Let’s face it: hiring top-notch professionals is hard, especially when you’re running a startup or a small business and need a full team yesterday. That’s where nearshore staffing steps in—a perfect middle ground between local hires and the more traditional offshore outsourcing. If you’re in the U.S., nearshore staffing brings you the opportunity to hire top professionals in Latin America: they're highly skilled, live in countries with lower living costs, and won't need to send emails at 3 a.m. (unless they want to!)
In this guide, we’ll break down everything about nearshore staffing, from why it works to which companies can make hiring easier.
Nearshore staffing is a form of outsourcing where companies hire employees from nearby countries, typically those within a similar time zone. If you're building a team for a US-based company, for example, it means hiring people from Latin American countries like Mexico, Colombia, or Argentina.
We've already talked about the benefits of hiring contractors, but what makes nearshore staffing different? Let's go through some of the key benefits:
Working with nearshore employees means there’s no need to schedule late-night Zoom calls for anyone. Your team is just a quick message away during regular work hours.
Latin American candidates live in countries with lower living costs, so with nearshore staffing, you get to hire top-notch candidates that are often more affordable than U.S.-based professionals. When labor costs are lower than in the U.S., your budget goes further, allowing you to reinvest in growth.
Cultural alignment is always good to have, and Latin American professionals often share work ethics and business practices similar to those in the U.S. You’re looking at smoother communication, faster alignment on company goals, and fewer misunderstandings.
Latin American candidates tend to be highly qualified professionals. Many of them even have advanced degrees and specialized training. In fact, some Latin American countries are becoming tech hotspots, meaning more developers, designers, and engineers are entering the job market every day. And, as an important detail - they usually speak conversational to advanced English.
Hiring overseas can get stressful pretty quickly, especially when you have to consider choosing candidates, handling compliance and managing payments across borders—but nowadays you don't have to do it alone. Luckily, there are staffing agencies that specialize in overseas professionals, and they can help you make the process much easier.
Staffing agencies can handle most of the hiring process, from choosing candidates to scheduling interviews and managing onboarding. They usually have recruiters who conduct all the background checks, reference calls, and skills assessments, so you can trust the process and focus on your company.
Agencies often have a curated talent pool of pre-screened candidates across different industries, including finance, tech, customer support, and design. This means you’re getting the best of the best—candidates who are ready to jump into your projects without needing a long training period.
By using a staffing agency, you dodge the headache of figuring out payroll, HR, and benefits for international hires, since their team can guide you through the process or, in some cases, entirely handle the administrative end. The expertise they offer can help you ensure your team is well-supported and compliant with local laws.
You've probably heard of this platform before. Upwork is the ultimate marketplace for freelance candidates featuring plenty of options from Latin America, and it can help you find skilled professionals that go from developers and designers to translators and social media experts. Plus, the platform includes project tracking and payment tools, so you’re always in the loop without much trouble.
If you're specifically looking for Latin American professionals, this platform is a great place to start. Workana focuses on the Latin American region, and it can help you connect with professionals in areas like tech and design, all working on a timezone that matches yours. It also features reviews and ratings to make finding a good fit much easier for you.
FlexJobs is built for businesses that need high-quality, flexible remote employees. Known for its vetted listings, FlexJobs offers a reliable group of Latin American professionals in areas like admin, tech, marketing, and customer service. It’s an ideal spot to find screened candidates without sorting through profiles, saving you time and effort.
Guru keeps things streamlined, especially if you’re managing multiple projects or freelancers. The platform’s WorkRooms give you a virtual space to collaborate with experts from Latin America in fields like design, writing, and consulting. With strong payment protection and clear freelancer profiles, Guru helps you stay organized and within budget, so you can focus on building your business.
If you're looking for a more hands-on approach to nearshore staffing, we might just be the right answer for you!
Our team of recruiters focuses on finding candidates who speak a high level of English, have the specific skills you need, and are a good fit for your company. And it doesn't take much time either—with our pre-vetted talent pool, we can get you a shortlist of top-notch candidates within 5 business days.
Now you're a few steps closer to your first nearshore hire, but building a successful team still requires setting up some best practices. Here are some of the things we consider the most important:
Even if it seems redundant, you should be outlining the essentials: work hours, key deliverables, communication channels, and team goals. Be upfront about any project deadlines, performance metrics, or tools your team uses—this clarity will go a long way in aligning expectations from day one.
Consider investing in tools like Slack, Trello, or Notion. These platforms bridge the gap between local and nearshore teams, keeping everyone in sync, whether it’s for task tracking, video conferences, or even brainstorming sessions.
It’s easy for nearshore hires to feel disconnected, so do your best to integrate them into the team! Schedule regular check-ins, celebrate wins together, and build a sense of team unity—even across borders. Frequent check-ins go a long way in preventing misunderstandings and keeping everyone motivated.
Nearshore staffing isn’t just a trend anymore—it’s a smart, strategic move for startups and small businesses to keep building their teams across borders. Whether you’re just getting started or adding more hands to keep up with demand, creating a nearshore team is all about setting clear goals, picking the right tools, and finding partners who get your vision. So, go ahead and explore! The perfect teammate might just be a few clicks—and maybe one country—away.
Looking to get started with your first nearshore hire? We can help! Schedule a discovery call and get started today! 🚀
