Global Talent #44

🔥 Opening Shot

It’s easy to forget how fast this has all moved. Five years ago, “remote-first” was a startup edge case. Today, the Philippines just overtook the U.S. as the top source of remote hires on one of the largest global platforms . Europe is now the #1 region for cross-border hiring. And once a company makes that first offshore hire? Nearly half of follow-on roles go to emerging markets . Translation: this is no longer an experiment, it’s the new default.

At the same time, we’re watching AI explode into HR and hiring… badly. A job candidate’s viral video of an AI interview glitching into a feedback loop, literally stuttering “tell me about a time when…” for several minutes — hit 1 million likes . Why? Because anyone who's applied for a job lately knows that parts of the hiring process feel increasingly alien, dehumanized, and broken. And while execs see cost savings, job seekers feel disrespected.

Add in a $45M lawsuit in Brazil over labor violations by one of China’s biggest manufacturers , and you get the real theme of the week: scaling globally without strategic oversight is reckless.

So here’s the playbook: hire globally, but do it deliberately. Use AI, but don’t turn your process into a Black Mirror episode. Grow fast, but stay compliant. There’s no excuse anymore. The risks are public, and the talent advantage is massive if you get it right.

📌 On the Radar

1. Global Hiring Trends: The latest data from Oyster shows just how quickly the world is becoming one talent pool. Europe is now the top region for global remote hiring, accounting for 43% of new cross-border hires, with Asia (including the Middle East) at 24%. In fact, five countries – the Philippines (9% of new hires), United States (8%), India (7%), Canada (6%), and the UK (6%) – made up over one-third of all global remote hires last year. Notably, the Philippines edged out the U.S. as the #1 source of remote talent on one major platform. Certain roles dominate this global push: software engineers are the most in-demand, making up 18% of all international hires. IT roles naturally ‘plug in’ from anywhere, and companies are eagerly tapping that broader talent pool. Sales, marketing, and customer support roles also rank high as firms expand into new markets. Perhaps most striking, confidence in emerging-market hiring is growing with experience.

Once employers make their first international hire in an emerging economy, nearly half of subsequent hires are also in emerging markets – up from just 37% on the first go. In other words, companies that dip a toe outside the high-cost markets tend to dive in deeper. Talent shortages at home can be overcome by looking abroad, where skilled people are ready to work – often at a fraction of the cost – if you’re willing to build globally distributed teams.

2. Who’s The Bot?: A viral story making the rounds on TikTok is giving HR leaders heartburn – and for good reason. A job seeker recorded his “interview” with an AI hiring bot that went completely off the rails: the automated interviewer glitched into an infinite loop, repeating half-finished questions (“Tell me about a time when… when… when…”) and never allowing a real response. After a few minutes of nonsense, the bot cheerily declared it had “got a lot of great information” – even though the candidate hadn’t spoken a word. The video racked up 1 million likes and a comment section full of outrage at the dehumanization of hiring. Viewers called it “taking the ‘human’ out of Human Resources” and “disrespectful to applicants,” and many shared similar experiences.

This cringe-worthy episode shines a spotlight on the “wild west” mentality some companies have toward AI integration. Rushing to automate interviews and candidate screening can absolutely alienate the talent you’re trying to attract. A veteran organizational psychologist noted that replacing what should be human interaction with a bot – especially one this clunky – is “almost unethical” and erodes trust. It’s not just a PR nightmare; it’s potentially an employer branding disaster in a tight labor market. Surveys show job seekers are largely uncomfortable with AI making hiring decisions – 67% say they don’t want algorithms reviewing their resumes or deciding their fate. And in one study, more than half of companies that laid off staff and tried to replace them with AI later regretted it. The bottom line: AI can be a powerful aid in sourcing and screening, but use it judiciously. Transparency is key – candidates appreciate when you disclose how AI is used and stick to using it for what it does best (scheduling, basic skill matching) while keeping humans in the loop for the truly human decisions. Otherwise, you risk turning your hiring process into a circus act – one that top talent will avoid at all costs.

3. The $45 Million Brazilian Lesson: Nothing focuses a CEO’s mind quite like a massive lawsuit on the other side of the world. This month, Chinese electric carmaker BYD got slammed with a $45 million legal case in Brazil over “slavery-like” labor conditions at a new factory. Brazilian prosecutors allege BYD’s contractors subjected 220 Chinese workers to unsafe, exploitative conditions – even human trafficking violations – while building the company’s facility. It’s a shocking headline, but for global expansion veterans, not entirely surprising. Brazil’s labor laws are among the most complex and strictly enforced in Latin America. From mandatory benefits and overtime rules to stringent safety standards, it’s a regulatory jungle where a misstep can cost millions. BYD’s alleged failure to ensure local compliance is now a textbook example of what not to do when hiring or operating abroad. Non-compliance isn’t just a matter of fines – it can halt your operations, destroy your reputation, and even lead to criminal charges. And Brazil is hardly alone; around the globe, authorities are increasingly holding multinationals accountable for local labor practices. We’ve seen Amazon face lawsuits and strikes across the EU and U.S. for pushing against local labor protections, Nike investigated for supply-chain labor abuses in Asia, and others. The pattern is clear: ignoring local laws is an expensive gamble. 

The BYD saga should serve as a wake-up call: if an ambitious growth plan doesn’t come with equal investment in local HR expertise and compliance, you’re skating on thin ice. Many companies expanding overseas are now partnering with Employer of Record services or beefing up local legal teams to avoid exactly this sort of nightmare. The upfront cost of “doing it right” – abiding by each country’s labor codes, tax rules, and cultural expectations – is trivial compared to a $45M lawsuit and the brand damage that comes with it. For C-suites exploring new markets, the mandate is simple: make compliance a core strategy, not an afterthought. Your global reputation (and peace of mind) depends on it.

📊 Chart of the Week

U.S. companies are becoming more global – the share of workers outside the U.S. at American multinationals has steadily climbed from ~27% in 2017 to over 30% by 2024. This trend underscores how rapidly offshoring/nearshoring has become a core strategy: over the past 7 years, U.S. employers expanded their overseas headcount nearly twice as fast as domestic headcount, driven by remote-friendly roles and cost pressures. In fact, as of this year more than 30% of the workforce at typical U.S. headquartered firms is now international – a historic high. The talent footprint is truly going global.

🚀 One More Thing

The world of talent is shifting under our feet – and fast. As a founder who’s been in the trenches of global hiring, I know how dizzying it can be to navigate remote work policies, cross-border compliance, and now AI upending job functions. Got a burning question or a contrarian take on your own talent strategy? Hit reply and let me know – I read every response. Or, if you’re rethinking your approach and want to compare notes, let’s set up a call. No sales pitch, just candid peer-to-peer insight. In a business environment where work is borderless and change is relentless, sharing learnings is the ultimate playbook.

Let’s stay ahead of the curve together.