What is Remote Staffing?
Remote staffing is the practice of hiring professionals who work from a location other than the employer's office, frequently across state or national borders. It can be done directly, through a staffing agency, or through a managed provider that handles sourcing and employment.
In more detail
Remote staffing accelerated dramatically after 2020 as companies discovered that most knowledge-work roles could be performed effectively from anywhere. The model spans everything from a US company hiring a developer in another US state to a US company hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines through a managed staffing provider.
The tradeoffs are well understood. Remote staffing widens the talent pool and cuts costs, but requires stronger documentation, async communication discipline, and a decision about employment structure: W2, 1099, or EOR/managed.
Three common remote staffing paths
- Direct remote employee: hire a US remote worker onto your payroll (W2).
- Freelance/contract: use platforms like Upwork for short-term project work.
- Managed remote staffing: provider sources, employs, and manages offshore professionals.
Related terms
Common follow-up questions
Yes. US companies can legally hire remote workers domestically (as W2 or 1099) or internationally (through an EOR, managed staffing provider, or local contractor agreement).
Usually yes. Savings are largest for offshore remote staffing (40-70%) and smallest for onshore US remote (5-15%).
A baseline stack is video conferencing, async messaging, documentation, project management, and HRIS or time tracking. Security tools like VPN are essential for international remote staff.