Building a Remote Team in India: Benefits, Challenges & EOR Solutions

India is the most favorite country for building a remote team. India has long been a top choice for many countries in hiring talent globally. 

India is known for its balanced savings, scale, and skills. The most important factor while hiring abroad is finding cost-effective and skilled workers, and India covers both. 

Forbes had predicted that the Indian remote workforce is growing so rapidly that between 60 and 90 million Indians will work remotely by 2025. 

From startups to big companies, many businesses have started considering India as a remote work hub. 

Let’s explore the reasons behind the hype surrounding India’s remote team building. 

In this blog, we will understand,

• • Why build a remote team in India
  • Steps to build a remote team in India
  • Challenges to building a remote team in India
  • Best practices to build a remote team in India
  • The best solution for building a remote team in India

Read this till the end to understand everything about building a remote team in India.

Why Build a Remote Team in India?

Now that we know India is a popular destination for businesses to establish a remote team.

Let’s understand all these reasons in detail, 

Large skilled talent pool

India is the biggest hub for IT professionals and engineers. 

Moreover, India has successfully provided skilled professionals in various industries, including finance, marketing, design, and HR services. 

If a country has this wide availability of professionals, it becomes easier for companies to find the right resource and build a remote team.

Cost-Efficiency

India is widely famous for its low cost of living. As a result, hiring employees becomes cost-effective compared to other countries. 

India offers the best options to save costs, enabling businesses to build their remote team of skilled workers at a fraction of the cost. 

English Proficiency

India is one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world. 

Since communication is the most essential part of having a remote team, proficiency in English helps them remove the communication barriers. With this quality, Indians have been the priority for many businesses. 

Time-zone Advantage

Indians are flexible with both the US and European working time zones. This flexibility helps keep operations and communication smooth with global teams.

Strong IT and Remote Infrastructure

India is well-equipped with high-speed internet, coworking spaces, and some of the world’s best IT service sectors. 

India is an ideal country with the best ecosystem for building a remote team.

Steps to build a remote team in India

Now that we have gone through the reasons, let’s understand the steps to build a remote team in India.

Let’s understand each step in detail below,

Step 1: Establish your purpose of forming a remote team

First, identify your specific needs for a remote team. List all your needs properly, such as if you’re looking for developers, marketing specialists, or customer support executives. Defining roles and responsibilities helps you find the right talent. 

Step 2: Choose the right hiring model

There are various models for hiring to choose from. Let’s explore them one by one.

• • Direct hiring: This is the most expensive option. All you have to do is set up an entity in India and employ workers directly.
  • Freelancers/Contractors: If you have a short-term project or need a project-based worker, this is the best option for you.
  • Employer of Record: In this scenario, a local EOR partner assumes responsibility for hiring full-time employees without establishing a separate entity. EOR’s primary function is to help in compliance with labor laws and avoid penalties.

Among all the provided options, the employer of record would be the safest and most compliant option in terms of building a remote team.

Step 3: Attract and hire skilled talent

India is popular for having a diverse and skilled workforce. Options such as job portals, recruitment agencies, or EOR partners are the most viable for recruiting suitable candidates. 

To attract the qualified candidates, emphasize flexibility in work arrangements and career growth opportunities.

Step 4: Put compliance and legal setup in place

Employers must comply with local labor laws and legal requirements when hiring employees in India.

Legal requirements such as

• • Employment contracts
  • Tax compliance
  • Social security contributions

Step 5: Set up communication channels

Since it will be a remote team, the company needs to establish an effective communication channel. 

Companies can consider tools like,

• • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Zoom

These tools are most effective for daily interactions, updates, and work feedback. 

Step 6: Offer, Onboarding, and Integration

After completing the onboarding paperwork, introduce your employees to the company culture, goals, and values. The ideal onboarding experience can lead to increased retention and long-term productivity.

These are the essential steps for establishing a remote team in India. Now, let’s understand the challenges.

Challenges of building a remote team in India

Following these steps presents some challenges; let’s examine them one by one.

Cultural Differences

As the country evolves, so do its culture and living conditions. Indian culture isn’t difficult to adapt to, but it may seem different in terms of work approaches and communication styles. Adapting to Indian culture will help you overcome the challenges. 

Compliance Difficulties

In India, employment laws change by state. Managing contracts, benefits, or taxes can cause big trouble. Companies need to find a local expert to tackle this compliance challenge. Relying on EOR would be one of the best options to provide relief from extra headaches. 

Time-Zone Adjustments

India has always been a preferred destination for hiring a remote team due to its ability to work in overlapping hours with major markets. But synchronizing with different countries would still be challenging. To minimize delays in operation or communication, precise scheduling is necessary. 

Retention and Attrition

India has a competitive job market, especially in the IT industry. Employers determine how they offer growth opportunities, benefits, and employee engagement. Offering appropriate advantages can help reduce attrition when building a remote team.

Best Practices to Build a Remote Team in India

Now that we know the challenges, let’s understand the best practices to overcome them. Here are some proven strategies to build the best remote team in India.

Partner with local experts:

Contact EOR services, HR outsourcing firms, or recruitment agencies that are well-versed in Indian labor laws. These local partners help reduce the risk of penalties and enhance the speed of hiring employees in India. 

Focus on Cultural Alignment: 

Ensure that your Indian employees and global teams receive proper cultural orientation. This will lead to fewer misunderstandings and promote collaborations. 

Impose Agile Practices:

Project management tools like ClickUp, Trello, or Zoho are ideal for ensuring accountability, task visibility, and faster decision-making in remote teams. 

Prioritize Employee Engagement:

Consider employee engagement for better productivity. Introducing virtual coffee breaks, online workshops, and recognition programs will encourage employees to work hard. 

Offer Career Development:

Provide your employees with certifications, training, and mentorship programs to help them develop their skills. To enhance retention, offer valuable learning opportunities and career development.

How EOR Helps in Building a Remote Team in India

Employer of record services cover everything that a remote team needs.

EOR helps employers win half the battle by saving overhead costs and offering an overall cost-effective service.

It enables faster market entry and facilitates the establishment of a remote team without requiring an entity. 

EOR in India addresses your biggest challenges, including protecting you from compliance risk, payroll, and employment laws.

An employer of record in India provides additional benefits, including local benefits, health insurance, and timely salaries.

Also, EOR in India is one of the most chosen options by foreign businesses.