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How a US Agency Made Its First International Hire (and Saved $50K+ a Year)
Your first international hire can feel like a leap. New contracts, unfamiliar tax rules, salary benchmarks you've never seen. Many US companies stay local simply because they don't know where to start.
One US digital agency and creative studio decided to take that leap. They needed to hire a marketing automation specialist, and they wanted quality over speed. Nine weeks later, they had a hands-on specialist in Brazil working US Eastern hours, at $38,000 a year instead of the $90,000 to $125,000 the same role costs in the US.
Here's exactly how we did it, and what any company can learn before making its first international hire.
The challenge: a first international hire with no playbook
The client is a US-based digital agency and creative studio. The search was opened by company leadership and run day to day by its VP and General Manager. They needed a hands-on marketing automation specialist who could work US Eastern hours, and they had never hired outside the US before.
Three things made this search harder than it looked:
Three things made this search harder than it looked:
- The job description pointed in the wrong direction. It framed the role as a management position, but the team actually needed someone hands-on in the tools every day.
- The timing worked against us. The search launched over the Christmas holidays, when application rates drop, and the client was clear that quality mattered more than speed.
- Hiring abroad was brand new. The team had open questions about offer letters, benefits, taxes and employment rules for an overseas contractor, and no benchmark for what's customary in Brazil.
How we hired a marketing automation specialist in 5 steps
We turned the client's job description into a detailed candidate profile and set an initial budget of $1,800 to $2,500 a month for a specialist with 2 to 3 years of experience. When the client flagged that the role wasn't a management position, we rewrote the job description and gave them a cleaner public-facing version. That one correction aimed the entire search at the right people.
To offset the seasonal dip, we used several sourcing strategies at once. We narrowed 428 sourced candidates down to 37 interviews. Every shortlisted candidate came with a scorecard, an interview transcript and a recording, so the client could judge for themselves without sitting through dozens of calls.
Hiring abroad for the first time comes with a lot of unknowns, so we made the process visible. The client had a shared hiring hub with candidate tracking, weekly Friday reports and follow-ups every few business days. We also walked them through how interviews, feedback and offers would work before they needed to make any decisions.
We explained how hiring a contractor abroad works, step by step: offer letter and agreement templates, typical benefits such as paid vacation and a health allowance, how taxes work and compliant payroll options. The client could make the offer with confidence instead of guessing.
The chosen candidate countered the offer, asking to be compensated for US benefits he couldn't use. We gave the client context on what's customary for remote contractors in Brazil, and our recruiter reset expectations with the candidate. The offer was accepted within days.
The results: 9 weeks, 3 candidates presented, 1 great hire
From kickoff to an accepted offer took about nine weeks, holiday slowdown included.
Here's how the search narrowed:
The client only met three candidates, and hired the second one: a Brazil-based marketing automation specialist with experience in AI-powered tools and CRM optimization. They felt confident enough to stop interviewing after meeting him.
Here's how the search narrowed:
428 sourced → 140 filtered → 68 moved to interview → 37 interviewed → 3 presented → 1 hired
The client only met three candidates, and hired the second one: a Brazil-based marketing automation specialist with experience in AI-powered tools and CRM optimization. They felt confident enough to stop interviewing after meeting him.
US Market Rate (Annual Cost)
$90,000 to $125,000
Hired in Brazil (Annual Cost)
$38,000
Savings
58% to 70% ($52,000 to $87,000 a year)
The strongest signal came before the contract was even signed: the client asked us to start two more searches for a developer and a PPC specialist.
4 lessons for your company's first international hire
- Get the job description right before you source. A role framed as management attracts managers. Fixing it early saved weeks of interviewing the wrong profile.
- A deep funnel protects your time. Sourcing hundreds and presenting three means you only meet people worth hiring.
- Visibility builds confidence. Weekly reports and regular check-ins kept a first-time client calm through a slow, holiday-season search.
- Know local norms before you negotiate. Understanding what's customary for contractors in Brazil turned a tricky counteroffer into a fast yes.
Frequently asked questions
In the US, a marketing automation specialist typically costs $90,000 to $125,000 a year. In this search, our client hired a qualified Brazil-based specialist for $38,000 a year, a saving of roughly 58% to 70%.
This search took about nine weeks from kickoff to accepted offer, including the Christmas holiday slowdown. Timelines depend on the role, the season, and the seniority.
Yes. Many US companies hire Brazil-based professionals as independent contractors. You'll need a clear contractor agreement and a compliant payroll option, and it's worth understanding local norms around benefits like paid vacation and health allowances.
Yes. Brazil's time zones are close to US Eastern time, which makes real-time collaboration easy. Our client's new hire works US Eastern hours.
Start with an accurate job description, set a salary range based on the local market, and learn the basics of contractor agreements, taxes, and benefits in the candidate's country. Or you can delegate all those responsibilities to us, so you can focus on the things that really matter to you and your company.
Ready to make your first international hire?
Whether you need a marketing automation specialist, a developer or a PPC expert, we handle the search from job description to signed offer, and guide you through contracts, benefits, and payroll along the way. You only meet candidates worth hiring.
Book a free call with us and let's talk about the role you need to fill.
Whether you need a marketing automation specialist, a developer or a PPC expert, we handle the search from job description to signed offer, and guide you through contracts, benefits, and payroll along the way. You only meet candidates worth hiring.
Book a free call with us and let's talk about the role you need to fill.