Remote Work Opens a New Door to Foreign Talent

Remote work became the new normal for many employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, making communication through webcams and microphones commonplace. This trend also allowed companies to be more open in their recruiting as they acknowledged that the best employee could be anywhere in the world. 

“If I want to build the best company, with the best team, I must open that talent pool to where the best people are,” said Pepe Villatoro, Head of Expansion at Deel, at the “Remote Working: Do’s and Don'ts When Hiring International Talent” webinar held on Apr. 22. Deel, a startup dedicated to the management of payroll for foreign teams,  which will begin to operate in Mexico on Apr. 23, reports Forbes Mexico. 

Remote work has given companies and employees more versatility. A worker living in Argentina might want to work for a Mexican company but might not want to relocate, suggested Villatoro. Remote schemes allow employees to work from wherever they are located, be it Acapulco, Ukraine or Colombia. “Remote work led to the implementation of more digitization. It has facilitated hiring processes. However, it is essential that companies avoid falling into non-compliance with local regulations,” explained Juan Manuel Sotelo, People Success Director at Kueski, at Deel’s webinar.

What Are the Pitfalls When Hiring International Talent?

Many companies, even with expert lawyers and legal counselors, cannot tackle key legal differences between countries on topics like capitalization rounds, explained Óscar Carpizo, Head of Finance at Fondeadora. Another challenge lays in ensuring collaborators feel like they are a part of the team, explained Villatoro. When an employee lives in a different time zone, they may be less participative during meetings and could feel as a second-level employee. “An employee who feels informed and protected is less prone to unnecessary absenteeism and develops a sense of belonging and gratitude,” explained Renato Picard, Co-Founder at Urbvan Transit, in an interview with MBN.

Villatoro assured that these are problems Deel aims to address as a worldwide platform that ensures global job contracts compliance. “We are able to make contracts in seconds and Deel’s contracts take into account the particularities of a country or a company, avoiding focusing only on Mexican law but also that of Argentina or Colombia,” he assured. 

The three participants of the webinar highlighted the importance of incorporating foreign talent, as it can provide to diverse perspectives. “There are [now more] collaborative tools that allow you to have talent, as all international talent can contribute to the company thanks to people’s different origins,” said Carpizo.