Global hiring in 2026: How teams choose where to grow

For companies looking to scale, global hiring has become a competitive advantage. In fact, 57% of companies plan to hire globally, according to Oyster data. And while headlines often focus on where companies are hiring, the more useful question for People leaders is why those locations are working. Leading teams are choosing markets based on how they work. Overall cost and headcount planning are important, but they shouldn’t be the only factors to consider when scaling your team globally. 

When hiring decisions are grounded in how teams actually operate, the data starts to tell a more useful story. For example, Oyster’s Global Hiring Trends and Impact Report shows clear patterns—not just in top destinations, but in the practical considerations that shape successful global teams. Rather than pointing to a single “right” place to hire, the data helps illuminate how companies are matching their needs to the realities of different markets.

Here’s how hiring is working right now and what to consider as you plan to grow in 2026 and beyond.

Snapshot of where global hiring is happening

Our Global Hiring Trends and Impact Report shows that companies growing their teams with Oyster made new global hires in the following countries:

• Philippines: 9% new global hires: Jump to the Philippines global hiring guide  

• United States: 8% new global hires: Jump to the United States global hiring guide

• India: 7% new global hires): Jump to the India global hiring guide 

• Canada: 6% new global hires: Jump to the Canada global hiring guide 

• United Kingdom: 6% new global hires: Jump to the United Kingdom hiring guide 

These numbers don’t tell a single story, but they do show that companies are building teams across time zones, cultures, and regulatory environments to support different business goals.

To understand what’s behind those choices, it helps to look at the decisions People leaders are actually making on the ground.

1. Time zones: Designing for real collaboration

Time zones are often one of the first practical factors teams think about when hiring globally. Many companies aren’t trying to cover every hour of the day—they’re trying to make collaboration easier.

Companies with most of their employees in one location (or that require several hours of meetings each day) hire in time zones with several hours of overlap. For more flexible hiring, asynchronous communication and handoffs help widespread teams collaborate without being online simultaneously. Another option is using a “follow-the-sun” model—where communication and tasks are passed between teams in different time zones, increasing coverage and reducing delays.  

Hiring in Canada or the US often supports close overlap with North American teams. The UK continues to serve as a bridge between regions, overlapping with Asia in the morning and North America later in the day.

Teams hiring in the Philippines or India often do so with clear expectations around shift coverage, handoffs, or customer support continuity.

For many teams, global hiring is less about perfect overlap and more about building thoughtful coverage. Time zones play a big role in making that work.

Use Oyster’s Time Zone Crossover Calculator to expand into new countries, without disrupting your workflow. 

2. Language requirements: Supporting communication at scale

Language fluency shapes hiring decisions more than job titles alone. Markets like the Philippines, where English is an official language, continue to stand out for customer-facing and cross-functional roles that require daily collaboration with global stakeholders.

At the same time, companies hiring in multilingual regions across Europe often do so to support regional customers or expansion efforts—matching language skills to market needs, not just internal teams. In fact, Romania, Spain, Poland, and Portugal all have emerging tech hubs, making them practical options for teams that need strong technical skills alongside regional language support.

Forward-thinking People leaders are focused on hiring where communication friction is lowest for the work being done.

3. Roles and job families: Matching skills to markets

Global hiring trends show that many companies aren’t spreading roles evenly across countries. They’re being specific and intentional.

• India continues to attract engineering and technical roles, supported by a large and growing skilled workforce.
• The Philippines is frequently chosen for customer support, operations, and technical services.
• North America and the UK often support leadership, go-to-market, or regionally focused roles.

What matters most is being clear on what the role truly requires. Define which skills and responsibilities are essential to the work, and which are flexible. That clarity helps teams choose hiring markets that support the role’s real needs—without overcomplicating the decision.

4. Compliance and benefits: Planning for local realities

Compliance and benefits are rarely the reason a company chooses a hiring market, but they often determine how confident that decision feels once hiring begins. Employment rules, required benefits, and worker protections vary significantly by country, and understanding those differences upfront helps teams avoid surprises later.

Across the countries where hiring is most active today, we see a few consistent themes:

In the Philippines, employment frameworks are well established. 

In fact, there are six types of employment categories in the Philippines. That clarity makes it easier for companies to plan long-term roles with confidence.

In the United States and Canada, compliance tends to be shaped by state or provincial rules. 

Benefits, payroll, and employment obligations can vary depending on where an employee is based, even within the same country.

In India, there is no mandate under labor law that employment agreements must be in writing. 

However, it is standard market practice to have a written employment contract in place. Across markets, it’s not just about what’s legally required, but what’s customary and expected to support a stable employment relationship.

In the United Kingdom, employment compliance also includes strict data protection requirements. 

Employers must ensure employee data is handled and transferred securely, which is especially important for companies hiring across borders or managing distributed teams.

What these markets have in common is that compliance isn’t one size fits all, and benefits expectations are closely tied to local norms. Teams that succeed globally tend to account for this early, using country-specific guidance to understand what’s required, what’s customary, and how to support employees from day one.

Making sense of your hiring options

Across regions and roles, global hiring is already a core part of how many companies are building teams. There’s no single best country to hire in 2026. And solely deciding based on overall cost or headcount won’t yield the best results. 

Starting with how your team works, the skills you need, and the level of compliance support you want can help bring clarity to your options. From there, country-specific guidance turns global hiring decisions from uncertain to informed.

See all our country hiring guides to grow your team in 2026