A new report from RemoFirst reveals a stark reality: 74% of HR leaders say talent shortages are either “very” or “extremely” challenging for their organization — with mid-sized companies feeling the most pressure.
Not a single respondent in the State of International Hiring report said talent acquisition wasn’t a challenge.
For companies with 500 to 999 employees, the outlook is even more urgent — 61% report talent shortages as “very challenging,” pointing to major gaps in critical roles like AI, cybersecurity, and data science.
“Many companies are scaling quickly, but their hiring strategies haven’t caught up,” says Nurasyl Serik, CEO of RemoFirst. “The truth is, the talent exists — just not always in your own backyard. Teams need to rethink hiring with a global mindset if they want to grow without delay.”
The report’s findings echo what many in HR and People Ops already know: the war for talent isn’t over, it’s just gone global. Traditional recruiting methods are falling short, particularly when it comes to highly specialized skills that are in short supply locally.
RemoFirst’s report dives into why developing a broader talent strategy matters. One that goes beyond borders and embraces flexible, compliant hiring models that can tap into skilled workers worldwide.
Key insights from the report:
- 74% of HR leaders cite talent shortages as “very” or “extremely” challenging
- Mid-sized companies (500–999 employees) are most affected
- Skills gaps in AI, cybersecurity, and data are among the top blockers to growth
- Companies expanding globally are more confident in their hiring pipelines
Download the full State of International Hiring report to explore how leading companies are addressing these challenges, and how platforms like RemoFirst are helping teams hire compliantly in 185+ countries.
