Oyster x Salesforce Ventures: Keys to Success in Entering the U.S. Market

From abroad, the U.S. can look like one of the easiest markets to hire in. Underneath sit federal law and a different set of rules in every state. These cover leave, pay practices, benefits, and how employment decisions are made and documented. Companies that learn this early avoid costly surprises.

At the same time, a shifting talent market is giving prepared companies a real opening. They can bring in experienced people who want ambitious, meaningful work.

Join Oyster and Salesforce Ventures for a practical session on building your U.S. presence the right way. You’ll hear how to set up your employment model, structure your first team, put together a competitive offer, and avoid the mistakes that slow expansion down.

In this session, we cover:

• ‍The building blocks of U.S. market entry: why choosing where to hire is an operational decision as well as a talent decision, and how to tell whether an Employer of Record or your own entity fits your stage.‍
• What “at-will” really means: the obligations and risks that come with U.S. employment, and why documentation and fair process matter from day one.‍
• Building an offer U.S. candidates will accept: benchmarking pay, the weight candidates put on health coverage, and budgeting for the full cost of employment, not just salary.‍
• Leading a U.S. team from headquarters: reporting lines, decision authority, feedback habits, PTO culture, and ways of working across time zones.‍
• Common expansion pitfalls: real-world examples of what goes wrong when home-market policies are carried over unchanged, plus a checklist of next steps you can start on now.

This session is for founders, CEOs, People leaders, and heads of international expansion who are planning or weighing a move into the U.S. You’ll leave with a clear plan for hiring, leading, and growing your first U.S. team.