11 leading offshore recruitment agencies (advantages and FAQs)

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Offshoring is an affordable way of expanding and accessing new talent.

But it largely depends on the quality of your offshore team. Which is why recruitment is a critical factor influencing the success of your offshore activities.

Fortunately, offshore recruiting agencies can help. 

These offshore recruitment agencies are experts at finding the right talent abroad and can also help you navigate offshore job markets and comply with foreign regulations. 

In this article, we’ll explore 11 leading offshore recruitment agencies and the advantages of using them. We’ll also answer three frequently asked questions about offshore recruiting agencies.

Table of Contents

• 11 top offshore recruitment agencies
• 5 advantages of utilizing offshore recruitment agencies
• 3 FAQs about offshore recruiting agencies

Let’s get started. 

11 top offshore recruitment agencies

Offshore recruiting agencies offer BPO (business process outsourcing) services to companies setting up offshore business activities. 

They typically provide complete hiring services, including sourcing, evaluating the best resumes and interviewing candidates. 

Some recruitment agencies may even offer additional services such as managing your candidate database, psychometric evaluation, training, etc. 

Now let’s explore some of the best offshore recruitment agencies around the globe.

To discover how to start offshoring instead, check out this business process offshoring article.

1. Select Offshore Recruitment

Select Offshore Recruitment is a technical recruitment specialist for the offshore industry based in Essex in the UK. They have over 35 years of experience and are experts in international employment law. 

They commonly recruit for offshore positions in Taiwan, India, etc. A bonus is that they operate 24/7, so they can fit into your time zone and schedule. 

Although their list of services is extensive, some of the key offerings include:

• Location visit to determine company culture and find team members that best suit it. 
• Prepare a shortlist of candidates for your approval. 
• Finding and interviewing candidates. 
• Negotiating offers.
• After placement check-ins. 

2. Airswift

Airswift is a leading, Houston-based recruitment agency offering placement services to STEM industries, particularly oil & gas, mining, construction, and renewable energy. 

They have more than 60 offices worldwide in Canada, the UAE, Mexico, Russia, etc.

With more than 500 000 candidates on their database, Airswift are experts in:

• Talent acquisition, including interviewing and assessing candidates.
• Onboarding and management of talent.
• Global employment and assistance with candidate mobilization.
• Management and payroll of offshore teams. 
• Other HR (Human Resource) related tasks.

3. ERSG Global

Ersg is an offshore RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) specialist based in Kent in the UK, with more than 13 offices worldwide. 

Since 2008, they’ve been assisting clients with specialist placements in the US, Japan, and EU countries. Ersg offers tailored solutions depending on your company’s staffing needs. 

Some of the essential services offered include:

• Recruitment of flexible or contract workers. 
• Placement for permanent offshore jobs.  
• Search and selection of offshore teams. 
• Recruitment drives and campaign initiatives. 
• Consultancy services. 

4. Alliance Recruitment Agency

Alliance Recruitment Agency, based in Ahmedabad, India, offers global recruitment services. They have offices in key regions, including Dubai, South Africa, India, and the Philippines.  

Whether you want to fill a permanent offshore job vacancy or recruit temporary staff for a project, Alliance Recruitment can assist. They service numerous industries, including healthcare, IT, aviation, etc. 

This offshore recruitment service provider offers:

• Headhunting for specialized positions, particularly in IT. 
• Recruitment and training of candidates. 
• HR consulting services. 
• Relocation and VISA assistance for candidates. 
• Payroll and timesheet processing. 

5. Michael Page

Michael Page Recruitment is one of the most recognized global brands in the recruitment industry and was established in the UK in 1976. 

This leading offshore recruitment agency has 140 offices in 36 countries around Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Asia. 

They service various industries such as banking, legal, marketing, supply chain, sales, oil and gas, engineering, etc. 

Some of their key staffing services include:

• Assistance in developing a recruitment strategy and job description.
• Headhunting services to help fill the most specialized positions. 
• Access to their global database and networks, and help sourcing candidates. 
• In-depth interview process and testing of candidates. 
• Management of candidate offers. 

6. Worldwide RS

Worldwide RS is a leading global workforce solutions specialist for the maritime, construction, oil, gas, commodities trading, and mining industries. 

Headquartered in Cheshire in the UK, Worldwide RS also has offices in Singapore, Iraq, and South Africa. 

Worldwide RS offers the following recruitment and staffing solutions:

• Sourcing, selecting and shortlisting candidates for permanent positions and contract posts.
• Complete mobilization and demobilization services for contractors, including travel arrangements and VISAs.
• Payroll and compliance services. 
• Crew management for the maritime industry. 
• Executive staffing solutions. 

7. Adapt Talent

Adapt Talent is a recruitment service specialist that sources niche candidates within the eCommerce and AI (Artificial Intelligence) space with clients like Magento, Shopify, and Salesforce. 

With headquarters in California, Adapt Talent also has offices in Philadelphia and Essex and services firms of all sizes from startups to global organizations. 

Here are a few standard services offered by Adapt Talent:

• Recruitment for once-off positions.
• Recruitment process outsourcing services with full access to a recruiter for 40 hours a week. 
• Sourcing candidates for specialist contract projects. 
• Assistance in filling difficult positions, including marketing campaigns and in-depth consultation. 
• Recruitment of eCommerce specialists from IT (Information Technology) hotspots in Eastern Europe, South America, etc.

8. Tribe Consulting

Tribe Consulting is based in Karachi, Pakistan offering offshore recruitment services to companies in any industry. They have offices in the Philippines, the UAE, and New Hampshire in the US. 

Whether you want short-term assistance for a single project or extended recruitment solutions for your offshore operations, Tribe Consulting can help you develop a functional and scalable recruiting process. 

Some of the services they offer include:

• Thorough research of the position and local industry. 
• Candidate search, screening, and interview. 
• Liaise with employers to arrange final interviews.
• Negotiate offers and help finalize employment terms.

9. Sysgen RPO

Sysgen RPO, a Philippines-based agency, specializes in efficient, cost-effective offshore recruiting services for all industries. They have one office in Makati City, Philippines, from which they service clients based in the US, UK, and Canada. 

Here are some of their key services:

• Full-cycle recruiting, from candidate search to interview. 
• Sourcing of resumes. 
• 24/7 support from their team. 
• Administrative support relating to recruitment. 
• Candidate background and reference checks. 

10. Reach International

Reach International is a global talent sourcing agency based in the UK. They are experts at placing finance, accountancy, and banking candidates in positions worldwide from their offices in Manchester and London. 

Let’s take a look at some key services offered by this offshore recruiting agency: 

• Talent sourcing, shortlisting and screening candidates. 
• Recruitment of candidates for short and long-term projects.
• Contractual and remote staff placement. 
• Salary benchmarking services. 
• Executive placements. 

11. Atlas Professionals

Atlas Professionals is a global employment agency established in 1982. 

This offshore recruitment company is headquartered in the Netherlands. They also have regional offices in Singapore, Russia, Brazil, and Norway. 

Industries they cater to include marine service, dredging, engineering, shipping, catering, and more. Some of the professional services they offer include: 

• Customized recruitment and HR packages. 
• Access to a database of skilled labor from around the world.
• Training and education of candidates. 
• Checking of candidate accreditations and qualifications. 
• Administrative, legal, and tax services. 

Next, let’s explore the benefits of utilizing offshore recruiting agencies.

5 advantages of utilizing offshore recruitment agencies

Here are five key reasons to consider using an offshore recruitment agency. 

1. Scalability

Most companies experience peaks and troughs in their personnel recruitment needs.

Depending on your industry, you may have an urgent offshore project requiring contractors or more consistent recruitment needs. Some industries, like retail, manufacturing, etc., have peak periods when they take on more staff. 

An offshore recruitment agency allows you to scale your operation up or down depending on your specific needs. 

This is a great solution for companies expanding offshore and entering new markets. Then when their recruitment needs to slow down, they can easily terminate or adjust their contract with the recruitment company. 

2. Reduced hiring time

Whether you’re recruiting a permanent employee, freelancer, or contractor, the hiring process can be lengthy. And when hiring an entire team, the process takes even longer. 

If you’re recruiting in a distant location, chances are you’re unfamiliar with local job markets, recruitment norms, employment laws, etc. Trying to navigate these unfamiliar waters yourself can be unnecessarily time-consuming. 

With the help of a recruitment and staffing agency, you can quickly access their vast network of local talent to fill each offshore job opening. They can also ensure paperwork is completed correctly the first time and that you’re compliant with local laws. 

3. Improved candidate quality

Offshore recruitment agencies have vast databases and a constant stream of potential candidates to help you find the best candidate for the job. They are also more familiar with the local job market. 

If you try to recruit offshore staff on your own, you’ll have to build your candidate database from scratch. There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find the highest quality candidates within the given timeframe. 

In contrast, most agencies have specialized offshore recruiters who focus on specific sectors. This makes them experts in recruitment for their relevant fields, which you can benefit from. 

4. Analytics and reporting

As your offshore recruitment partner gathers and analyzes data, you can attain valuable insights that can help recruitment decision-making in the future. 

Here are analytics they can provide:

• Which is the best channel for candidate sourcing?
• What is the cost-per-hire?
• What is the best time of the year to recruit?
• What is the common failing phase of the candidates?

These analytics can help you identify and address inefficiencies in your recruitment efforts. 

5. Reduce recruitment costs

Recruitment costs can quickly spiral with advertisements on job boards, frequent visits to the offshore location, etc. 

Having an offshore recruitment agency handle your hiring can lower costs. They usually offer integrated recruitment solutions with quick turnaround times. 

Their solutions can include:

• Performance of background checks for job seekers.
• Psychometric evaluations.
• Training assessments and qualification verification. 
• Onboarding and training. 
• Payroll and HR functions, etc. 

Although they may charge extra for these services, it’s much less than you’d pay if you acquire them separately or design them yourself. 

This way, you can also avoid hiring an in-house recruitment team to perform these functions, keeping your expenditure down. 

Next, we’ll address a few common questions about offshore recruitment agencies. 

3 FAQs about offshore recruiting agencies

There are many factors that you should consider when deciding on an offshore recruitment agency. But these are three questions that business owners commonly ask: 

1. What should I look for in a recruitment agency?

If you’ve never used offshore staffing firms before, you may wonder what to look for.

Here are five important characteristics a recruitment agency should have:

A. Flexibility

Your offshore recruitment team should be able to tailor their services to suit your needs, and many offer 24/7 service. If you require additional services, they can also provide these.

B. Industry and locational expertise

A key role of offshore recruitment agencies is to advise you on local job markets. To do that, they need to be experts in recruitment for your industry, the local standards, recruitment procedures, and employment laws.

C. Understands your business

The recruitment agency you choose should take the time to research and understand your company and its needs in order to find the most suitable talent. 

D. Reliability

You should be able to rely on your recruitment agency to meet your recruitment requirements within a given timeframe. Checking the agency’s track record will help you gauge its reliability. 

E. Sources highest caliber candidates

Offshore recruitment consultants should be experts at supplying a higher caliber of candidates than you’d be able to recruit on your own. 

2. How does an offshore recruitment agency charge?

Most offshore recruitment agencies invoice their clients a percentage of the successful candidate’s annual salary. 

Some recruitment agencies will charge a retainer fee once you sign a contract with them. 

Additional post recruitment services will also incur an additional cost.

3. What’s the best way to communicate with my offshore recruitment team?

Your offshore recruitment agency may be in a different time zone, so you may have communication concerns. 

Here are a few things you can do to address these:

• Deploy the right tools: There are tons of tools that make communication with offshore staffing agencies simple, like Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc. 
• Find common hours: It’s essential to find common hours where your local team and offshore recruitment team can regularly catch up.
• Ask questions: Since you’re new to the offshore location, learn more about its cultures, holidays, and people’s preferences. 

Wrapping up

Offshoring is a great way to scale your business, reduce costs, and increase profits. But in order to succeed, you need top-notch offshore staff. 

Trying to recruit an offshore team on your own can be highly challenging. You can save yourself the hassle by engaging the services of an experienced offshore recruiting agency. 

The information in this article can help you find a reputable agency to source the best team and increase your company’s chances of offshoring success.