Outstaffing, EOR & Remote Hiring Glossary

A
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AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) - Optimizing content to appear in AI-generated results and featured snippets. Keeps your pages visible as search engines move toward AI-driven answers.

Agile Workforce - A flexible team structure that quickly adapts to new projects and changing goals. Ideal for remote and hybrid work environments.

Assistant On-Demand - A virtual assistant hired for short-term or one-off tasks, offering quick, flexible support without long-term contracts.

Assessment Task - A short test or project used in hiring to evaluate a candidate’s practical skills and fit for the role.

Asynchronous Work - Collaboration without real-time communication, allowing teams to work across time zones and at their own pace.

Augmented Team - External experts added to an in-house team to fill skill gaps or speed up delivery in projects.

B
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BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) - A model where a vendor builds and manages a remote team before transferring full ownership to the client.

BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) - Delegating full business processes like customer support, HR, or accounting to external providers.

C
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Candidate Pipeline - A pool of pre-screened candidates ready for current or future job openings.

Captive Center - A company-owned offshore branch built to handle operations in another country.

Contract Staffing - Hiring employees through third-party vendors for short-term or project-based roles.

Contract-to-Hire (C2H) - Starting with a contract position that can later become a full-time role if both sides agree.

Contractor Management - The process of organizing, tracking, and paying freelancers or independent contractors.

Cross-Border Hiring - Recruiting employees in multiple countries while staying compliant with local labor laws.

D
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Dedicated Team - A remote team that works exclusively for one client, acting as an external extension of their staff.

Digital Nomad Hiring - Employing professionals who work remotely from any global location.

Direct Hire - Hiring an employee directly onto your company’s payroll without intermediaries.

Distributed Team - A team spread across locations and time zones, collaborating digitally.

Distributed Workforce - A company structure where most or all employees work remotely from different places.

E
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EOR (Employer of Record) - A third-party provider that legally employs workers on your behalf, handling payroll and compliance.

Employment Outsourcing - Transferring employment responsibilities to an external service provider.

Employer Branding - Communicating your company’s values and culture to attract and retain top talent.

Entity-Free Hiring - Hiring international employees without setting up a local legal entity.

Executive Assistant (EA) - A high-level personal assistant supporting executives or founders with coordination and communication.

Extended Team Model - A remote team that functions as a seamless extension of your in-house department.

F
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Founder Support - Operational and administrative assistance that helps founders focus on strategy and growth.

Fractional Hiring - Bringing in senior professionals part-time, such as a fractional CMO or CFO.

Freelance Marketplace - An online platform that connects freelancers with clients for short-term projects.

Freelancer - An independent contractor offering specialized services to multiple clients.

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) - A measure that converts part-time hours into the equivalent of full-time positions.

Full-Cycle Recruitment - Managing the entire hiring process from job posting to onboarding.

G
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Gig Economy - A labor market based on short-term, freelance, or contract work instead of permanent jobs.

Global Employment - Hiring and managing teams across countries under a compliant legal structure.

Global Hiring - Recruiting talent from any location to access a wider, more diverse candidate pool.

Global Mobility - Managing the relocation or transfer of employees across countries.

Global Payroll - Centralized management of payroll and tax compliance across multiple countries.

Global Talent Pool - The worldwide network of qualified professionals available for remote or international work.

H
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Headhunting - Proactively sourcing high-performing candidates who are not actively job hunting.

Hiring Outsourcing - Delegating part or all of your recruitment process to an external provider.

HRO (HR Outsourcing) - Outsourcing HR operations like payroll, compliance, and employee onboarding.

HR Tech Stack - The collection of software tools used for recruitment, onboarding, and employee management.

Hybrid Team - A team combining in-office and remote employees for flexible collaboration.

I
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Independent Contractor - A self-employed individual hired for specific projects without becoming an employee.

Insourcing -Bringing tasks back in-house rather than outsourcing them externally.

Interim Staffing - Temporary hiring to cover absences, transitions, or special projects.

Interview Scheduling - Coordinating times and communication for candidate interviews.

ITO (Information Technology Outsourcing) - Delegating IT functions like development or maintenance to external specialists.

J
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Job Description (JD) - A document outlining a role’s duties, qualifications, and responsibilities.

Job Matching - Aligning candidate profiles with job requirements to find the best fit.

K
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KPI (Key Performance Indicator) - A measurable goal used to track performance and success in a specific area.

KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) - Outsourcing specialized, knowledge-based work such as research or analytics.

L
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Labor Cost Optimization - Reducing hiring and staffing costs through smarter workforce planning.

LPO (Legal Process Outsourcing) - Delegating legal tasks like contract review or compliance to specialized providers.

M
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Managed Remote Team - A vendor-managed team that operates as an integrated part of your organization.

Managed Services - An outsourcing model where the provider takes full responsibility for delivery outcomes.

Master Vendor Model - Using one main vendor to manage most or all staffing suppliers and contracts.

Micro-Tasks - Small, simple tasks assigned to virtual assistants or gig workers.

MSP (Managed Service Provider) - A company that manages temporary workers and supplier relationships.

Multi-Country Payroll - Processing payroll across several countries while ensuring compliance.

Multi-Time Zone Collaboration - Coordinating work across different time zones for distributed teams.

N
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Nearshore Outsourcing - Hiring in nearby countries to minimize time zone and cultural differences while maintaining cost efficiency.

Nearshoring - Relocating work to a neighboring country for smoother collaboration and lower operational costs.

Niche Recruitment - Specialized hiring focused on finding experts for highly specific or technical roles.

O
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Offshoring - Moving business operations or services to another country to reduce costs and access global talent.

Onshoring - Outsourcing work to providers within the same country to maintain proximity and compliance.

Operational Outsourcing - Delegating parts of daily business operations, such as admin or IT, to external providers.

Outsourcing - Hiring third-party companies to handle specific business functions or projects.

Outstaffing - Hiring talent through a provider who legally employs the worker but allows you to manage them directly.

Outstaffing vs. EOR - In outstaffing, you manage the worker; with EOR, the provider manages legal employment and compliance.

Overseas Hiring - Recruiting employees from foreign countries to expand your talent pool.

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PaaS (People-as-a-Service) - An on-demand workforce model where companies access skilled professionals as needed.

Payroll Outsourcing - Partnering with a provider to handle payroll processing, taxes, and compliance.

PEO (Professional Employer Organization) - A co-employment model where a provider manages HR, payroll, and employee benefits.

Performance Review - Regular evaluation of an employee’s work performance and development goals.

Productivity Tools - Software solutions designed to streamline workflows and boost team efficiency.

Project-Based Hiring - Recruiting professionals for a specific short-term project or defined deliverable.

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RaaS (Retention-as-a-Service) - A provider model focused on helping companies reduce turnover and improve retention.

Recruitment - The process of finding, attracting, and hiring qualified candidates to fill job openings and strengthen a company’s team.

Remote Assistant - A virtual assistant working online to provide administrative or operational support.

Remote Hiring Models - Different structures and strategies for building and managing remote teams.

Remote Team Extension - Adding remote staff to support your internal team on ongoing projects.

Remote-First Company - A business structured to operate entirely online with distributed employees.

Retention Strategy - Plans and practices aimed at keeping valuable employees long-term.

RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) - Outsourcing part or all of your recruitment process to a specialized provider.

S
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Scaling Operations - Expanding business capacity efficiently through hiring, automation, or outsourcing.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - Improving website visibility and ranking on search engines through optimized content.

Shore Models -Comparing hiring strategies like onshore, nearshore, and offshore to balance cost and efficiency.

SLA (Service Level Agreement) - A contract defining performance standards and responsibilities between provider and client.

Smart Outsourcing - Using technology and data-driven methods to improve outsourcing efficiency.

Soft Skills - Personal traits such as communication, adaptability, and teamwork that support collaboration.

Staff Augmentation - Adding external specialists temporarily to strengthen your internal team.

Staff Leasing - An older term for outstaffing, where employees are legally employed by a staffing provider.

Staffing Models - Different combinations of full-time, freelance, and outsourced talent used in workforce planning.

T
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T&M (Time and Materials) - A pricing model where payment is based on actual hours worked and resources used.

Talent Acquisition Strategy - A structured hiring plan aligned with long-term business objectives.

Talent Marketplace - Online platforms that connect employers with available freelancers or professionals.

Talent Outsourcing - Partnering with a service provider to source and manage skilled professionals.

Talent Retention - Efforts and programs designed to retain high-performing employees.

Task Delegation - Assigning specific tasks to others to improve productivity and focus.

Team Extension Model - An outstaffing setup where remote professionals work as part of your in-house team.

Teams on Demand - Pre-built external teams that can be quickly deployed for specific projects.

Third-Party Employment - When workers are legally employed by a partner organization, such as an EOR provider.

Time Tracking - Monitoring work hours and productivity, often with digital tools.

TTA (Total Talent Acquisition) - A unified hiring strategy that combines permanent and contract workforce planning.

U
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Upskilling / Reskilling - Training employees in new or advanced skills to meet evolving job requirements.

User Support Services - Customer or internal support provided by virtual assistants or remote agents.

V
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VA (Virtual Assistant) - A remote professional providing administrative, creative, or technical support.

VMS (Vendor Management System) -Software that helps manage staffing vendors, contracts, and contingent workers.

Virtual Team - A group of professionals collaborating remotely using digital tools.

W
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WaaS (Workforce-as-a-Service) - An on-demand model providing ready-to-deploy teams or skilled professionals.

Work-Life Balance - A healthy balance between professional responsibilities and personal life.

Workforce Flexibility - The ability to scale teams up or down quickly based on business needs.

Workforce Management - Tools and processes for organizing, tracking, and optimizing team performance