From Policy to Practice: Building Diverse Teams
Article prepared by Winnifred Ola
In the first article, we explored the many ways diverse teams drive innovation, creativity, and business growth. In this piece, I want to share practical steps for turning those intentions into reality by exploring hiring across borders.
Organisations today aren’t just expanding across borders to reach new markets or customers; they are also redefining who they can hire and where that talent can come from. As work becomes less tied to a single location, hiring decisions are increasingly shaped by skills, perspective, and potential rather than geography alone.
Many organisations are clear about their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, translating those commitments into everyday hiring decisions is often where challenges emerge. Legal complexities, compliance risks, and administrative burdens can quietly and unintentionally limit who organisations are able to hire and where.
Diversity policies look great on paper, but the real work begins when you try to build diverse teams across borders, cultures, and employment laws. In my experience, moving from intention to execution is the first step to truly embracing this mindset, and that shift becomes significantly easier with the support of an Employer of Record (EOR).
An Employer of Record (EOR) is a third-party organisation that legally employs workers on behalf of another company in a foreign country, allowing businesses to hire in different countries without setting up local entities. Working with an EOR removes many of the traditional barriers to global hiring. Instead of being constrained by entity requirements, organisations can focus on hiring for skills, potential, and cultural contribution, regardless of geography. This shift alone opens access to a far more diverse talent pool than conventional hiring structures allow.
Diverse teams don’t just happen; they are built through intentional systems, and an EOR is one such system. However, before implementing an EOR, it’s important to standardise your recruitment practices, such as deciding which countries or regions you wish to explore for hiring talent, so candidates from all backgrounds get a fair shot. Your EOR will handle contracts, benefits, and payroll in each region.
Choosing the right EOR is critical to scaling successfully on a global level. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:
Define your requirements before you start. Be clear on your non-negotiables as well as your softer requirements.
Select a partner with entities in as many countries as possible, either globally or regionally. For example, if you want to focus on hiring within EMEA, choose a partner with a strong local presence across as many countries in those regions.
Choose a partner with owned entities. Some EOR providers rely on local outsourcing partners in certain countries. Opt for a partner that owns its entities. This ensures you don’t overcomplicate the employment process for you and your employees, and also request incorporation documents in each country you’re hiring in, if needed.
Choose a partner with a robust employee support system. Your EOR is an extension of you as an employer, and how they treat your employees will influence how your employees will perceive you as an employer.
Check references from previous clients, particularly companies operating in your target countries or regions.
Choose a strategic partner; beyond hiring, can they advise on global hiring strategy and offer insights that align with your business goals?
Consider scalability. Ensure your EOR partner can support your growth plans and has the right infrastructure in place to do so.
Diversity isn’t just a line in a policy document. It’s a daily practice embedded in how you hire, develop, and support your people. Remove the legal and geographical barriers, and diversity becomes a true winning advantage.
