When you think of the remote workforce powering the world’s tech giants, your mind will likely go to places like Silicon Valley, New York, Boston, and other coastal cities that have built reputations as major tech hubs.
You’re less likely to think of rural Latin American villages in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, or Chile as pipelines pumping software and engineering talent into America’s biggest tech companies. However, given the increased prevalence of remote work environments and globalized workforces in recent years, these South and Central American regions are becoming some of the top areas tech recruiters are targeting in their nearshoring efforts.
BairesDev, a software outsourcing company bootstrapped by CEO and Co-Founder Nacho De Marco, is spearheading this trend. They receive over 2 million applications annually — 10,000 per day — from Latin Americans seeking remote work opportunities, placing the top 1% of applicants in roles that work with companies like Pinterest, Google, and eBay.
Born and raised in Argentina, De Marco believes that sourcing Latin American talent opens doors for workers in non-metropolitan areas, drives diversity and inclusion efforts, and satisfies a growing demand for companies looking to grow their workforces at competitive costs.
The Rising Demand for Top-Notch Global Talent
While the idea of nearshoring labor to countries outside of the U.S. raises questions about potential job losses for American workers, the reality is that the demand for tech talent at U.S. companies is currently outpacing supply. With roles in information security and software development expected to grow by 33% and 18% over the next decade, Latin America is rising to meet this demand. Countries like Brazil and Mexico produce significantly more software engineers annually than the U.S.
“AI and automation are reshaping software development, shifting the demand of different skillsets,” says De Marco. “I believe more companies will turn to nearshoring as a flexible and efficient solution for growth. The providers who can assemble and iterate highly skilled and adaptable teams the quickest will be the ones to come out on top.”
And many companies are already on board. From 2020-2023, North American employers increased the number of remote workers from South America by 70%, and a recent ABB Group survey showed that 33% of U.S. businesses want to utilize nearshoring to bolster their workforces.
Driven by public and private investments in STEM education in the region, the number of programmers in Latin America is projected to increase by 17% by 2029— outpacing the projected growth of their North American and European counterparts. Microsoft recently announced its investment in Brazil’s cloud and AI infrastructure and ConectAI, a program aiming to provide AI skills training to 5 million people in the country.
“An increasing number of successful Latin American tech founders, combined with greater access to venture capital, is creating a powerful signaling effect that highlights the region’s growing potential in the global tech ecosystem,” explains De Marco. “The strong English proficiency of Latin America’s population and its close geographical proximity and similar time zones to the U.S. facilitate seamless real-time collaboration and efficient workflows.”
Empowering Local Communities
The impact of recruiting through some of Latin America’s most rural areas stretches beyond filling gaps in the talent supply chain– it actively transforms workers’ lives, allowing them to leverage and grow their skillsets without uprooting their lives. Since 2017, BairesDev has had more than 4,000 Latin American-based workers integrate with teams in U.S. companies via a thorough evaluation process that matches candidates with roles where they are most likely to succeed.
“During recruitment, we focus on a candidate’s competence over their credentials,” says De Marco. “We also prioritize the future potential that someone can bring in addition to their current skillset. This approach means discovering exceptional talent from diverse and often overlooked sources. Historically, around 40% of our developers come from non-metropolitan areas.”
Many BairesDev workers are parents and young professionals who have been able to carve out a brand-new lifestyle. For example, Virginia More, who grew up in Rio Tercero, Argentina, started as a backend developer on BairesDev’s platform. She now works on the Pinterest account as a software engineer, bridging her local experience with cutting-edge Silicon Valley projects.
Luis Ramos Paco, from Santiago de Llallagua, Bolivia– where growing potatoes and raising animals is one of the most common ways to provide for one’s family– now works with a US-based SaaS client to update its legacy system with a friendlier UI. Despite his family’s initial skepticism about a tech career, Luis secured a scholarship for his tech education in La Paz and now has a successful career as a QA Engineer.
Maria Alejandra Morales, a Venezuelan software developer, found new opportunities while working at BairesDev, allowing her to be close to her daughters while advancing her career and working with Pinterest.
Real-life stories like these actively work to redefine what’s possible for people from small communities, both professionally and financially. Many BairesDev employees who once faced limited opportunities in rural areas now earn between $30,000 and $80,000 annually, placing them in the top 5% of earners in their home countries. As more workers seek out similar opportunities, it’s easy to see how an increasingly globalized talent pool has the potential to fundamentally change the socio-economic fabric of Latin America as a whole.
Building Bridges to a Global Future
The rise of nearshoring and the inclusion of remote Latin American talent in the global tech landscape signals a profound shift in how and where innovation happens. As companies like BairesDev pave the way for employees hailing from some of the world’s most rural areas, they are redefining what the modern workforce can look like.
“Our model proves that remote work is not just viable but also advantageous when done right,” said De Marco. “By hiring candidates with strong communication and collaborative skills, our workforce is well-prepared to navigate the typical challenges associated with remote work, and many go on to build fulfilling and meaningful careers for themselves and their families.”
This movement underscores a broader truth: that talent knows no borders. By embracing diverse, globalized teams, tech companies have the unique opportunity to fill talent gaps while fostering professional and financial growth in underserved areas. It’s a model where everyone wins—businesses gain unparalleled talent, workers find life-changing opportunities, and entire communities reap the economic benefits of an empowered workforce.
In an era defined by innovation and inclusivity, the future of work isn’t just remote– it’s global.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Matheus Bertelli; Pexels
