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Skills are available across the globe. The challenge for HR leaders is accessing them quickly, compliantly, and sustainably where they are.
This article is brought to you by Remote.
For years, talent shortage has been a familiar concern for employers across Hong Kong and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Yet the problem may no longer be a simple shortage of talent.
“I’d say it’s increasingly a talent access problem,” says Eli Chuah, Senior Solutions Consultant, Remote (pictured below).
Chuah explains that in many cases, the skills exist, but they may not be located in the markets where companies have hiring infrastructure. As such, the question is whether businesses can access the skills they need, wherever those skills happen to be.
In this special feature, we examine what is preventing organisations from turning global talent access into reality, and explore practical ways to overcome these barriers.
From talent acquisition to talent access
The phenomenon shared by Chuah above resonates with Remote's global research. Recent findings show nearly half of 3,250 business and HR leaders surveyed expect more than half of their new hires to be based outside their primary country of operations by the end of 2026, while 79% would increase international hiring if it were as easy and low-risk as domestic hiring.
AI is also accelerating this shift, with 98% of AI adopters having changed where they hire, and 40% having expanded into new countries to access AI-skilled talent.
This shift, as Chuah believes, is changing how companies think about workforce design.
She explains: “HR leaders need to move from a location-first model to a skills-first model. Some roles may still need to be local, but some functions can be distributed, remote, or built through a mix of full-time and hybrid employees, contractors, and specialist freelancers – whether through contractor arrangements, an employer-of-record (EOR) model, or establishing a local entity.”
Southeast Asia emerges as a talent hub
For organisations seeking remote and cross-border talent, Southeast Asia is becoming an increasingly attractive source of talent, says Chuah.
Remote’s research identifies Southeast Asia as one of the top priority expansion regions alongside South Asia, Europe, and North America. Markets such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand are gaining attention for their growing pools of technology, operations, customer support, marketing, and shared services talent.
“What is important, however, is that companies do not treat global hiring purely as a cost exercise,” Chuah cautions.
“The real opportunity is access to the best talent: finding the right skills, in the right market, at the right time, and building a workforce model that can support long-term growth while serving both local or regional customers.”
When strategy meets reality
Though many organisations are already looking beyond their domestic markets to find the capabilities they need, there are others that still struggle to turn ambition into action.
The barriers, according to Chuah, are often operational rather than strategic.
“Compliance and operational friction are holding them back.”
She notes that international hiring is not just a recruitment decision – it has implications for entity setup, local employment rules, payroll, tax, benefits, employment classification, and long-term expansion strategy. The compliance gap is usually where risk can build up.
“Here is where most companies trip up: hiring first and tackling compliance later. Remote’s research found 94% of companies encountered legal, financial, or regulatory issues with contractor engagement in the past 24 months, even though 94% still felt confident in their compliance.”
Building the foundations for global growth
Given the complexities and local nuances of hiring across different markets, workforce compliance and infrastructure are becoming increasingly important to turn global hiring into a practical reality.
This is where EOR solutions are increasingly coming into focus. Remote's EOR infrastructure provides the compliant foundation for companies to hire, pay, and manage people globally without establishing legal entities in every market.
“Businesses can connect opportunity with talent faster, while giving HR teams greater confidence that international hiring is being managed responsibly,” emphasises Chuah.
“Remote also supports EOR customers across areas where HR teams may not be familiar with in-market, such as locally compliant contracts, visa considerations, and labour regulations, so teams can move quickly without taking on unnecessary risk.”
Rethinking HR for a borderless workforce
Looking ahead, as AI, remote work, and cross-border hiring continue to reshape the labour market, Chuah believes HR leaders will need to become more globally minded, data-driven, and infrastructure-focused. They will increasingly be expected to understand how AI is reshaping work, partner closely with legal, finance, and business teams, cultivate a consistent and inclusive culture, and build workforce models that can scale.
“The HR role is becoming more strategic, where teams have to design the infrastructure that allows the business to scale where opportunity appears,” Chuah concludes.
Ultimately, successful companies will be those that can match skills to business needs quickly, without being held back by geographical or operational complexity.
“For HR leaders, the challenge today isn’t where the talent is, It is ‘how do we hire compliantly, quickly, and sustainably where that talent is?’,” Chuah adds.
To learn more about how Remote's EOR infrastructure can support your cross-border talent strategy, contact the team here.
Eli Chuah's photo / Remote
Lead image / pexels.com
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