Industries We Serve
Global hiring, sector by sector
Every industry has its own hiring traps: the export control that blocks a role, the licensing line that decides what can sit offshore, the grant rule that turns a payroll error into an audit finding. Dryft has run into most of them. Below are the 100 industries we work with, grouped by sector, with what global hiring, EOR, payroll, recruiting and BPO look like in each. Twelve have full guides. The rest get the straight version here.
Jump to: Technology & Software · Financial Services & Real Estate · Healthcare & Life Sciences · Professional & Business Services · Mission-Driven & International Development · Education & Research · Industrial, Energy & Manufacturing · Logistics & Supply Chain · Consumer, Retail & Hospitality · Media, Marketing & Creative
100 industries160+ countriesEOR, payroll, recruiting, BPOTwelve deep guides and counting
How to read this page
Same services. Very different problems.
The mechanics of employing someone abroad are the same whether you make chips or run clinical trials: a compliant contract, a correct payroll, statutory benefits, a clean exit. What changes is which rule bites first. A defense contractor gets stopped by export control before the offer letter is drafted. A charity gets stopped by a donor audit two years after the hire. A SaaS company gets stopped by an equity grant its foreign employee cannot legally hold. Each entry below says where the fit is, and, where it matters, where it is not.
Technology & Software
Software companies hire abroad earliest and hit the equity, IP and misclassification traps first.
Software / SaaSSaaS companies hire developers, sales, customer success, implementation and finance people across borders long before a local entity makes sense. That is where EOR, global payroll, contractor management and recruiting earn their keep, and where equity, IP and misclassification traps show up first.Read the guide →
Artificial Intelligence / Machine LearningAI companies are talent-intensive, fast-moving and international from day one. Reach engineers, data specialists, product, sales and support people globally through EOR, recruiting and contractor models, with BPO and shared-service teams absorbing the operational load of rapid growth.Read the guide →
CybersecurityYou compete globally for scarce technical talent and serve clients in several jurisdictions at once. Hire security engineers, analysts, developers, customer success and sales people internationally through EOR, contractors and recruiting, with back-office growth supported alongside the technical hires.
IT Services & Managed Service ProvidersCustomers across time zones need coverage across time zones. Recruit and employ engineers, help-desk teams, network specialists, cloud professionals, implementation staff and sales talent, and stand up lower-cost delivery centers in the markets that fit your service model.
Cloud Computing & InfrastructureEngineers, support specialists, security talent, sales and operations teams spread across regions as the customer base does. Hire quickly in a new country before an entity is justified, and build technical support and shared-service functions through BPO and recruiting.
Data Analytics & Business IntelligenceData talent can work from almost anywhere, so hire it where it lives. Source and employ data engineers, analysts, BI developers, implementation consultants and customer teams globally, with payroll, contractor and compliance infrastructure underneath every hire.
TelecommunicationsTelecom operators and vendors manage distributed technical, commercial, service and operations workforces across many markets. Engineering, customer service, sales, field coordination and finance roles supported through international employment, payroll, recruiting, contractor management and BPO.
HR Technology / HCM ProvidersDryft acts as your global workforce extension. Support for your own international hiring, plus an EOR, payroll, BPO or global employment solution you can refer or white-label for customers who need something outside your core offering.
Sports TechnologySports-tech combines SaaS, analytics, media and consumer apps, which makes it a strong candidate for global technology and sales hiring. Scale development, support, customer success and commercial teams internationally without an entity in every league market.
Financial Services & Real Estate
Regulated, licensed and cautious about what can sit offshore. The support functions usually can.
Financial Services / FinTechYou operate across several regulatory regimes and compete hard for compliance, engineering, operations and revenue talent. EOR, payroll, recruiting, contractor management and entity setup, plus scalable offshore or nearshore support for operations, service and finance functions.Read the guide →
InsuranceLarge workforces in service, claims, finance, actuarial, analytics, technology and administration. International technology and professional hiring, shared services, BPO and payroll, with teams established in lower-cost or new strategic markets as the business needs them.
BankingTechnology, operations, compliance, finance, analytics and customer support needs that rarely stop at the border. Selected international and shared-service roles through global employment, recruiting and payroll, especially when you are testing a new market or centralizing support.
Payments & Payment TechnologyPayments businesses cross borders by definition and need local commercial, compliance, engineering, fraud and service talent in each market. Hire quickly in new countries, manage contractors, run payroll and build regional customer or operations support teams.
Private EquityUse one relationship across the firm and the portfolio. Help portfolio companies enter countries, hire leadership and operating teams, consolidate international payroll and build lower-cost shared services, with the same partner on every deal.
Venture CapitalYour own headcount is modest, but your portfolio is not. A preferred global hiring and expansion partner for funded companies that need EOR, recruiting, contractors, payroll or BPO as they scale internationally on a startup budget.
Mortgage & LendingSubstantial processing, customer service, underwriting support, finance and technology needs sit behind every loan book. Where regulation permits, offshore or nearshore support teams, and recruiting for the technical and operational professionals you cannot find at home.
Wealth ManagementTechnology, analytics, operations, marketing and administrative support alongside the licensed advisory roles that have to stay put. Eligible international support functions and global employment for technology and operations teams, with the licensing line respected.
Real Estate & Property TechnologySoftware, sales, marketing, accounting, transaction support and customer service talent, often needed in markets where you have no presence yet. Remote or nearshore support teams, and international hiring for technology-driven firms entering new countries.
Property ManagementAccounting, leasing support, resident service, maintenance coordination and administration can all be delivered offshore. Dedicated teams recruited and employed through international structures built for centralized support operations, not bolted on afterwards.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Clinical, regulatory and scientific talent that is never all in one country.
Healthcare & HealthTechPersistent talent shortages, heavy regulation and rising demand for digital and administrative support. International hiring for technology, finance and accounting, customer support and selected back-office roles, with the compliance side handled so your clinical and product teams are not.Read the guide →
Pharmaceuticals / Biotechnology / Life SciencesScientific, clinical, regulatory, commercial and operational talent rarely sits in one country. International hiring, payroll, contractors, recruiting, immigration and entity solutions for research programs, clinical trials, market launches and the corporate functions behind them.Read the guide →
Medical DevicesExpansion usually runs through regional sales, clinical, regulatory, engineering and service teams. Employ people in a new market before a local entity exists, recruit specialized talent and manage payroll or contractors as commercial operations grow.
Clinical Research OrganizationsClinical programs are geographically distributed by design and need project, regulatory, data, monitoring and support staff across many countries. Fill employment gaps where you lack infrastructure, with payroll, contractors, recruiting and entity establishment when a market becomes permanent.
Pharmaceutical ServicesRegulatory, safety, data, commercial and operational specialists supporting pharma manufacturers, in markets that change with each project and therapeutic area. Flexible global employment and recruiting infrastructure that scales up and down with demand by geography.
Global Health OrganizationsMission-driven work that sits where healthcare, research and international operations meet. Country teams, researchers, program staff, finance and operations personnel supported through global employment and payroll infrastructure that holds up to funder scrutiny.
Professional & Business Services
Firms that sell capacity, and the partners who resell ours.
Professional Services & ConsultingYou sell expertise, so access to talent and flexible delivery capacity is the growth constraint. Hire specialists where they live, build lower-cost delivery teams, keep contractors compliant and stand up an entity only when client work in a country justifies it.Read the guide →
Staffing & Recruiting FirmsStaffing firms are both clients and channel partners. Dryft becomes the infrastructure behind your international placements, handling EOR, payroll, contractor management and compliance, so one partnership can generate employment revenue across many end customers and countries.Read the guide →
Accounting & CPA FirmsCapacity is the constraint every busy season. Recruit and employ international bookkeeping, tax support, audit preparation and payroll professionals, build a dedicated offshore team, and manage payroll or contractor arrangements as your service lines grow.
Legal Services & Law FirmsDistributed teams for research, document review, legal operations, billing, intake and administration are now standard. International hiring and compliant employment for non-attorney and specialist roles, with recruiting and BPO options for support functions that need to scale.
Business Services / OutsourcingYour business depends on scalable labor capacity and efficient delivery. Enter new talent markets, employ people compliantly, run payroll, recruit teams and build delivery operations, or use Dryft as the infrastructure partner when you need geographic coverage you do not have.
Customer Experience / Contact CentersA direct match for Dryft BPO. Dedicated multilingual or time-zone-aligned teams for customer service, inside sales, technical support and back-office processing, recruited, employed and run in global delivery markets with the quality layer built in.
PEOs & Payroll CompaniesWhen a client needs international support you do not provide, Dryft is the global solution behind you: EOR, payroll, contractors, recruiting and entity services, on a recurring referral or revenue-share basis, without disturbing your domestic relationship.
Global Mobility & Immigration ServicesYour customers need payroll and employment infrastructure alongside their visas. Partner with Dryft for EOR, payroll, entities and recruiting while you keep the immigration expertise, and refer work in both directions as a complementary ecosystem.
Sustainability / ESG OrganizationsConsultants, analysts, data professionals and regional specialists around the world. Recruit niche talent, employ staff compliantly and support project expansion into new markets as client mandates spread across more jurisdictions.
Public Sector ConsultingProjects for governments and development institutions across many markets, each with its own contracting rules. Consultants, project staff, analysts and back-office teams supported through flexible global employment and recruiting models.
Government ContractorsProject teams, analysts, engineers and support staff across multiple jurisdictions. Eligible international employment, payroll and recruiting, subject to contracting rules, security requirements, export controls and local law, all screened before an offer goes out.
Mission-Driven & International Development
Organizations that work where they have no entity, on funds that have to be accounted for.
INGOs / International DevelopmentDevelopment organizations routinely work in countries where they have no employment infrastructure of their own. Compliant local hiring, EOR, payroll, contractors, immigration and entity support keep programs staffed and audit-ready, so more of every grant reaches the mission.Read the guide →
Nonprofits & FoundationsGrants, programs, research and field teams often put people in countries where you have no entity and no plan to open one. EOR, payroll, contractor management and recruiting cut the administrative burden and keep donor and program funds accounted for.Read the guide →
Humanitarian Relief OrganizationsYou need to mobilize people quickly in difficult operating environments. Eligible local and international staff, payroll, contractors and entity solutions, always subject to country risk, sanctions, security and humanitarian operating requirements.
International Aid OrganizationsPrograms, grants and field operations coordinated across borders. Less employment administration through compliant local hiring, payroll, contractors, recruiting and entity setup in countries where the organization lacks the infrastructure to do it alone.
Economic Development OrganizationsInternational programs in trade, entrepreneurship, infrastructure or workforce development. Local project teams and specialists supported with payroll, recruiting and compliant employment in program countries, for the life of the program and no longer.
Social EnterprisesCommercial objectives and a mission, often pursued in emerging markets. Access talent, employ local workers compliantly and build scalable administrative structures without spending scarce resources on entities you do not need.
CharitiesInternational programs often mean a handful of employees or contractors spread across many countries. Centralize employment administration, payroll and compliance so resources go to fundraising and program delivery instead of local registrations.
Religious & Faith-Based OrganizationsMissions, education, humanitarian work and community programs run internationally. Payroll, EOR, recruiting and contractor solutions for eligible non-clergy and operational roles across countries, structured to fit how faith-based organizations are funded and governed.
Associations & Membership OrganizationsTrade and professional associations grow internationally through membership, events, education and advocacy. Regional membership, sales, events and program staff employed compliantly without a local entity in every market you serve.
Environmental OrganizationsProjects across multiple countries and remote geographies. Program, research, policy, fundraising and operations staff supported through global employment and contractor models, in the field as well as at headquarters.
Food Security OrganizationsPrograms in developing or crisis-affected countries need local program, logistics, research and administrative teams. Compliant employment and payroll where feasible, subject to local operating and risk conditions that we assess with you first.
Water & Sanitation OrganizationsWASH programs combine engineering, public health and development work run internationally. Technical and project staff, local payroll and contractor arrangements in countries where the organization does not maintain a full entity.
Education & Research
Institutions and programs with people in the field and a legal presence at home.
Universities & Higher EducationResearch programs, academic partnerships and field projects increasingly need employees or contractors in countries where the institution has no legal presence. Compliant employment, payroll and contractor management for research staff and project teams, with entity options where a program becomes permanent.Read the guide →
Education Technology / EdTechDigitally delivered, talent-intensive and often global from an early stage. Engineering, content, sales, customer success, tutoring operations and back-office roles through EOR, BPO, contractors and recruiting, in whichever mix your growth stage calls for.
Online EducationInstructors, curriculum staff, enrollment teams, support agents, marketers and technologists recruited globally. Compliant employment and scalable support operations across every time zone your learners are in.
Research OrganizationsMultinational studies and grant-funded programs put researchers, coordinators, analysts and project staff in countries where you have no entity. Employment, payroll and contractor compliance handled so the grant reporting stays clean.
Think TanksInternational research, policy programs and field projects with small teams in several countries. Flexible employment, contractor management and payroll without permanent infrastructure in every location, sized to teams of two or three.
Research FoundationsFoundations fund or operate scientific, academic and social research across borders. Project staff, researchers and administrative employees supported internationally with payroll and compliance infrastructure the board can sign off on.
Industrial, Energy & Manufacturing
Project-driven sectors that need professional teams in a country for years, not forever.
Manufacturing & IndustrialManufacturers run global teams across engineering, sales, supply chain, procurement, finance, quality and operations. International white-collar hiring, shared-service centers, payroll, recruiting and entity expansion, with lower-cost operational teams built in the talent markets that suit you.Read the guide →
Construction & EngineeringProjects move, and the workforce has to move with them. Compliant hiring of technical, project management, procurement and administrative staff in project countries, with international payroll, contractors, recruiting and entity solutions where permanent infrastructure is not worth building.
ArchitectureDrafting, BIM, visualization, engineering coordination and administrative support all travel well. Recruit and employ skilled professionals internationally and create dedicated delivery capacity without adding expensive domestic headcount to the studio.
Engineering ServicesTechnical talent that moves across projects and borders. Recruit engineers, designers, project managers and technical support staff internationally, with employment infrastructure ready in each project location before the team lands.
Renewable EnergyDevelopers expand project by project into new geographies and need engineering, finance, development, regulatory and operations talent in each one. Local employment, payroll, contractors and recruiting during market entry, without an immediate entity.
Solar EnergyDevelopers, installers, technology providers and financing companies need sales, design, project, engineering and operations teams. Corporate and regional roles employed internationally, plus offshore administrative, design and customer-support capacity where it fits the model.
Energy & UtilitiesTechnical, project, finance, compliance and technology teams across multiple jurisdictions, each with its own regulator. International workforce support, payroll, recruiting and project-based hiring, particularly for companies expanding into new energy markets.
Oil & GasProjects, regional offices and contractors spread across borders. Professional and administrative employment, payroll, recruiting and contractor management in selected countries, so you avoid entity complexity where a permanent structure is not warranted.
Mining & Natural ResourcesGeographically dispersed operations need engineering, finance, procurement, project and administrative personnel. Eligible professional roles, payroll and recruiting in countries where you need flexible employment infrastructure alongside the operating license.
Chemicals & MaterialsSpecialized technical, sales, regulatory and supply chain talent across the globe. International commercial and professional teams supported, so you can test a new market with real people on the ground before committing to an entity there.
AutomotiveGlobal engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, sales and technology operations. International professional hiring, shared services, recruiting and payroll, including the software, electrification, procurement and regional commercialization teams that now define the sector.
Electric VehiclesEV companies blend automotive, software, battery and energy talent and expand into new markets fast. EOR, recruiting, contractor and payroll infrastructure for engineering, sales, supply chain and support roles before permanent local structures exist.
AerospaceSpecialized engineering, program, supply chain, technology and commercial talent. Internationally distributed corporate and technical teams where the law permits, with recruiting and payroll tailored to program timelines and market requirements.
Defense ContractorsGovernment projects across multiple countries need compliant employment and project staffing. Eligible commercial, administrative, engineering and support positions, always subject to export control, security clearance and local regulatory requirements, which we screen for before anything else.
Defense TechnologySpecialized engineering, software and operations talent. Permissible non-restricted roles and international corporate teams can be supported, but every opportunity is screened for export controls, security restrictions and country-specific regulations first.
Robotics & AutomationMechanical, electrical, software and AI talent, with expansion driven by international customers and manufacturing partners. Recruit specialized professionals, employ sales and technical-support teams and build shared-service capacity globally.
Semiconductor CompaniesGlobal engineering, design, manufacturing and supply chain networks. Eligible engineering, commercial, finance and operations staff in new markets, with export-control and regulatory requirements reviewed before hiring starts.
Electronics ManufacturingEngineering, sourcing, quality, procurement, sales and operations teams in multiple countries. Professional hiring, shared services and regional expansion through payroll, EOR and recruiting, with the plant-floor workforce left to local structures.
Agriculture & AgTechSoftware, hardware, data and agronomy expertise serving geographically dispersed markets. Engineering, agronomy, sales, support and corporate teams supported as you enter new agricultural regions, season by season if that is how the business works.
Logistics & Supply Chain
International by nature. The corporate and planning layer is where global hiring fits.
Logistics & TransportationOperations, dispatch, customer service, finance, technology and sales teams across regions. Centralized or nearshore support functions, and regional personnel employed compliantly as your transportation network expands into new countries.
Freight & ShippingFreight forwarders and shipping lines are international by nature, and so are their payrolls. Sales, documentation, customer service, operations, finance and technology roles across markets through EOR, payroll, recruiting and BPO.
Supply Chain ManagementProcurement, planning, analytics, vendor management and logistics professionals across countries. Access specialized talent globally and build shared-service teams for the administrative and analytical work that keeps the chain moving.
Warehousing & DistributionThe fit is corporate, technology, customer service, finance and planning roles rather than local hourly warehouse labor. International recruiting, payroll and shared-service teams to support a multi-country distribution network from the center.
Import / Export BusinessesLocal sales, sourcing, procurement, quality, logistics and administrative staff in foreign markets, without setting up a company in each one. Employment, payroll and contractor management that grows with your trade volumes.
Consumer, Retail & Hospitality
Brands entering markets faster than they can open subsidiaries in them.
E-commerce & Digital RetailYou can scale into new markets without a physical footprint, and the workforce model should match. Customer service, marketplace operations, sales support, marketing, accounting, analytics and technology talent delivered through BPO, EOR and recruiting as you enter each region.
Consumer Packaged GoodsGlobal supply chains and multi-market selling create demand for regional sales, marketing, procurement, finance and operations talent. International employment and shared-service teams that expand as the brand does, market by market.
Food & BeverageInternational corporate, sourcing, sales, finance, marketing and supply chain roles. Growing brands also use EOR to test a new country with a small team before committing to a local subsidiary or distribution infrastructure.
RetailE-commerce, technology, analytics, customer care and global sourcing functions now carry the business. Remote and international professional teams, shared services and BPO, plus compliant employment when you open in a new market.
Fashion & ApparelDesign, sourcing, manufacturing and retail networks span the globe. Sourcing personnel, designers, marketers, e-commerce teams, finance, customer service and regional sales staff employed compliantly across multiple countries.
Consumer ElectronicsEngineering, supply chain, product, sales and customer support talent, spread across the markets you sell into. Hire regional employees, recruit specialized professionals and build scalable support teams in lower-cost markets.
HospitalityFinance, reservations, sales, marketing, technology and customer support functions across locations. The fit is corporate, remote and shared-service roles plus international expansion teams, not locally regulated frontline hotel labor.
Hotels & ResortsCentralize reservations, digital marketing, finance, revenue support and customer service in global delivery locations. Corporate and regional staff employed compliantly in markets where the group has limited legal infrastructure of its own.
Travel & TourismInternational customers, suppliers and destination operations by definition. Reservations, customer care, sales, marketing, technology, finance and regional business development talent through BPO, recruiting and global employment.
Airlines & Aviation ServicesLarge support organizations in reservations, customer care, finance, procurement, technology and commercial operations. Build or employ eligible international support teams, and help aviation vendors expand into new markets.
Restaurant GroupsFinance, marketing, recruiting, technology, franchise support, procurement and administrative teams for multi-unit operators. International or fast-expanding brands also need payroll and local employment support in new markets.
Franchise OrganizationsFranchisors need distributed support in operations, marketing, training, finance, technology and franchisee success. Cost-efficient support teams, and regional personnel employed compliantly as the franchise system enters new countries.
Media, Marketing & Creative
Work that travels well, delivered by teams that live where the talent is.
Marketing & Advertising AgenciesMost agency roles can be delivered from anywhere, which makes agencies a natural fit for global teams. Build design, SEO, paid media, development, social, research and account support talent abroad without setting up an entity in every market you win a client in.Read the guide →
Creative AgenciesGlobal designers, developers, video editors, writers and production support. Recruit and manage dedicated international teams that add capacity without forcing you to add high-cost domestic headcount every time a big account lands.
Public RelationsResearch, media monitoring, content, design, reporting, administration and account support from distributed teams. Dedicated nearshore or offshore teams, plus local client-facing staff employed in the new markets you win.
Market ResearchAnalysts, researchers, survey operations, data processing and project support staff across geographies. Global recruiting, payroll and BPO teams for the repeatable operations behind every study, in the languages the fieldwork needs.
Events & Experiential MarketingPlanning, sourcing, marketing, design, registration, data and administrative support. Remote operational capacity, and regional staff employed compliantly when you run programs in countries where you have no entity.
Media & EntertainmentProduction support, design, editing, marketing, technology, analytics, finance and administration delivered by global teams. Distributed talent and contractors employed compliantly, with help entering new geographic markets when a format travels.
Digital MediaContent, design, editing, social, ad operations, analytics and technology scale well through global teams. Recruiting and BPO capabilities that raise output while keeping labor costs under control as the audience grows.
PublishingDigital publishing runs on distributed editorial support, design, production, marketing, finance and customer service teams. Create international talent pools and manage compliant remote employment for all of them.
Gaming & EsportsDevelopment, community, support and marketing teams are globally distributed almost by default. Employ developers, artists, QA, localization, customer service and commercial staff across countries with payroll and contractor compliance handled.
Sports OrganizationsLeagues, teams, agencies and sports businesses need sales, marketing, analytics, technology, content and administrative support. Global recruiting, offshore support and employment infrastructure for international commercial or development operations.
Then pick the country
The sector tells you what to watch. The country tells you what it costs.
Once you know which roles are going abroad, the next question is where. Our country guides cover employer on-costs, payroll cadence, statutory leave, probation, notice and severance for 55 countries, written for the person who has to sign off on the hire.
What you get from a first conversation
- A straight answer on whether your roles can be employed in the country at all
- EOR versus entity versus contractor, for your sector and headcount
- A fully loaded cost per hire, not a salary quote
- The two or three traps specific to your industry, named
- A timeline to first payroll
Don't see your industry, or need the long version?
Tell us the roles, the countries and what you are worried about. You will get a compliant route and a cost comparison from a person, usually the same day.