20,000 Miles in 14 Days: EOR Insights from Asia

A recent two-week visit to Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Delhi gave me a great opportunity to observe market demands and client challenges in the region. Because Atlas provides direct employer of record services, our business is shaped by the varying realities of the markets we serve. Keeping pace is essential to our ability to support our clients' business goals.

In Asia-Pacific, two different business needs drive EOR demand. Companies in large, established markets are looking to drive exports and expansion. In smaller markets, growing companies need solutions to augment constrained labor forces and talent pools.

EOR brings innovation to the world

In mainland China, we often connect with companies with innovative products who are seeking to enter new markets or establish joint ventures overseas. That investment spans Europe, the Middle East, Mexico and beyond. Often, it’s a matter of setting up manufacturing operations to facilitate exports – either because of trade regulations, proximity or both.

For example, we collaborate with a major auto manufacturer in China to facilitate its international expansion. Our services enable the company to enter and test new markets swiftly and cost-effectively, especially when hiring only a few individuals in each location. We also address project-based hiring needs, allowing for quick market entry and exit, which is essential for any growing company whose requirements are aligned with production cycles.

Similar to many of our other clients in China, the company’s needs are sophisticated, requiring comprehensive technical support to navigate complex international labor laws and business practices. We advise on ideal markets and manage visa and work permit applications, with Atlas acting as the legal employer.

Smaller markets look to EOR to attract talent

Unlike Chinese companies, where EOR is often about expanding geographic presence, the challenge in Singapore and Hong Kong is talent scarcity. These markets are flush with venture capital but limited by their smaller workforces. Emerging tech companies in these regions often reach out to us to tap into global talent pools essential for their growth. EOR is not just a facilitator but a critical component of business strategy.

Let me share how this plays out. A blockchain company we work with wanted to expand to Singapore. They saw an opportunity to attract overseas talent to Singapore as a way to mitigate the region’s serious talent shortage, but they didn’t have the expertise to navigate the intricacies of work permit sponsorship and application requirements. With Atlas as an EOR partner, the company was able to access the local expertise they needed and establish a regional talent hub, while adding operational support, such as payroll processing.

The right support structures to meet our clients’ needs

The opening of the newest Atlas office in Shanghai inspired my recent trip. Our decision to open the office was strategic and aimed at providing focused, nuanced support to our clients in mainland China.

With operations in over 160 countries, Atlas helps clients establish operations wherever it meets their objectives. But we also value local experience and local language support. Atlas clients can always reach a real person in their local language. This office is not just a hub but a bridge – connecting Chinese businesses with global opportunities while addressing their unique business needs and cultural expectations.

Visiting our offices across Asia-Pacific underscored the importance of cultural adaptation across markets. Our Shanghai office embraces the more formal corporate culture common in many Chinese urban work environments. Our Delhi office champions a more relaxed atmosphere, aligning with the local work culture.

Both locations offer a consistent value around the Atlas culture of workforce flexibility – whether it’s workday flexibility or location flexibility. We want people to have the opportunity to get together and share ideas while also opting out of the long commutes in very large cities. Our goal is for the time spent together to be high-value time.

The importance of adaptability

A dinner in Shanghai to showcase local cuisine turned into a playful test of my culinary limits. The highlights? Duck feet in mustard sauce and Sichuan pepper frog legs. My team quickly learned my foodie sensibilities lend themselves to trying pretty much anything, even suffering through the numbingly hot peppers. Let’s just say it was not my most articulate moment.

This kind of experience is exactly why I’m a foodie. When food becomes commonality, it opens up the conversation. We all sit around the table and talk about what we like to buy, cook and eat. We compare experiences and relate to people in a deeper way.

The trip was a vivid reminder of the importance of understanding the places and people we serve. It reinforced why I chose to join a company that provides employer of record services in the first place.

Atlas operates globally and has offices around the world. We support a diverse workforce that embraces various working models – whether remote, hybrid, or onsite. I took this job because of the opportunity Atlas provided to understand and solve different workforce challenges anywhere, in our own company or on behalf of our clients in their local language.

This is the kind of adaptability today’s workforce needs, wherever it may be.