Employer of record (EOR) services

Hire talent internationally without setting up a local entity. Our EOR solution lets you onboard, pay and manage international staff compliantly in days, not months.

Expand your global workforce with confidence

Expanding into a new market doesn’t need to mean months of preparation and planning.

Our EOR solution offers a cross-border employment solution that simplifies talent hiring and management in new markets, without needing a local entity. This service allows you to lead your team's day-to-day work, while we serve as the legal employer, managing payroll, benefits and local employment compliance for your global team.

Our comprehensive EOR services include:

Compliant employment contracts
Locally tailored agreements that meet jurisdictional requirements and protect your business interests.
Payroll and benefits administration
End-to-end management of statutory and optional benefits, processed through secure and compliant systems.
Onboarding and offboarding support
Seamless employee lifecycle management, with dedicated support for both employers and employees.
Compliance and governance
Built-in safeguards aligned to local labour laws, tax regulations, IP and data protection standards.
Local expertise
Access to in-region specialists who understand the nuances of each market.

Market testing before commitment

A European B2B software company wanted to test demand in Singapore before committing to a local entity. They needed one senior sales hire immediately. Through EOR, their hire was onboarded with a compliant employment contract, CPF contributions, and local benefits within days. Twelve months later, having validated the market, they transitioned the team of four to their own Singapore entity, with Hawksford managing the incorporation and payroll transfer.

Bridging entity setup

A regional holding group had secured contracts in the UK and Netherlands and needed to hire three employees while its entity setup was still in progress. Within 10 days, all three employees were placed on compliant employment contracts through EOR solution. EOR support remained in place for eight months during the incorporation process, enabling uninterrupted workforce deployment while reducing compliance risk throughout the transition period.

Single remote hire in an unfamiliar market

A Singapore-headquartered professional services firm won a major European client and needed a locally based account manager in Germany. Setting up a German entity for one hire was not commercially viable. EOR allowed them to hire a German national compliantly, with AÜG-compliant contracts and full social insurance contributions managed, without triggering a permanent establishment.

Rapid headcount scale

A US-based technology platform expanding into Southeast Asia needed to hire simultaneously in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia within a 90-day window for a product launch. EOR enabled compliant employment across all three markets through a single point of contact, with unified payroll reporting and locally tailored employment contracts in each jurisdiction.

Offboarding and exit compliance

A European retail company restructuring its Asia operations needed to compliantly exit three employees in China. EOR managed the full offboarding process including statutory severance calculation, social insurance cessation, and labour contract termination notices in accordance with local labour law, avoiding disputes and ensuring a clean exit.

Cost efficiency

A European manufacturing company maintained a subsidiary in Japan for several years, but declining activity meant the entity was no longer commercially viable. While the business still required a limited local presence to support key customers and maintain market relationships, the cost and administrative burden of running a standalone entity could not be justified. Through EOR, the company transitioned its core employees onto compliant local employment contracts while winding down the entity. This enabled continued operations in Japan while significantly reducing ongoing compliance, administration and operating costs.

Retaining key employees

A UK-based technology company faced the potential loss of a high-performing employee who needed to relocate overseas for family reasons. Establishing a legal entity in the employee's new country of residence was not commercially practical for a single hire. Through EOR, the employee was transferred onto a compliant local employment arrangement, allowing the company to retain critical talent, maintain business continuity and avoid the cost and complexity of setting up a foreign subsidiary.

Establishing a back-office operation

A North American professional services firm wanted to establish a back-office support team in Asia to provide operational, finance and administrative support to its global business. However, the company wanted to avoid the time, cost and compliance obligations associated with incorporating a local entity during the initial phase. EOR enabled the business to hire and onboard employees quickly through compliant local employment contracts, allowing the team to become operational while maintaining a light corporate footprint and preserving flexibility for future expansion.

Key considerations	EOR	Local company set up
Speed to market	Allows you to hire quickly which can be favorable for companies testing new markets or starting operations quickly, while incorporation is underway.	This structured and more permanent approach, can sometimes take longer but typically allows you to have full operational control and brand presence.
Compliance and risk	We handle local compliance, including labour laws, payroll, tax filings and visa sponsorships.	Businesses assume full legal liability and must navigate evolving local regulations (e.g., Saudization/Nitaqat in KSA and Austria’s work‑permit requirements for non‑EU nationals).
Cost efficiency	Avoid upfront investment in local offices, legal teams and local accounting resources.	Typically requires higher initial investment but can be more cost-efficient over time for established operations, particularly where ongoing headcount or revenue generation justifies entity creation.
Scalability and flexibility	Scale in or out with agility, which is perfect for market testing, short-term projects or hiring while awaiting entity setup.	Suitable for long-term growth and local business development. Once established, it provides stability and credibility for partnerships, contracts and client relationships.
Visas and permits	We manage visa sponsorships, renewals and employee mobility.	Entity sponsors employees directly for mobility and permanence. We provide full immigration support for entity-sponsored employees, ensuring regulatory compliance and smooth relocation processes.

Why choose Hawksford

Most EOR providers help you hire. We help you build your business.

As your business grows from first employee to established presence, we provide support at every stage of your international expansion. By combining EOR with incorporation, accounting, payroll, tax, and immigration services, we provide a seamless transition from testing a new market to building a long-term presence.

Whether you're entering a single market or expanding across several, our global teams help choose the right approach for your business.

Why businesses choose us:

EOR and company incorporation under one roof
Expertise across global markets and local regulatory requirements
Integrated accounting, payroll, tax and immigration services
Scalable solutions that grow with your business
A dedicated point of contact across multiple jurisdictions

EOR isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Regulations vary significantly between jurisdictions, with some markets imposing restrictions, time limits or licensing requirements. Our specialists help you determine where EOR is appropriate and when incorporation or another structure is the better long-term option.

An EOR is a third party that legally employs staff on your behalf in a foreign country. The EOR assumes full legal responsibility for local payroll, taxes and employment compliance. The client company retains all day-to-day management and direction of the employee's work.

The EOR model is subject to various local regulations (e.g., time limits, licensing). EORs ensure compliance by:

Securing mandatory licences (e.g., Germany's AÜG, China's labour dispatch licence).
Drafting locally compliant employment contracts.
Managing statutory payroll, tax filings and social security contributions accurately.
Adhering to local severance laws and employee entitlements.

Permanent establishment (PE) risk: Risk of triggering a corporate tax obligation if the employee's activities are not correctly structured.
Vendor compliance risk: Potential liability exposure if the EOR fails to meet local tax or labour law obligations.
Contractual control: The EOR legally holds the employment contract, which can limit the client's control over certain non-statutory HR decisions.
Intellectual property (IP) disputes: Risk if the employment agreement does not include robust clauses to secure the client's IP ownership.
Unforeseen costs: Potential for unexpected fees (e.g., set-up or termination costs) if not fully defined in the contract.

EOR: Legal employer; provides global employment and compliance without requiring your local entity.
PEO: Co-employer; used primarily for domestic HR outsourcing and benefits for companies with an existing entity. PEO is predominantly utilised in the United States of America, whereas EOR is typically preferred in other countries.
Contractor: Self-employed worker; provides project-based services; no employment relationship; best for short-term projects.

No, EOR services are suitable for companies of all sizes. They are especially beneficial for SMEs needing to hire quickly without the cost of establishing a foreign legal entity and market testing or hiring a single, remote global employee.

Restrictions on employees hired under EOR depend on the jurisdiction. In countries like China, EOR roles must be temporary, auxiliary, or substitute positions. Generally, EOR employees should not perform activities that would constitute a permanent establishment (PE) for the client company.

Yes, several markets impose limits, treating EOR as temporary labour, such as:

Germany (AÜG): typically, 18 consecutive months.
France (portage salarial): 36 months.

Exceeding the limit risks severe fines, penalties and could result in the employee being reclassified as a direct employee of the client company.

You can hire in most jurisdictions, but the EOR must adhere to local immigration and work permit rules.

We provide a structured transition service using integrated corporate expertise.
We handle the compliant establishment of your new local entity.
We manage the transfer of employees from the EOR onto your new entity's local contracts and payroll.

Yes, this is a key benefit that we’re able offer; providing a seamless bridge to incorporation. We can ensure a compliant workforce and operational continuity while the entity setup is completed.