Howdy Logo
Blog Hero image
Human Resources

A Cultural and Legal Snapshot of Hiring in Latin America

Clock 15 min read
Howdy Expert

By Rodrigo Sellustti

VP of Operations

Rodrigo Sellustti — better known as "Rod" — is Howdy's Vice President of Operations. Boasting 19 years of tech expertise Rod started as a software engineer before transitioning to management and tech consultancy. An indispensable part of the Howdy family, Rod plays a pivotal role in connecting technology and business. Rod is based in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Content

    Life is already tough enough. Onboarding awesome team members shouldn’t be. Make your onboarding process smoother by learning a few local, legal, and cultural aspects of expanding the team into LatAm.

  1. Location, Location, Location

    2. Many LatAm governments allocate funds for programs, partnerships, and initiatives to boost tech innovation and infrastructure — Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay all have government initiatives that provide funding for various tech-related scholarships and startups. These opportunities create more specialists in certain disciplines, so there may be a higher concentration of AI engineers in one area and a higher concentration of backend developers in another. It’s important to know what sort of specialized programs exist in LatAm countries before onboarding, as you can narrow your search to the higher concentrations of your preferred specialists.

    The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) reported LatAm growth exceeding expectations (2.1% in 2023) as STEM careers in the region catapulted upwards. IDB anticipates surefooted growth (2% in 2025) due to stable commodity prices, lower global growth, and local government initiatives to close the STEM hiring gap.

    Understanding these countries' economic trends and growth patterns provides more accurate data about the composition of the workforce and can help you fine-tune talent searches.

  2. In-Country Logistics and Legal Aspects

    3. Remote team members need the same basic hardware as everybody else. Still, between shipping, going through customs, and paying fees for importing equipment, it can seem like a lot of hoops to jump through to get them properly outfitted. Having team members in-country is essential to facilitate local supply logistics for new recruits. With people who know the ins and outs of the local supply chain, it can be a great deal easier to get the necessary equipment for your team.

    Howdy utilizes logistics specialists who help expedite onboarding in seven LatAm countries. This team ensures that new hires are fully equipped with hardware and the necessary supplies for their intended start dates are fulfilled, along with all local legal obligations.

    A few regions of LatAm have variable applications of non-disclosure agreements and other intellectual property documentation, so keeping current with local legal practices is a must. A simple walkthrough of the contract with each new hire can help new recruits fully understand their international digital operations' parameters and legal intricacies.

  3. Embracing the Culture

    4. The talent pool in LatAm shares a great deal of overlap with their US counterparts, including access to reliable internet infrastructure, English proficiency, and a harmonious time zone alignment. Many tech industry professionals in LatAm even have experience working for English-speaking companies. Though it’s called asado instead of barbecue, happy hours and team outings are as likely to happen in Buenos Aires or Montevideo as in Austin or San Francisco. Your local office may have much in common with their LatAm team, but a company’s real strength is embracing its diversity.

    Cultural differences can tremendously impact your company by diversifying your data analysis methods, customer experience, and problem-solving. Hiring specialists in LatAm can help scale your company early on, boosting productivity and increasing versatility.

  4. A New Wave of Talent

    5. Taking a little time to understand local laws and culture can help you smoothly onboard some of the most innovative and creative minds in today’s tech sector. LatAm shows enormous potential to help blaze the trail for the future of the tech industry, so if you’re looking to sustainably grow your workforce with a team of highly educated specialists, see what solutions await with LatAm recruiting.

Location, Location, Location

Many LatAm governments allocate funds for programs, partnerships, and initiatives to boost tech innovation and infrastructure — Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay all have government initiatives that provide funding for various tech-related scholarships and startups. These opportunities create more specialists in certain disciplines, so there may be a higher concentration of AI engineers in one area and a higher concentration of backend developers in another. It’s important to know what sort of specialized programs exist in LatAm countries before onboarding, as you can narrow your search to the higher concentrations of your preferred specialists.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) reported LatAm growth exceeding expectations (2.1% in 2023) as STEM careers in the region catapulted upwards. IDB anticipates surefooted growth (2% in 2025) due to stable commodity prices, lower global growth, and local government initiatives to close the STEM hiring gap.

Remote team members need the same basic hardware as everybody else. Still, between shipping, going through customs, and paying fees for importing equipment, it can seem like a lot of hoops to jump through to get them properly outfitted. Having team members in-country is essential to facilitate local supply logistics for new recruits. With people who know the ins and outs of the local supply chain, it can be a great deal easier to get the necessary equipment for your team.

Embracing the Culture

The talent pool in LatAm shares a great deal of overlap with their US counterparts, including access to reliable internet infrastructure, English proficiency, and a harmonious time zone alignment. Many tech industry professionals in LatAm even have experience working for English-speaking companies. Though it’s called asado instead of barbecue, happy hours and team outings are as likely to happen in Buenos Aires or Montevideo as in Austin or San Francisco. Your local office may have much in common with their LatAm team, but a company’s real strength is embracing its diversity.

Cultural differences can tremendously impact your company by diversifying your data analysis methods, customer experience, and problem-solving. Hiring specialists in LatAm can help scale your company early on, boosting productivity and increasing versatility.

A New Wave of Talent

Taking a little time to understand local laws and culture can help you smoothly onboard some of the most innovative and creative minds in today’s tech sector. LatAm shows enormous potential to help blaze the trail for the future of the tech industry, so if you’re looking to sustainably grow your workforce with a team of highly educated specialists, see what solutions await with LatAm recruiting.

What to read next