HR tech platform Remote is helping enterprises build without borders

In today’s globalised business landscape, accessing international talent is no longer just a competitive edge—it’s a necessity. This shift has in turn created a need for HR tech platforms that can help enterprises hire, manage, and pay a global workforce.

Take San Francisco-based Remote, for instance. With a simple but bold mission to “create opportunity everywhere”, the global HR platform is transforming how companies build and manage their international teams.

Founded in 2019 by Job van der Voort and Marcelo Lebre, Remote has rapidly become a partner for several businesses from fast-growing startups to multinational enterprises —DoorDash, Paystack, Sequoia, SoundCloud, and GitLab, to name a few—looking to navigate the complexities of international hiring with ease and compliance.

The potential of its centralised platform to provide end-to-end HR solutions was recognised by high-profile investors. The startup raised $300 million at a valuation of almost $3 billion in 2022, led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with participation from Accel, Sequoia Capital, Index Ventures and Two Sigma Ventures.

Job van der Voort, who serves as CEO, and Marcelo Lebre, who serves as president of the startup, built Remote around the belief that ‘talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not’. Its platform has been built to close that gap—enabling companies to access the best talent no matter where they live, and helping people everywhere find meaningful, well-compensated work.

Job is a neuroscientist-turned-entrepreneur who quit academia to become the VP of Product at GitLab, while Marcelo has served as VP of engineering at the multilingual translation services provider Unbabel.

Their experiences helped them build a platform that offers the tools and infrastructure to scale teams across borders, removing the pain points of legal, tax, or compliance risks.

A recent survey by the International Data Corporation (IDC), commissioned by Remote (the study can be downloaded via the link provided at the end of this article), found that around 78% of APAC companies expect to hire more than 60% of remote employees for full-time jobs. Yet, only 36% of the companies surveyed use a unified platform for payroll management, signalling the opportunity available in the region for centralised HR platforms.

Moreover, 46% of APAC companies say different labour laws across countries make it difficult to manage a global workforce, underscoring the need for leaders to find innovative ways to manage team members working from various locations. 

What does Remote’s platform do?

Remote’s comprehensive and holistic platform delivers a seamless end-to-end HR solution through the list of products below:

1. Recruit: Helps find and attract top talent from a pool of over 800 million profiles across over 55 countries, with AI-driven matching that connects the employer to the right candidates faster.
2. HRIS + Perform: Makes it easier for enterprises to manage their entire employment lifecycle from onboarding to performance management. It’s a one-stop shop that provides everything needed to support the team in one place.
3. Employer of Record (EOR): Remote’s EOR service lets enterprises legally employ international workers, manage payroll, and stay compliant.
4. Contractor of Record (COR): Allows businesses to safely manage their global freelance workforce by handling payments, compliance, and local laws.
5. Contractor Management: Helps businesses onboard and pay international contractors effortlessly with tools built to ensure timely payments, contract compliance, and full transparency.
6. Payroll: Helps to run a global payroll without stress by enabling paying employees and contractors in their local currencies, staying compliant, and eliminating administrative burdens.
7. Equity: Helps to easily issue fully-compliant stock options and equity grants, regardless of where team members are based.
8. Remote API: Helps to integrate Remote’s robust functionality into the enterprise’s favorite tools and workflows. It also automates and streamlines global HR operations while allowing businesses to keep control of their data.

Remote goes beyond basic hiring infrastructure. It manages the most complex parts of cross-border employment—taxes, benefits, equity management, and compliance—in dozens of countries. Their solutions are designed to create the best possible experience for employees and contractors across the globe.

The startup also provides intellectual property protections and enterprise-grade security, ensuring that the business and its team’s ideas stay protected, regardless of where they’re working from.

Remote doesn’t take a cut from employees’ salaries, which sets it apart from other HR platforms. Instead, it offers a flat, transparent rate, which helps its clients maintain strict control over their budgets.

Remote connects with over 25 leading HR and payroll platforms, including QuickBooks, BambooHR, Greenhouse, Hibob, Workday, Gusto, and Slack. Additionally, their Zapier integration opens the door to over 5,000 apps, which gives teams flexibility and automation.

This has made Remote a sought-after platform for startups and large enterprises looking to scale a remote team, launch in new markets, or optimise a global workforce.

Read the ‘2024 Remote Asia Pacific Report’ for more insights