Branching Out: Hire Remote Software Developers

Remote work is our new normal. 

The share of remote workers worldwide increased from 20% in 2020 to 28% in 2023. In the technology industry, this percentage is the highest, with 67% of employees saying they work remotely.

For software teams, there are many advantages to remote work. A noteworthy benefit is the ability to hire talented engineers from anywhere in the world. 

Our 2025 State of Remote Engineering report finds that the majority of engineers around the world prefer working remotely, and employers are on board. The bottom line: Global hiring and employment are appealing to software developers and US companies.

Want all the latest insights from 1,000s of global engineers? Get the State of Remote Engineering

Remote Software Development: An Overview

Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report found that 29% of workers were on the hunt for a new role in the first half of 2025. The main motivator? Flexibility. 

Likewise, our report also found that flexibility is an essential perk. For example, while nearly half of the engineers we surveyed are in full-time roles, 39% of these full-timers complain of a lack of flexibility as a drawback to this style of work. Meanwhile, 60% of contractors say flexibility in their working hours is a major advantage.

Of course, not all full-time engineers work on-site. But globally, no matter what their relationship with their employers, engineers overwhelmingly want remote work.

It’s worth noting that US developers are an exception, with 40% preferring hybrid, 33% preferring in-person, and just 27% preferring remote. But notice that these employees aren’t overwhelmingly craving an in-person work experience—they want the best of both worlds.

Why Hire Remote Software Developers?

One main motivator for businesses to hire remote workers is to save on costs. If every employee who wanted to work remotely did so half the time, that would average out to a cost savings of more than $11,000 per employee each year, a Global Workplace Analytics study found. That’s partly because hiring remotely means you don’t have to pay for expensive infrastructure, including building space and all the costs that come with it, such as security. 

Hiring from regions beyond the US also helps businesses lower costs. Developers outside of the US tend to have lower salary expectations than those in the US, making them appealing for organizations looking to lower costs without sacrificing quality. For example, according to our Remote Software Engineer Salaries tool, salary expectations for engineers in Latin America range from $99,389 to 99,450, 46% lower than those of US engineers. 

Hiring global, remote engineers offers additional benefits as well, such as access to diverse perspectives and a wider pool of talent.

Why Do Global Engineers Want to Work for US Companies?

US companies are appealing to global developers in regions like Europe, Latin America, and Canada, and it’s not just for the opportunity to work remotely.

One of the main motivations is higher salary potential: 84% of the engineers we surveyed named this as the most compelling reason.

However, money is not the only factor drawing tech talent to US companies. Many engineers in our survey (70%) cite professional growth and networking opportunities as benefits of working with US employers, and the majority (65%) are also looking for greater job flexibility.

Other attractive benefits include:

• Access to cutting-edge technology and resources (51%)
• Exposure to a diverse work environment (45%)
• Stronger emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship (36%)
• More comprehensive employee benefits (e.g., health insurance and stock options) (30%)

Challenges of Hiring Remote and Global Teams

Of course, there are obstacles associated with hiring remote software developers, such as connectivity issues, collaboration and communication challenges, and potential compliance issues. 

Global engineers in our survey also cite specific barriers when they work with US-based businesses. Time zone challenges (38%) are a particular issue. However, this challenge is mitigated when nearshore engineers (those in Latin America or Canada, for example) work with US businesses. That’s because the time zone overlap is considerable, leading to stronger synchronous communication and collaboration.

For example, New York City (GMT-4) is just 1-2 hours ahead of Mexico City (GMT-6), depending on the time of year (Mexico does not observe Daylight Saving Time, while New York does). 

According to our report, there are several other challenges engineers note when working remotely for US companies. Examples include:

• Different interviewing styles (31%)
• Varied holiday and vacation norms (27%)
• Language barriers (24%)
• Differences in communication etiquette (21%)
• Work/life balance disconnect (19%)
• Connection to the team back in the US (15%)

Want all the latest insights from 1,000s of global engineers? Get the State of Remote Engineering

Additional challenges global and remote engineers report include hard-to-understand accents, visa requirements, and feeling ostracized when the rest of the team is US-based.

Addressing Remote Hiring Challenges

So, what do you do about these obstacles?

Many of the challenges engineers mention concern cultural differences. One strategy to address these differences is to provide cultural immersion opportunities for remote engineers outside of the US. Nearly half of the engineers in our survey (46%) say they would benefit from language-learning opportunities, and 45% want mentorship programs that bridge cultural differences and employee exchange programs or shadowing opportunities (40%). 

These opportunities can go a long way in ensuring that engineers from all areas feel seen and are able to overcome barriers to working remotely with US employers.

Employers also need to be cognizant of different expectations and norms and bring understanding to everything from interviewing styles to communication etiquette. 

Remote and Global Teams: Today’s Norm

Remote, global digital jobs, encompassing software development roles, are expected to grow to around 92 million by 2030, according to The World Economic Forum’s The Rise of Global Digital Jobs report. This presents an enormous opportunity for both employers and global software engineers.

Employers have access to a huge pool of top talent from around the globe. They can get diverse perspectives and hard-to-find skill sets at a lower price. And our 2025 State of Remote Engineering report shows that global engineers are eager to work with US employers, too. Remote is the way forward—it’s a win-win for everyone.