Remote work has opened the door to global talent. More companies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe are hiring professionals from Latin America. Countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica are leading the way in remote talent for IT services, marketing, customer service, and shared services.
There are many benefits to hiring in Latin America. Time zones are similar to the U.S., which means better collaboration. Labor costs are lower, and the talent pool is strong. For example, Colombia graduates over 100,000 engineers and IT professionals each year. Brazil has the largest tech workforce in the region, and Costa Rica is a hub for shared service centers and multilingual support.
But with this growing trend comes a critical challenge: conducting expert international employment screenings and investigations to stay safe.
Hiring internationally means more risk. Verifying a candidate’s identity, education, and work history is harder when you’re dealing with different languages, laws, and record systems. Fraudulent CVs, fake degrees, and false employment claims are on the rise. As a talent acquisition director or recruiting agency, you can’t afford to skip proper verification, especially if the candidate will be working remotely from their homes and not from a branch office.
International background checks must be localized and thorough. For example:
- Investigators in Brazil explain that public records are decentralized. Criminal checks must be carried out at both federal and state levels. Some states do not digitize records, requiring in-person verification.
- In Colombia, it’s common for applicants to list jobs they never held. Past employers may be difficult to reach or may no longer exist. A local investigator in Colombia can confirm whether employment and education claims are real.
- In Costa Rica, professional license verifications need to be verified locally at different sources and professional associations, and the records are available in Spanish. Errors in translation or interpretation can lead to wrong hiring decisions.
Global companies say remote hiring has increased the risk of employment fraud, affecting at least one element of fraud prevention, compliance, or cybersecurity programs at their company.
These findings underscore the importance of thorough employment screenings, especially when hiring remote talent in Latin America. To reduce this risk, many HR departments are now working with investigative firms that specialize in international background check investigations.
When hiring remote employees in Latin America, make sure your screening process includes:
- Identity verification using national IDs and passports
- Education checks directly with universities and technical schools
- Previous employment verification with actual HR departments, not just references
- Criminal and civil background checks at the appropriate levels
- Professional license verification (when applicable)
Hiring internationally can give your company a major advantage. But without proper screening, it can also expose you to fraud, data theft, or compliance risks. In remote work, trust is everything, and it starts with knowing who you’re hiring.
If your company is building teams in Colombia, Brazil, or Costa Rica, contact us and invest in reliable employment screenings. Your clients and stakeholders are counting on it.
C. Wright
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