It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago, remote work was often the exception rather than the rule. In the wake of the pandemic, an increasing number of companies have embraced the idea of allowing their teams to work from anywhere.
The definition of “anywhere” has also expanded in recent years. Although many people work from home for local companies, exchanging daily commutes for occasional office visits, companies have realized that supporting remote work enables them to tap into a much larger and deeper talent pool. Embracing remote work means the ability to hire talented individuals from across the state or province, across the country, or even across the world.
Tech is one sector that stands to benefit from the new willingness to embrace global talent. Bringing top tech talent on board is a challenge for many companies, especially in saturated markets. Not only are costs high in these leading tech hot spots, but so is the competition for the most talented workers. As organizations around the world struggle to fill positions with skilled workers, many are turning to the global market to locate remote workers.
This new focus on a truly global tech talent marketplace means that many countries have refocused efforts on preparing citizens for this work. Between education and training opportunities and incentives to attract innovative companies to their workforce, a growing number of countries are making it more attractive than ever for employers to look beyond their borders.
Where to look for top international tech talent
Here, we highlight some of the top tech countries worldwide and the best places to hire overseas tech talent. If you’re looking to expand your global workforce, these are good places to start the search.
1. Vietnam
A business-friendly country, Vietnam is going to great lengths to attract tech companies that want to expand globally, and that includes providing unparalleled training and education to develop talent.
Vietnam is committed to training the next generation of tech talent and investing more government money into education than most countries. The government allocates about 20% of the nation’s budget to education, compared to an average of 14% in the rest of the world. More than 2 million people are enrolled in Vietnam’s 148 university-level programs, and a high percentage of the degrees awarded are in computer science and engineering fields.
Not only does Vietnam have a deep pool of emerging tech talent, but companies looking to hire globally also find a bilingual workforce in this Southeast Asian country. Most educational programs include education in English as a second language, making Vietnam one of the top countries for English proficiency in Asia. This allows Vietnamese tech workers to collaborate with colleagues around the world effectively.
2. India
India has long been home to a deep well of tech talent, and it’s only continuing to grow. The number of educated tech workers in India has increased by 120% since 2019, and an additional 2 million people graduate with STEM degrees every year.
India is best known for its talent in IT services, software development, and data science, but there’s also a growing number of individuals specializing in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Whether you need specialized experience or a generalist with a range of technical skills, India offers an abundant supply of skilled professionals.
Hiring Indian tech talent also offers cost advantages. It’s possible to hire equally skilled professionals (or better) in India for significantly less than in the U.S., Australia, or Europe. You can achieve significant cost savings when you hire overseas tech talent here without sacrificing work quality or innovation.
3. Canada
Companies looking to hire overseas tech talent should consider the possibilities of hiring in Canada, which is rapidly becoming one of the leading countries in technology. The Canadian cities of Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver are increasingly attractive to companies looking for exceptional tech talent without many of the cultural and language barriers that make hiring in other top tech countries a challenge. Canadian tech professionals typically work well with international teams due to a shared language, cultural values, and work ethic.
Canadian tech workers offer a wide range of skills in a diverse range of domains, making them ideal for teams working on complex projects. Not only do Canadian universities produce a steady supply of computer science graduates with diverse skill sets, but the government actively supports the tech industry and encourages innovation and development. In addition to developing a robust infrastructure to support the technology industry, leaders in Ottawa provide incentives, grants, and other programs to develop talent and support growth in the tech sector.
4. The Philippines
If you’re looking to hire overseas tech talent in customer support or software development, look to the Philippines. This island nation’s skilled workforce excels in communication and efficiency as well as technical skills, an ideal combination for companies looking to provide exceptional customer service and satisfaction.
Much of the population of the Philippines is bilingual, as English is taught as a second language in schools. This allows workers to collaborate effectively with global teams and customers. The low cost of living also means that it is less expensive to hire tech talent for a variety of needs here than in other countries.
5. Sweden
Sweden has a well-established reputation as a global tech hub. Stockholm is one of Europe’s predominant tech centers—the northern suburb of Kista is widely considered to be the center of European technology.
This Scandinavian country devotes a significant portion of its educational budget to supporting science and technology at all levels and produces thousands of STEM graduates every year. Sweden supports a strong culture of innovation, as evidenced by the higher-than-average number of startups. In fact, Stockholm and the surrounding suburbs are second only to Silicon Valley in terms of the number of tech startups.
Swedish culture supports a solid work-life balance. The country’s social support system, which includes free healthcare, childcare, and education, provides a safety net that allows workers to focus on innovation and excellence. However, this system also means hiring top tech talent here can be expensive compared to other leading countries.
6. Bulgaria
The Eastern European region is becoming increasingly known for being among the top countries in tech. The growing emphasis on technical education means that the pool of skilled developers is deepening.
Bulgaria has captured much tech recruiter attention. The country has become well-known for AI talent and startups, especially within the realm of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).
7. Poland
Hiring in Eastern Europe is also cost-effective, with companies able to work with knowledgeable developers who can produce high-quality code and reliable solutions at much lower rates than comparable talent elsewhere.
Poland has an established reputation for producing exceptionally well-educated tech talent, thanks to a significant portion of students entering into software engineering courses. You can find a diverse range of talent for a variety of needs in this region, from AI and cybersecurity to software engineering and app development.
8. Ireland
Many of the top global tech companies, including Google and LinkedIn, have their European headquarters in the Emerald Isle, making the country one of the top places to find tech talent in the world. These companies have made significant investments in education and training to produce the next generation of talent, especially in AI.
Tech has been a top industry in Ireland for generations, spurring investments in education at all levels. The friendly people and cultural compatibility make Ireland an excellent choice for finding individuals to develop AI capabilities and support innovation.
How to hire global tech talent successfully
Taking a global approach to hiring tech talent can solve a variety of issues for your company, starting with addressing the skills shortage. Nearly 90% of companies in a recent McKinsey survey indicated that they would face a tech skills shortage in the next few years.
However, turning to top tech countries and decentralizing workforces can help address that issue and lessen lost opportunities and revenues.
Although advances in technology and changing expectations make hiring a global workforce easier than ever, there are some factors to consider when looking beyond borders. A successful international hiring plan requires considering more than just skill levels and accounting for:
- Language and communication barriers
- Time zones
- Cultural compatibility
- International hiring regulations
- Costs
Oyster understands these challenges and provides the support and tools employers need to hire the best people from anywhere in the world.
Turn to Oyster for international hiring made easy
Oyster is a global employment platform that simplifies the process of finding, hiring, paying, and managing an international workforce without the risks, headaches, and expense of establishing entities around the world. Leverage local knowledge and insights and make decisions confidently with our suite of global employment tools and our library of global hiring guides.
Learn more about how Oyster makes it easy to onboard talent from over 180 countries, so you can focus on your business.
About Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform designed to enable visionary HR leaders to find, engage, pay, manage, develop, and take care of a thriving distributed workforce. Oyster lets growing companies give valued international team members the experience they deserve, without the usual headaches and expense.
Oyster enables hiring anywhere in the world—with reliable, compliant payroll, and great local benefits and perks.
