Top 10 Platforms to Find and Hire Remote Employees

It can be claimed with good reason that the Internet has fundamentally changed the way we work, handle content, shop, and communicate. In this guide, I explain what this means for you as a business owner or company owner who wants to hire remote employees.

This guide provides you with all the information you need to hire remote employees from different regions of the world. To be clear: this is not another guide on using freelance software to find employees. There are already numerous excellent articles on that topic.

I would like to help you find qualified and professional full-time employees from other parts of the world who can support your company’s growth. These could be graphic designers, copywriters, programmers, data entry specialists, or other professionals who can drive your expansion. For this, you need information about the local labor market in the respective country. For example:

Where can you find the best candidates for a specific position?
What does a competitive salary for recent graduates look like?
How much vacation do your employees expect, and are there legal requirements you need to be aware of?
Which channels are best for posting your job advertisements?
From which universities would you ideally recruit graduates?

In this guide, we cover all of this information. In particular, we show you how to recruit the best remote employees from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Russia, and the Balkans. Let's get started!

Philippines

The Philippine economy is growing rapidly at an average rate of 6% per year. According to the Philippine Development Plan 2017–2022, the country aims to achieve upper-middle-income status by 2022. The young population is expected to make the largest contribution. The average age of the Philippine population is 23 years.

Economic growth is primarily focused on the major cities highlighted in the map below, as well as on smaller towns.

Overall, the country has highly skilled workers with a high number of university graduates. With over 200 universities and colleges across the country, there is no shortage of qualified professionals.

Eight of the ten best universities in the country are located in Manila and Quezon City, which is part of the Metro Manila area. If you are looking for remote employees for your company, it is worthwhile to compare the top universities based on your needs and industry. The three best universities for computer science, for example, are:

AMA University
FEU Institute of Technology
Mapua Institute of Technology

In the Philippines, the average starting salary for university graduates is just under 350 US dollars per month. In the capital, salaries are generally higher, starting at around 400–500 US dollars per month. Experienced workers usually earn between 600 and 1,200 US dollars per month. Entry-level salaries naturally vary depending on the profession.

Since the Philippines is a former Spanish colony, labor laws are largely based on European standards. This means four weeks of paid vacation plus 13 public holidays. It should be noted that Filipinos generally expect a 13th-month salary, which is usually paid in December.

The combination of highly skilled, young, English-speaking workers and comparatively low wages makes Filipino workers a popular choice for foreign companies looking to expand. The Philippines is a good place to find virtual assistants, copywriters, IT support staff, and programmers.

If you want to hire employees in the Philippines, Online Jobs is a good platform to post your job advertisement. It is one of the largest marketplaces for part-time and full-time employees. Freelance platforms like Upwork usually cater more to contract workers who are paid by the hour.

Alternatively, you can also post your job ad on local job boards. Recommended sites include Pinoy Jobs and Job Street.

Indonesia

Some facts: Indonesia, with 264 million inhabitants spread across thousands of volcanic islands, is the fourth largest country in the world. That is about 50 million fewer inhabitants than the USA. The national language is Indonesian, and the average age is just over 30 years.

The Indonesian economy has been growing at a rate of slightly more than 5% per year for several years. Most of the economic activity is concentrated in the major cities on the island of Java, where the capital Jakarta is also located. The smaller islands of Bali and Lombok have a strong tourism sector and are popular destinations for expats.

Indonesia offers a mix of public and private education. The best universities are located in the metropolitan areas of the island of Java. These include:

University of Indonesia in Jakarta
Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta
Bandung Institute of Technology in Bandung

Indonesia is an attractive location for companies looking for programmers, designers, data entry workers, and other professionals. While 20 years ago many successful expats still ran furniture stores, today many more work in technology startups or in technical support for corporations in the USA and Europe.

The level of spoken and written English skills, especially among university graduates, is quite high. However, if you are looking for a competent copywriter, you should focus more on the Philippines or India.

The average starting salary for university graduates in second- and third-tier Indonesian cities starts at around $280 per month. In Jakarta, the starting salary is more likely to be $350 per month. Indonesians, like Filipinos, expect a 13th-month salary. This is paid shortly before Idul Fitri, the festival marking the end of Ramadan. According to Indonesian law, employers are also required to provide their employees with health insurance.

Annual leave in Indonesia, with only 12 days of paid vacation, is among the lowest in the world. At the same time, Indonesia offers one of the highest numbers of statutory holidays worldwide, with 15 public holidays.

If you are looking for remote employees, it is best to focus on Bandung and Yogyakarta. Both cities are university towns with a young, well-educated population.

Another promising region for finding remote employees is Batam. The island has a free trade zone and is therefore a preferred location for numerous international companies headquartered in nearby Singapore. Batam is particularly suitable for finding programmers and CGI animators at entry and mid-level positions.

If you want to hire employees in Indonesia, regional job boards like Jogja Karir are well suited for posting your job advertisements. These sites are in Indonesian, so you will need Google Translate or be able to read Indonesian to navigate them. However, you can post your job description in English.

India

India, with over 1.3 billion people, is the largest democracy in the world. Hindi and English are the two official languages of government and the judiciary. The average age in India is 28 years.

India's real GDP growth is 7.3%, making the country one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The relatively low median age compared to China could lead to India becoming the world's second-largest economy by 2050.

Economic activity is concentrated in the larger cities, mostly located along the coast. Mumbai is considered the financial capital of the country, while Bangalore is known as the 'IT capital of India'.

India has a mixed school system consisting of public and private schools. As in most developing countries, educational standards in public schools vary greatly by region. Four of the country's top five universities focus on science, engineering, and technology.

The country's top universities are:

Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore
Indian Institute of Technology Indore
Indian Institute of Science Bombay

As a former British colony, India's labor law is largely based on European legislation. Employees are entitled to 15 days of paid vacation per year, in addition to the three public holidays.

Although university graduates are highly qualified, they often struggle to find employment in India. To create jobs for graduates, the Indian economy is estimated to need to generate five to ten million new positions annually over the next ten years.

This is a considerable number, so it is not surprising that the unemployment rate for university graduates in India is currently around 10%. As a result, many Indians look for work abroad. One example: the number of Indian scientists and engineers in the USA has increased by 85% since 2003. This employment gap offers a clear opportunity for companies that want to hire Indian professionals.

The average starting salary for university graduates in India is just under 350 US dollars per month. Of course, this varies significantly depending on the field and region. For example, a freshly graduated engineer from one of the country's most prestigious universities earns an average of around 16,000 US dollars per year.

India is a good location for finding virtual assistants, copywriters, IT support staff, and programmers. Platforms like Naukri and Amcat are well-suited for posting job advertisements for the Indian market. Professional networks like LinkedIn can also be used.

Russia

For understandable historical reasons, Russia was for a long time not considered a preferred destination for outsourcing work by American or European companies. However, this has changed in recent years, as many firms recognize the great potential of programmers in the former Soviet Union.

To give you an impression of the demographics: Russia has 145 million inhabitants. The average age is just under 40 years, and the annual economic growth is low at 1.6%. This stagnation is largely due to the sanctions imposed on the country following the annexation of Crimea.

It is important to note that hiring Russian workers comes with some unique challenges due to the sheer size of the country. First, English proficiency is not particularly high. However, this does not reflect the level of education in Russia; countries with a higher proportion of native speakers tend to have poorer English skills because there is less need to learn a second language.

Second, in Russia, as in any other large country, there is a significant economic imbalance between rural and urban areas. Most of the money is concentrated in a few cities in the west, where the majority of professionals are also located.

The main selling point is the Russian education system. In short, it offers a mix of highly reputable state universities and very high-quality, practice-oriented technical colleges. Employers should especially look out for candidates from the state academies of science in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Well-known universities include:

Moscow Lomonosov University
St. Petersburg State University
Novosibirsk State University

Russian programmers and data scientists are recognized worldwide for their expertise. They are highly qualified for complex tasks and therefore earn comparatively high salaries as remote employees. These range between 2,000 and 4,000 US dollars per month – somewhat less than in many US cities for the same position, but not as significantly as elsewhere. Other countries in the post-Soviet space, such as Ukraine and Moldova, also offer similarly qualified developers.

The Balkans

Over the centuries, there have been countless attempts to divide the Balkans. However, for hiring remote employees, only one division is relevant: In this small corner of Southern Europe, there are both EU and non-EU countries.

The first group consists of Croatia, Slovenia, and Greece. EU membership naturally means that employees in these countries earn significantly higher wages. In addition, all of these countries are subject to the Working Time Directive, which provides for five weeks of paid leave.

Among the non-EU Balkan states, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the two largest and most popular countries for hiring remote employees. Both have very young, skilled workforces and an average salary of around 400 US dollars per month. The education system in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is somewhat unusual: public universities exist alongside American and EU-funded institutions.

The result of this education system is a very high level of English. University programs are also often very career-oriented, particularly at the American University of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European University of Belgrade.

Macedonia, also located in the Balkans, has gained notoriety in recent years as a breeding ground for fake news. This may not be the reputation the Macedonian Tourism Authority had hoped for, but it does indicate strong English skills in written form. This could make the country ideal if you are looking for talented content creators.

The Balkans is an ideal recruitment location for multilingual staff. In fact, it is not uncommon in these countries for young people to speak five or six European languages. In addition to English, this usually includes German and/or Russian. This can give you a significant advantage if you are looking for a small number of employees for international service positions or translators for your web content to enter new markets.

Additional Options

If you are considering hiring remote employees, you should keep in mind that there are many expats worldwide who might be interested in the position you are offering. Popular places in Southeast Asia with many digital nomads include Bali, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, and Manila.

Expats abroad can be a good option, especially if you are looking for remote employees for part-time positions. It is a cost-effective solution that avoids many of the cultural challenges that can arise when managing a multinational team.

Conclusion

I hope this guide has provided you with useful information for hiring remote employees. I used the same research method that I have applied for myself and my clients to provide you with important information for creating your job description and posting the position abroad.

Keep in mind that while this guide gives you a framework for finding qualified employees, you still need to go through the application process to find the right candidate. This can be time-consuming and frustrating, but with perseverance, you will surely find great employees who will help you achieve your business goals.

Hiring professional, full-time remote employees from diverse global markets is a strategic move that requires a deep understanding of local labor dynamics—from competitive salaries and vacation laws to targeted recruitment channels. While this guide provides the crucial framework for identifying talent in regions like the Philippines and the Balkans, the final success hinges on an efficient and compliant hiring and management process. This is where a robust HR system is vital. IceHrm's capabilities are perfectly aligned to support this global expansion, allowing companies to manage local compliance complexities, track diverse leave and holiday entitlements (like the 13th-month salary), and maintain accurate employee records across multiple international locations. By combining this strategic market knowledge with the structural rigor of IceHrm, businesses can overcome the challenges of multinational teams and successfully integrate highly qualified remote professionals to drive global growth.