New data shows more than one in three American employers now engage remote talent abroad. Here’s what that means for HR, payroll, and long-term benefits strategy.
The shift toward cross-border hiring in the U.S. is now undeniable. A landmark survey (The Conference Board) revealed that more than a third of U.S. companies are now open to hiring employees remotely. 36% of U.S. employers said they’re willing to hire remote workers anywhere in the US (26%) or abroad (10%). Out of over 300 HR executives surveyed, this marks a dramatic increase from the pre-pandemic rate of 12%. The hiring population tipping point is here.
One of the primary drivers behind this shift is chronic domestic talent shortages, particularly in tech, marketing, and data roles. Analysts at Oyster report that cross-border hiring for tech roles doubled between 2020 and 2023, with nearly 58% of organizations now employing remote tech workers in other countries . When U.S. businesses can’t recruit fast enough at home, they’re turning globally, to indispensable effect.
Beyond tech, the American gig economy itself is now valued around $1.27 trillion, with 38% of U.S. workers engaging in freelance activity (Velocity Global). As flexible and contract-based models grow, companies naturally cast international nets for cost-effective, creative, and specialized talent.
As U.S. businesses scale their international footprint, HR and payroll operations must evolve quickly. Managing employees across multiple countries introduces complex layers: local labor laws, taxation, statutory benefits, and more. HR platforms that once functioned domestically now struggle to keep pace.
This cross-border complexity places pressure on HR teams to adopt compliant infrastructure. Employer-of-record (EOR) and global payroll systems help employers onboard and manage distributed teams without needing legal entities in every market. But as companies grow, the need for integrated benefits and retirement tools becomes equally urgent.
Hiring international employees without offering consistent benefits creates a disconnect. Health coverage, time-off policies, and retirement plans are often administered differently by geography. This inconsistency weakens employee experience and puts HR at risk of inequities and disengagement.
Global payroll and HR platforms differentiate themselves by integrating long-term benefits, most notably, portable retirement plans that span locations. This kind of integration strengthens client stickiness: once payroll, benefits, and retirement are woven together in a single system, clients are far more reluctant to switch providers.
Despite global payroll and onboarding capabilities becoming table stakes, many HR providers still leave out retirement, especially for remote or international workers. Without solutions for cross-border pensions, global employees are often excluded or offered subpar benefits, creating disjointed experiences.
International Pension Plans (IPPs) fill this gap. Built to accommodate employees across multiple jurisdictions, these plans reduce fragmentation and elevate global benefits to the same level of professionalism as payroll. Once embedded within a broader HR system, IPPs become a retention tool, not just a compliance feature.
At Redii, we make it easy to offer retirement benefits to international employees as part of a unified global HR stack. Our IPPs are administered through a licensed trust and integrate directly with modern payroll systems like Rippling, Remote, and Deel. Contributions are automated, compliance is handled behind the scenes, and your team gains access to a sleek, AI-powered interface that makes plan information transparent and actionable for every employee.
Retirement is one of the most valued benefits for global workforces. Offering a truly portable solution can help you stand out in a competitive hiring market, improve retention, and show your international employees they’re part of the long game.
Redii helps you get there without the complexity. Ready to offer global retirement benefits that scale with your team? Let’s talk.
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