Borderless talent is the future of tech work, say CEOs, as remote jobs take a backseat.

• Remote work is being overshadowed by experts' claims that borderless hiring for technology jobs is stealing the spotlight.
• Talent marketplaces and a digitized workforce have made global hiring more accessible and affordable, similar to how Uber increased access to a private driver on demand.
• "A tech talent marketplace CEO whose clients include Goldman Sachs, Github, and Coursera stated that remote work is like a gateway drug to borderless," said the CEO.

The debate over remote work versus not working remotely has been replaced by the discussion of borderless hiring for technology positions.

"According to Jeremy Johnson, CEO of AI-powered talent marketplace Andela, remote work is like a gateway drug to a borderless world. Once you realize that you don't need to be in the same office five days a week to build a strong culture and feel connected to the mission, you start to think that there are talented individuals all over the world."

Tech leaders are increasingly focusing on both innovation and value-driven efficiency, leading to a growing trend of borderless tech hiring that transcends national or even global time zones. According to Gartner's 2023 CEO Survey, borderless tech hiring has doubled in the last three years. By 2022, cities like Beijing and Delhi had a larger tech talent workforce than U.S. powerhouses like San Francisco and New York, reports CBRE Global Tech Talent Guidebook 2024. The guidebook also highlights emerging tech talent markets like Bucharest, Romania; Cape Town, South Africa; Cebu City, Philippines; and Nairobi, Kenya, among others.

Johnson stated that global hiring, similar to services like Uber that provide on-demand private drivers, is becoming more accessible due to talent marketplaces and a digitized workforce, making it more than just a costly C-suite search.

Payoneer, a global payment processing platform, has a significant impact on the borderless hiring world both internally and externally. With over 2,200 employees in 50 countries and more than 25 offices worldwide, Payoneer operates from an internal perspective. Additionally, Payoneer benefits from and drives the borderless trend through its clients.

John Caplan, CEO of Payoneer, stated that while the globalized opportunity's rhetoric is strong, it has no impact on a business unless it has the necessary utilities and tools to execute it.

Pockets of talent worldwide

Adam Jackson, CEO of Braintrust, a decentralized tech talent platform, operates without a physical office. "Our team works remotely," he stated. "Only one of our engineers, who works on Braintrust, is based in the U.S. Our clients, including NASA and Nestlé, are also building borderless teams, as per Jackson."

"According to Jackson, 20 years ago when he relocated to San Francisco, the top tech, developers, product managers, and designers resided in Silicon Valley. However, this is no longer the case. While there are still many of them in the area, there are now pockets of them scattered globally."

Some leaders, such as Johnson, believe that time zone coordination is crucial to give certain employees the chance to work synchronously. In contrast, Jackson believes that global innovation with an asynchronous workforce is an opportunity to create a company where the sun never sets.

Jackson argues that work-life balance is a myth in startup culture, but asynchronous work can enhance the clarity of documentation and reduce the monotonous cycle of meetings, allowing for more time to engage in creative thinking and profound work.

Johnson explains that local labor laws, compliance, and payroll are all important factors in global operations, which is why many organizations have established operations in specific countries. However, even these challenges can be overcome.

AI and future of work geographies

Experts agree that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to borderless hiring, and each company must find their own bespoke solution. Caplan emphasized the importance of designing an office footprint and future-of-work philosophy that aligns with the business being built.

Johnson believes that the European Union's regulatory framework for AI will make it challenging for tech companies to succeed, while the increasing global regulation and case law surrounding AI and data will cause cross-border employment trends to shift like puzzle pieces.

"He stated that Europe would face challenges in the upcoming years due to the increasing data innovation being pushed out of the continent, which presents an opportunity for other regions such as Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the world."

No matter where organizations hire, Jackson emphasizes the importance of managing risk and hiring good people. He said, "Quality still matters. The old adage is when you're building software, do you want to be fast, good quality, or cheap? Pick two. Now, I reject that. You can have all three, but quality still matters, no matter where you are."

Borderless employment has the potential to benefit communities worldwide by providing expanded talent reach and cost-effectiveness. Its benefits are evident in the increase in standard work-sponsored visa applications in the U.S., which rose by 263% in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to Deel's Tech Migration Report. Additionally, U.S. cities account for the top five average monthly apartment rent costs, making borderless hiring an attractive option for both employment seekers and providers.

Johnson stated that if you could increase the efficiency of your biggest expense, which is talent, by 10%, you would have a significant advantage. It appears that borderless hiring will continue to be a part of the growth strategy at all levels.