According to a recent report, Latin American workers are among the most requested talent by US companies. And it’s no wonder. Compared to the US, the salaries in Latin America are notably lower. It is possible to recruit similarly skilled employees for 30–70% less than the going rate for the same position in the US market.
So, if you’re looking to hire top talent from Latin America (LatAm), recruiting agencies and executive search firms can help you tap into a wide pool of LatAm candidates to find the best match for your open positions.
In this article, we’ll explain what recruiting and executive search firms are and how they can help your business thrive. To make the process even easier for you, we compiled a list of the best LatAm recruiting firms that can help you find and hire the most skilled talent from LatAm.
What Are Recruiting and Executive Search Firms?
Recruiting and executive search firms are staffing companies that help businesses identify and hire talented individuals for open positions. These firms are also known as talent acquisition agencies or headhunters, but there’s a subtle difference between the two.
Recruiting firms assist businesses in filling positions across all company levels and in various industries, such as technology, marketing, finance, and accounting. They typically use online job boards and social media to advertise jobs. They then locate and screen candidates and conduct initial interviews to narrow down the pool. The best talent is presented to clients afterward.
Executive search firms, on the other hand, specialize in identifying and recruiting C-level executives and senior management positions. They have extensive networks and rich databases of top-level professionals. They use targeted outreach and headhunting techniques to identify and approach potential candidates who may not be actively looking for new job opportunities.
Why Should You Use Recruiting and Executive Search Firms?
Recruiting and executive search firms provide many benefits for businesses looking to fill open positions with the right candidates. We outline the main reasons to approach them below:
The best way to expand your business internationally
With the help of recruiting and executive search firms, businesses can tap into a broader pool of candidates than they could through traditional recruitment methods. For example, if you’re looking to expand operations to a new country, a recruiting firm with experience in that region can help locate the best candidates, including those who may not be actively seeking employment.
Expertise in hiring top talent from different parts of the world
Recruiting and executive search firms have the necessary skills to navigate cultural and language barriers. They also know how to identify top performers with the skills, experience, and personality traits required for a specific position and filter out those who are not a good fit. They typically use aptitude and skill tests (Myers-Briggs, DiSC), language proficiency tests, and behavioral interviews to select the best candidates.
Saves resources on developing and implementing a good hiring process
These firms know how to design effective recruitment processes tailored to the needs of each business, taking into account factors such as company culture, hiring timeline, and desired skill set of candidates.
They also manage the recruitment process on your behalf, including crafting attractive job descriptions, sourcing and screening resumes, and conducting initial interviews.
By outsourcing the recruitment process to a recruiting or executive search firm, you can avoid the costs of a bad hire and potential legal issues. Most importantly, you can free up internal resources to focus on other core aspects of your business that generate revenue.
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What Are the Best Latin American Recruiting and Executive Search Firms?
Below are the top eight (in no particular order) recruiting and executive search companies from LatAm. We have chosen these firms because they are attractive to candidates due to their large client portfolios or industry niche or because they have a presence in many countries.
We grouped them into two main categories:
- Size and popularity
- Tech-oriented niche
Size and popularity
Adecco
Adecco is a multinational recruitment agency with over 60 years of experience and a strong presence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.
The company has a rich portfolio of clients across various industries, including healthcare, finance, information technology, engineering, hospitality, and retail.
They provide human resources services that range from temporary staffing to career transition and talent development solutions that are tailored to both small and large companies. Some of Adecco’s staffing solutions include finding qualified staff for peak periods or unexpected absences and filling full-time positions focused on remote work.
Accenture
Accenture is also a multinational firm with business operations in 120 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. It has 50 years of experience.
Although Accenture brands itself more as a “services” company than a recruiting firm, they also provide recruitment services focused on executive search and talent acquisition for industries such as technology, banking and financial services, consumer goods, and healthcare.
Besides having decades of experience and access to a global talent pool, Accenture uses an intelligent human+machine model (SynOps) to manage remote workforces and provide data-based insights to help clients improve their recruitment strategies.
Cielo Talent
Cielo Talent is a global recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) firm with a team working across 113 countries in 39 languages.
Similarly to Accenture, they use advanced technology and data analytics to optimize their recruitment process and help businesses of all sizes to find top talent across various industries.
Cielo’s LatAm operations are focused exclusively on RPO for healthcare, financial services, technology, and consumer goods industries. This fact alone, plus their extensive experience, makes them a viable option for businesses looking to hire LatAm talent for C-level positions in these particular industries.
Randstad
Randstad is also a multinational HR company with activities in 38 countries and 60 years of experience. It provides various HR solutions, including temporary staffing, permanent placement, and executive search across many industries, such as IT, finance, healthcare, and engineering, allowing them to cater to the diverse needs of each business.
Randstad works with both small and large companies, as well as public sector organizations. They use AI and data analytics to streamline their recruitment process and provide accurate and efficient hiring solutions.
Near
While Near may not be classified as a recruitment firm, we offer services to US companies similar to those of recruiting and executive search firms, such as outsourcing the entire hiring process.
Near is considered one of the best in recruiting LatAm talent due to several reasons:
1. Massive database of pre-vetted candidates. Companies can get access to a database of more than 15K pre-vetted LatAm candidates with outstanding English skills.
2. Dedicated team. Our experts have deep knowledge and experience in the recruitment industry. Ongoing consultations help you address any issues that might affect your employee retention.
3. Transparent pricing. You can interview candidates for free and pay only a percentage of the talent’s monthly rate once you’ve found your match. We also guarantee free replacement in case of compatibility issues.
Software engineering niche
If you’re looking for candidates from a more specific niche, such as software engineering, we outline the top tech recruiting firms below.
Globant
Globant is a leader in digital transformation, UX design, digital strategy, software development, cloud services, data and analytics, and artificial intelligence. They can manage the entire recruitment process on behalf of a company, from sourcing and screening IT professionals to negotiating offers and onboarding new hires.
The company was founded in 2003 and has a presence in more than 16 countries, including LatAm countries. One of the primary reasons Globant is considered a pro in hiring talent from LatAm is its deep understanding of the local talent market. The company has built strong relationships with universities and other institutions from LatAm to attract the most skilled professionals.
CodersLink
CodersLink is a tech talent recruiting firm that connects businesses with top talent in LatAm, particularly in software engineering, data science, and UX/UI design. They have a large pool of candidates with diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences, which allows them to find the right fit for each client’s needs.
One of the main advantages of using CodersLink is that they have a deep understanding of the LatAm market and can help clients navigate the cultural differences and nuances of hiring remote talent. They also provide ongoing support to both clients and candidates throughout the recruitment process and beyond, ensuring a smooth and successful transition for everyone involved.
BairesDev
BairesDev is a LatAm-based software development company that provides staff augmentation, team outsourcing, and project outsourcing services to businesses in need of technical talent.
They give businesses access to a network of 1,500 developers, designers, and engineers, all pre-screened and assessed for technical proficiency, communication abilities, and cultural compatibility.
One of the things that makes BairesDev unique is its rigorous recruitment process. They only accept the top 1% of software engineers to ensure their clients can access top-notch candidates.
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing top talent from LatAm is a cost-effective solution for building a skilled remote workforce. Using a recruiting or executive search firm will help you find the best talent and save resources by not having to develop and implement your own hiring process. The best firm will be the one that fits your business’s needs, budget, and industry.
If you’re a small or medium business looking to hire top talent from LatAm without breaking the bank, Near offers one of the best solutions for finding the right talent. Before embarking on this hiring adventure, keep in mind that there are two main differences between the way Near and the companies listed handle staff:
1. Most of these recruiting firms move their workers around different projects and clients, which means new hires usually don’t form deep relationships with the client and are more like consultants or temporary workers.
In contrast, the employees hired with Near work long-term directly with just one company, which allows them to build stronger relationships and leads to better collaboration between the new hire and their team. Next, learn more about the advantages of keeping hires on staffing firm payroll vs. hiring in-house.
2. In some cases, multinational recruiting firms that have a legal entity in LatAm (e.g., Accenture, BairesDev, and Globant have legal entities in Argentina) hire staff as direct employees instead of contractors like Near does. This means that when hired as a direct employee, all legal benefits are provided by the firm, such as healthcare, “aguinaldo” (13th salary), unlimited sick days, local holidays, and sometimes extra perks like gym memberships.
For Near, these benefits and perks depend on the compensation package offered by the clients—they are not obligations.
In the same context, employees from recruiting firms are typically paid in the local currency, which is subject to constant devaluation by inflation, resulting in lower overall salaries. Meanwhile, Near contractors are paid in USD.
If you decide that Near is the best solution for you, simply start by filling out a form with the profile of the role you need, and we will present you with the best pre-screened candidates.