HRTech Interview with Pim Altena, GM Remote Embedded & VP Technology Partnerships

Welcome to HRTech Cube, Pim! To start, can you share a bit about your professional journey? What led you to your current role at Remote, and what excites you most about the work you do?
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked across a diverse set of industries – including e-commerce, logistics, cloud infrastructure, and now HR Tech. I began as a strategy consultant at BCG and have since held leadership roles at companies such as Lazada, Flexport, and AWS. Across each chapter, the common thread has been building and scaling – from new products to entire businesses. I have always built and managed international and global teams, so I know what makes global hiring hard.

I first learned about Remote in 2020, when I became a Remote customer at my previous company. Remote opened my eyes how easy international hiring can be – without needing to deal with the burden of setting up legal entities, managing payroll, or local benefits. Remote removed constraints I didn’t even realise I had.

Two years ago I joined Remote, drawn by both the complexity and the scale of the opportunity. Global employment is far from straightforward – under the surface lies a web of regulatory, operational, and technological challenges. Today, I lead Remote Embedded and our technology partnerships organization, where we collaborate with some of the world’s most forward-thinking platforms to integrate seamless global hiring capabilities into their products.

What motivates me most is the broader impact: we’re not just advancing technology– we’re enabling access to meaningful work for people everywhere, regardless of geography.

With remote work becoming the norm, what do you think sets leading HR tech platforms apart in today’s market?
The most impactful HR tech platforms make remote work truly seamless—by integrating the ability to hire and pay talent anywhere in the world, directly within their existing workflows. This enables HR teams to operate globally without adding additional tools to their stack.

Building that capability in-house is complex and resource-intensive. That’s why we created Remote Embedded: a fully integrated solution that allows platforms to offer global employment and payroll as a native part of their product experience.

With Remote Embedded, HR teams can operate globally without added complexity—no extra tools, no compliance headaches, just a streamlined path to scale across borders.

That’s why we’re particularly excited about embedded partnerships like our recent launch with Personio. By integrating our global employment infrastructure directly into their platform, customers can now hire internationally without leaving their core workflow. No toggling between systems – just a compliant, streamlined experience.

We followed a similar path with Gusto, powering their global Employer of Record (EOR) solution and enabling U.S. businesses to manage both domestic and international hiring from one familiar platform.

These integrations reflect the direction of the industry: more connected, more intuitive, and purpose-built for the needs of globally scaling teams.

How can platforms balance local compliance expertise with a seamless global experience to better support businesses scaling internationally?
At Remote, compliance isn’t an add-on – it’s built into everything we do. By owning our legal entities and employment infrastructure in every country where we operate, we deliver real-time, reliable compliance without dependence on third parties. This foundation allows us to offer a level of control, consistency, and trust that’s critical for global employment.

When platforms like Personio – trusted by over 15,000 companies – embed our infrastructure, they instantly extend this compliance-first capability to their users. It’s a fully integrated experience that feels native, not bolted on. Their customers can now compliantly hire full-time employees across borders without leaving the platform they already use – no unfamiliar tools, no new onboarding friction. This approach makes global hiring feel as simple and seamless as hiring locally – all while maintaining the highest standards of compliance behind the scenes.

Technology partnerships play a crucial role in shaping the HR tech landscape. What key factors do you consider when forging partnerships that enhance Remote’s capabilities?
The most impactful partnerships are those that address real customer challenges at scale. At Remote, we’re not simply pursuing integration opportunities – we’re seeking partners who share our commitment to simplifying the complexity of global employment for their customers.

This requires more than technical alignment. It demands shared ambition, complementary strengths, and a deep product fit. The best partnerships don’t feel like add-ons – they function as seamless extensions of the core experience, delivering meaningful new capabilities without added friction.

Together, we create solutions that not only enhance platform value but also empower customers to operate globally with confidence and ease.

Many companies struggle with managing a distributed workforce effectively. What strategies have you seen work best for maintaining engagement, compliance, and efficiency?
Companies that succeed with distributed teams tend to invest early in two things: asynchronous collaboration and compliance-first infrastructure. From a tooling perspective, they unify payroll, benefits, and documentation across locations. From a people perspective, they make transparency a habit. When these systems and values are in place, teams scale faster and more sustainably no matter where employees are based.

From a leadership perspective, how do you personally approach innovation to ensure Remote stays ahead in such a competitive industry?
Innovation starts with listening. I spend a lot of time with our partners and customers to understand the real friction points they face—especially as they grow across borders. The most impactful ideas don’t come from chasing trends; they come from solving the obstacles that actually hold teams back.

But in a space as complex and high-stakes as global employment, speed alone isn’t enough. Compliance, payroll, and people’s livelihoods are on the line. That’s why we move quickly, but never at the expense of doing things right. We’ve walked away from partnerships when asked to compromise on compliance—because trust, once lost, is hard to earn back.

At Remote, we build solutions that scale, simplify, and stand up to scrutiny. We don’t take shortcuts, even when it’s hard. Because in this industry, trust isn’t just important—it’s everything.

What advice would you give to businesses looking to build an HR tech stack that meets both their current and future needs?

One of the most important pieces of advice I share is this: choose partners, not just products. The most effective HR tech stacks aren’t built on bold promises or flashy features – they’re built on trust, alignment, and shared values.

Look for providers who treat you like a true partner, not just another account. Pay attention to whether their principles are reflected consistently across their product experience, customer support, and leadership approach. As your business expands – across markets, time zones, and team structures – you’ll need a partner who anticipates complexity, ensures compliance, and helps you stay focused on what matters most: growing your business.

How do you see automation and AI shaping the future of remote work and global employment solutions?
AI and automation are rapidly shaping the future of global employment – empowering teams to make faster, clearer, and more informed decisions at scale. At Remote, we’re already leveraging AI to reduce friction across key workflows: surfacing country-specific compliance requirements, recommending market-aligned compensation, and proactively identifying risks during onboarding.

These aren’t decisions made by AI – they’re insights designed to help people operate with greater confidence and far less guesswork.

Used responsibly, AI also holds the potential to reduce bias in hiring, shifting focus to the best-fit candidate – not just the one with the most familiar background or local address. As global work evolves, AI won’t replace the human element – it will enhance it, streamlining complexity while enabling more thoughtful, inclusive, and strategic decision-making.

What is one piece of personal advice you would share with professionals navigating the shift to remote and hybrid work models?
Be patient with others – and with yourself. Remote work requires new rhythms, not just new tools. You won’t always feel “on.” You might have a sick child at home, a noisy neighbor, or a day when your energy just isn’t there—and that’s okay. What matters more is being intentional about connection, communicating openly, and investing in relationships, even when you’re not in the same room.

Trust, empathy, and clarity are the real infrastructure of successful remote teams. But it’s not just individuals who need to adapt – leaders do too. Managing distributed teams requires a shift in mindset: from valuing presence to valuing outcomes, from measuring inputs to measuring outputs, from relying on informal watercooler talk to deliberate creation of context. The best remote professionals aren’t just productive – they’re human first, and the best leaders create space for that humanity to show up and thrive.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of remote work and HR technology? Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
I’m energized by a future where global hiring becomes the default, not the exception. At Remote, we believe that while talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t – and we’re working to change that. Embedded solutions like Personio’s EOR service, powered by Remote, are helping to close this gap by enabling companies of all sizes to hire across borders – quickly, compliantly, and without added complexity.

But it’s not just about scale – it’s about impact. Remote hiring gives individuals access to better opportunities, more meaningful work, and higher earning potential, regardless of where they live. It opens doors for skilled talent in markets that have historically been underrepresented or overlooked.

The future of HR tech is seamless, integrated, and truly global. That’s the vision that drives me – and it’s one I believe we’re building toward, every day.