Frequently Asked
Questions

South helps U.S. companies hire full-time talent from Latin America. We’re a great fit for companies of all sizes seeking dependable professionals who communicate clearly, collaborate smoothly, and take ownership of outcomes.

We focus on candidates who can work comfortably in English with U.S. teams. Depending on the role, we prioritize strong written English for day-to-day work and confident spoken communication for meetings.

We frequently hire accountants, bookkeepers, controllers, SDRs/BDRs, account managers, customer support specialists, operations coordinators, marketers, designers, and software engineers. We also support specialized roles when the scope and expectations are clear.

We hire junior through lead talent. We define levels based on scope and independence: Junior: strong fundamentals and clear execution with guidance Mid: owns tasks and projects with light support Senior: drives outcomes, improves processes, mentors others Lead: sets direction, aligns stakeholders, raises team standards

We run a structured end-to-end hiring process: sourcing, screening, shortlisting, support through interviews and offers, and payroll. You get a clear pipeline, steady communication, and candidates selected for long-term fit.

South can help you build teams across finance, sales, customer support, engineering, operations, marketing, and more. Some clients start with one key hire, then expand into a full team as priorities grow.

We recruit across Latin America and can align the search with your preferences, such as time zone overlap, country, or region. If you have a location requirement, we build the pipeline around it from day one.

Yes. We help align the role, expectations, and compensation range so you attract the right talent and move faster through interviews.

If a hire doesn’t work out within the first 120 days, we reopen the search, rebuild the shortlist, and move quickly through interviews again. We’ll outline the exact steps and timing in your agreement so it’s clear from day one.

We’ll align on what “pause” means for your search, capture where we are in the pipeline, and set a clear plan to restart. We keep the process organized so you can pick up momentum smoothly.

No. Unlike traditional staffing agencies, we do not require that our clients hire for a minimum period.

We’ll confirm the payment structure up front based on the model you choose. Billing is straightforward and aligned to the services delivered, with clear terms shared before the search starts.

We offer two common ways to work with us: a monthly-fee model (Staffing) for companies seeking ongoing support and a one-time search model (Headhunting) for companies seeking help filling a specific role. We’ll recommend the best fit based on how many hires you’re planning and the level of support you need after the hire.

Most companies save around 50% to 70% when hiring comparable talent in Latin America. A few reasons why this happens: - Lower cost of living in many LATAM markets means local salary expectations are different. - Total compensation in the U.S. adds up fast because employer-paid benefits are a meaningful layer on top of wages. - Strong supply of skilled talent in major LATAM hubs creates competitive market rates for many professional roles.

Holidays and paid time off are up to you. Most companies handle this around the fact that the hire is working from their home country, so they typically follow their local holiday calendar. During onboarding, we’ll share the holiday list and align on coverage expectations (especially if you need support or customer coverage on specific days). For paid time off, the flow is simple: you set the policy just like you would do it for local hires (most companies offer 10-15 days of PTO). The professional requests time off in advance, the manager approves it, and the dates get tracked like any other team member’s PTO. Many teams also set a few basic rules up front, like how far ahead to request PTO and how to handle urgent sick days.

We recommend writing down decisions in one place, using simple templates for handoffs, and keeping threads organized by topic. Short summaries after meetings and clear owners for next steps reduce confusion and speed up execution.

Teams move faster with a clear stack: Slack for communication, Loom for quick context, a project tool like Jira/Asana, and a shared knowledge base like Notion or Google Docs. For customer-facing teams, tools like HubSpot or Zendesk keep work organized.

Both work. Some teams prefer full U.S. working hours for maximum real-time collaboration. Others use a core overlap window (for meetings and handoffs) and keep the rest async. We help you choose what fits the role and your team rhythm.

Most of Latin America overlaps well with U.S. time zones. Many professionals work in zones close to ET and CT, and it’s usually easy to set overlap hours for MT and PT as well.

We support early success through structured check-ins, clear expectations, and a simple path for addressing concerns quickly. We also encourage a strong onboarding plan and a steady feedback cadence, as these two factors drive a fast ramp-up and long-term retention.

We validate seniority through the complexity of problems they’ve handled, the level of independence they’ve shown, and the outcomes they’ve delivered. For senior and lead roles, we also look at decision-making, mentoring, stakeholder management, and process improvement.

We focus on work style fit: how someone handles feedback, communicates progress, works with stakeholders, and takes ownership. We look for people who collaborate well across teams and keep things moving without extra hand-holding.

Yes, when references are available and relevant, we run them. We ask about the role scope, strengths, collaboration style, reliability, and the kind of environment in which the candidate performs best. We also validate results and ownership of key projects.

We confirm that candidates have a professional work setup and stable connectivity for calls and daily work. We also look for habits that make remote work effective: consistent follow-through, clear updates, and strong time management.

We match the validation method to the role. For technical roles, we focus on practical problem-solving and real project experience. For operations, finance, sales, and support roles, we review examples of past work, walk through scenarios, and ask candidates to explain how they think, prioritize, and deliver outcomes.

We evaluate English in two ways: how clearly someone communicates in a live conversation and how well they write in a work-style setting (messages, short explanations, and day-to-day communication). We look for clarity, structure, and confidence.

We start with a role-aligned screen to confirm experience, communication, and motivation. Then we validate skills through role-specific questions and work evidence (such as portfolios, case examples, or practical exercises, as needed). We also confirm remote readiness, align on time zone and schedule expectations, and run reference checks.

We coordinate scheduling, share frequent updates, and help you set a simple decision rhythm after each interview round. That keeps the pipeline active and helps you move quickly when you find the right person.

We look for clear, structured communication, strong follow-through, and comfort with async tools. We also assess how candidates handle ambiguity, manage priorities, and share progress without needing constant check-ins.

Yes. If you already have an assessment, we’ll incorporate it. If you want one, we can suggest a practical option that aligns with the role.

It depends on the role and the specificity of the requirements, though most clients review a small set of strong matches rather than a large list. We aim to send candidates who feel “interview-ready,” so your time is spent on the best options.

Your shortlist includes the resume, a screening summary, our scorecard notes, and any relevant work samples or portfolio links. When available, we also share short video intros so you can quickly get a sense of the communication style and presence.

We combine targeted sourcing, direct outreach, and referrals to reach professionals who are a good fit for your role. We focus on people with the right experience, strong communication skills, and a track record of success on remote teams.

No. You only pay when you decide to hire.

We review your role scope, priorities, and success criteria, then confirm the key details that shape the search (seniority, must-have skills, time zone overlap, and budget range). After that, we start sourcing and screening right away, and we keep you updated as the pipeline builds.

We schedule interviews to match your working hours and preferred overlap. Since most LATAM time zones align well with the U.S., it’s usually easy to find same-day slots that work for both sides.

We move into an accelerated workflow: rapid kickoff, tight shortlist windows, and pre-scheduled interview blocks. We also narrow the must-haves to the few that truly move the needle, so we can find strong matches faster and maintain high quality.

Yes. We can run multiple searches in parallel, and we’ll help you prioritize roles if you’re hiring for a full team. We also keep scorecards consistent across roles, so the process stays organized as volume increases.

The biggest drivers are role clarity, seniority, compensation competitiveness, and interview speed. Fast feedback after each round keeps strong candidates engaged and helps you close sooner.

Time-to-hire depends on role complexity and interview speed. In general, support and operations roles move fastest when the scope is clear. Sales and finance roles move quickly when targets and tools are defined early. Engineering and leadership roles can take a bit longer because the evaluation is deeper. We’ll give you a realistic range once we confirm seniority and must-haves.

In many searches, you’ll see the first shortlist within days, especially for common roles with clear requirements. For specialized roles, the shortlist can take longer because we spend more time sourcing and validating fit.

Candidates handle their own local taxes in their country, so you don’t need to manage personal tax filings for them. And no visas are required, since they’ll be working from their home countries (they’re not relocating to the U.S.).

You receive clear agreements, invoices, and any supporting documentation needed for the engagement. We keep records organized, so your finance and operations teams have what they need.

We start with a clear plan: expectations, feedback, and a timeline for improvement. If the issue continues, we will help you decide the next steps quickly and keep everything documented and straightforward.

Yes. You can offer raises, bonuses, and growth paths just like you would with an in-house team member. We can also help you set a simple review cadence so adjustments feel structured and fair.

We manage invoicing and coordinate payments to keep the process simple for you. You receive a clear invoice on a regular schedule.

We set up a clear agreement that outlines responsibilities, payment terms, and expectations. The exact structure depends on the engagement model and the role, and we explain it in plain language before anything starts.

Treat them like a core team member from day one: include them in team rituals, share context early, assign a buddy, and give them ownership of real outcomes. Clear responsibilities and steady communication help integration feel natural.

Yes. We can support early check-ins to make sure expectations are clear on both sides and help you address small issues early, before they become bigger.

We suggest defining 3–5 outcomes for the role, then connecting them to KPIs and weekly deliverables. A lightweight scorecard keeps everyone aligned and makes it easy to give and receive feedback.

A strong plan starts with clear expectations and quick wins. In the first 30 days, the focus is on learning systems and delivering small outcomes. By 60 days, the hire owns recurring work with confidence. By 90 days, they improve processes, operate with autonomy, and contribute to bigger goals.

We recommend having three things ready: access to tools (email, Slack, systems), basic documentation (processes, FAQs, past examples), and a simple training plan for the first two weeks. A clear “who to ask” list also helps the new hire ramp up faster.