2021 Benchmark: Latin America Regional Spotlight
Latin America experienced huge workplace changes in 2020. The hiring landscape is pivoting to a remote workforce, and many employers are hiring out of the region. Hear more about Future Of Work in Latin America:
Throughout January-March 2020, Latin America experienced heavy recruitment and screening activity, with the impact of the pandemic only becoming visible in late March. Several countries experienced major lockdowns and restrictions on movement, with the greatest impact on screening in Latin America reflected in the verification of education credentials, with many schools operating on reduced staff numbers or being closed entirely.
However, moving into the latter half of 2020, signs of recovery began showing with an uptick in recruitment and candidate screening, with volumes returning to pre-pandemic figures. With 81% of HireRight’s 2021 Global Benchmark Survey respondents from Latin America agreeing that screening has helped facilitate a better quality of hire, and 63% saying they’d found discrepancies in their candidates’ employment histories, it seems that both the benefits of screening and the perils of not are well known in the region.
Additionally, this year’s survey found that 53% of respondents from Latin America reported that recruitment had ceased in 2020, and 36% said workers have been furloughed. However, many of these furloughed positions are now beginning to be re-hired, and new positions are being filled, which are encouraging signs of a swift economic recovery in the region.
For employers in Latin America, the hiring landscape has dramatically pivoted to a remote workforce, which for many is likely to stay. For example, 63% of survey respondents from the region said they expected up to half of their workforce to be working remotely in some capacity by next January. Many employers are also now hiring candidates from outside of the region to work remotely on a permanent basis, without the restriction of being tied to a physical office location.
Wherever you are hiring new workers from in 2021 and beyond, HireRight has the global footprint to screen your international candidates, supporting you to grow your remote workforce with confidence. If you’d like to discuss your evolving screening needs, in-region or beyond, please get in touch.
You can read an executive summary of the survey’s key findings for businesses in Latin below:
Want to learn more about the screening, talent acquisition, and talent management trends in North America, EMEA, and APAC from the last year? Discover more of the findings from over 3,000 HR and risk professionals worldwide by downloading our 2021 Global Benchmark Report.
Release Date: September 22, 2021
Ryan Christensen
As the General Manager for Latin America, Ryan is responsible for client support, building customer relationships, and driving HireRight’s growth across the region. Ryan’s interest in Latin America developed when he spent time living in Argentina. After returning to the U.S., he earned a degree in Communication from the University of Utah in 2000. When not at home in Los Angeles, you’re most likely to find him somewhere “south of the border” working with our customers and partners, or perhaps celebrating Día de los Muertos in Mexico City or reveling at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.