When the Right Talent Isn’t Local, Go Global

The market has particularly struggled in the UK, with fill rates averaging around 30%. Let that sink in for a minute.

If you’ve been struggling to fill specialist roles lately, you’re not alone. In fact, in some markets, more than two-thirds of job ads remain unfilled. And that’s a huge drain on both time and resources.

The market has particularly struggled in the UK, with fill rates averaging around 30%. Let that sink in for a minute. That’s 70% of job ads never being filled. Wasted time and effort on all sides, from candidates and consultants.

At PiC, we actually thrive on those hard-to-fill jobs. It’s not a closely guarded secret how. We just don’t limit ourselves to local talent.

Use Case 1: Canada

We’re currently supporting a Canadian insurance company that needed highly skilled French-speaking specialists with experience in a specific module of a Cloud-based claims and policy administration platform.

As always, we began by searching locally. To handle payroll and invoicing compliantly, PiC registered with the Canadian Revenue Authority for an HST (Canadian VAT) number. We identified every qualified French-speaking candidate within Canada, but when the local market was exhausted, we expanded our search to France, Belgium, Morocco, and Tunisia.

These overseas candidates had the precise product knowledge, the latest Cloud version expertise, and, crucially, were fluent in French. Working remotely to Canadian hours, they could deliver exactly what the client needed. We invoiced in Canadian dollars, applied the relevant HST, and ensured each contractor was paid compliantly in their home country.

In one instance, we even employed a business-critical specialist in Tunisia while the client finalised their Canadian work visa, ensuring no disruption to the project. And the result? A fully staffed, compliant, on-schedule delivery that exceeded client expectations.

Looking ahead, the project is likely to require more specialists in 2026, and once again, the search will extend beyond Canada’s borders. When the right skills exist elsewhere, there’s no reason to limit your search to local talent…unless you enjoy making things harder for yourself.

The benefits of going global can be game-changing for all parties involved.

Use Case 2: Czech Republic

A Central European client was undertaking a complex, multi-year insurance project requiring several specialists with niche experience in a specific claims administration module. The challenge was that not a single suitable candidate was available within the Czech Republic.

PiC responded quickly, sourcing qualified talent from six different EU countries. To meet the client’s procurement requirements, we established individual arrangements for each country so contractors could be engaged and paid through the relevant local entity.

This was all set up so we could establish routes to supply in each country within 72 hours and help the client move forward without delay. With compliant, country-specific supply routes, we gave them access to a talent pool that simply didn’t exist locally. So the project stayed on track from day one.

Use Case 3: Western Europe

Another client required senior French-speaking specialists for their Cloud-based claims and policy administration platform. The work was spread across two European countries, which added another layer of complexity.

PiC conducted a targeted search for senior-level candidates with the exact module experience the client needed, mapping talent across French-speaking Canada, France, Belgium, Tunisia, Morocco, and Switzerland. We identified specialists able to work EU hours, giving the client a choice of highly qualified professionals without being limited to local options.

The result mirrored previous successes: hard-to-find skills delivered through a global search, with compliance and logistics handled in full. Ultimately, the client could then focus on project delivery.

Upcoming Projects

In the coming months, we’ll be applying this same global sourcing strategy in Australia, Scandinavia, the US, and APAC, each with their own unique challenges and opportunities. But they all share one thing in common: the right talent isn’t where you’d expect it. And that’s exactly where we come in.

In Australia, we’re in discussions with an insurance company implementing a new Cloud-based claims and policy administration platform. With a very limited local talent pool, we’re perfectly placed to draw from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, and the US, building a team that can work close to Australian hours through a follow-the-sun model.

In Scandinavia, we’ll be meeting with insurance clients in Sweden and Denmark to discuss upcoming projects. Here again, specialist skills are in short supply locally, but we’ve already identified potential candidates across Europe who could step in.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re preparing to support clients in the US and Korea on similar large-scale platform projects. Each will require specialist skills that may not exist within their own borders. But by searching globally, we’ll ensure they have access to the best possible talent.

If you haven’t gathered by now, international recruitment is a vital competitive advantage that keeps you ahead of the game. Don’t get me wrong, what we do is by no means easy. There’s a whole host of factors that you have to deal with when you start to source candidates internationally.

What truly sets PiC apart is that we can provide these specialists via a traditional contractor arrangement, a statement of work or by providing contractors who have already worked together as a team.

With established bank accounts in the currency where our clients are based as well, we make life easier for everyone. That’s a tick for compliance and a big tick for the contractors when they get paid. And who doesn’t like a happy contractor? It’s all about providing a highly tailored, specialist service to our international clients.

And yes, we will be hiring in November to grow our team here at PiC.

So don’t tie your hands behind your back by searching for something that just isn’t there. There’s real value in sourcing candidates globally, even when looking at filling vacancies within the UK. We’ve changed people’s lives with this approach – and we’re not even kidding!

Whether you need to find a specialist team fast or want a chat about the state of recruitment as it is, reach out. I, for one, am always up for a friendly conversation.