Offshore staffing, built for UK businesses
TalentDock gives UK companies dedicated, full-time offshore team members — finance, support, admin, IT and more — sourced, employed, trained and managed for you from Sri Lanka and the Philippines. One all-in monthly fee per seat. No UK payroll, no IR35 headache, no recruitment agency mark-up.
Offshore staffing vs outsourcing vs freelancing
All three let you get work done without a full UK hire. Here’s what actually separates them.
| Offshore staffing (TalentDock) | Outsourcing | Freelancing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | One dedicated person, chosen by you | A provider's team, often shared across clients | An independent contractor, project by project |
| Who they work for | Exclusively your business | The outsourcing firm — you buy an outcome | Themselves, and often other clients too |
| Day-to-day management | You manage them directly, like an employee | The provider manages delivery | You manage each project separately |
| Cost structure | One fixed monthly fee per seat | Project or retainer fee | Hourly or per-project rate, variable |
| Best for | An ongoing role you'd otherwise hire for in the UK | A defined task or function, like a payroll run | Short, one-off or specialist work |
| Continuity | Same person long-term, with a replacement approach if it's not working | The provider can rotate staff on your account | No guarantee they're free next time |
Want the full breakdown, including nearshoring and in-house hiring? Read the complete guide →
A dedicated employee, not a freelancer or a ticket queue
Full-time & dedicated
Your offshore hire works only for you, in your hours, on your systems and tools — an extension of your team, not a shared resource splitting attention across ten clients.
Employed by us
We are the legal employer in Sri Lanka or the Philippines. We handle their contract, payroll, local tax, benefits, equipment and HR — you simply direct the work.
Managed end to end
Sourcing, vetting, onboarding, IT, attendance, performance reviews and payroll all sit with us. You get one point of contact and one monthly invoice.
Why offshore staffing works cleanly for UK companies
Because your offshore team members are employed overseas, are not UK tax resident, and do all their work outside the UK, several of the costs and rules that make UK hiring expensive simply do not arise for you.
No IR35 status headache
The off-payroll working (IR35) rules are about UK workers supplying services through an intermediary. A TalentDock team member is our overseas employee working wholly abroad — not a UK contractor or personal service company — so IR35 status determinations do not apply to your engagement with us.
No employer NICs
Employer National Insurance (15% on earnings above the secondary threshold from April 2025) is a cost of employing someone in the UK. Your offshore staff are not UK employees, so you carry no employer NIC on them.
No auto-enrolment pension
UK auto-enrolment (minimum 3% employer pension contribution) applies to UK workers. It does not apply here — your team members receive a fair local package that we fund inside your fee.
UK GDPR handled properly
Restricted transfers of personal data are covered by a Data Processing Agreement and the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), with role-based access and a retention policy — so your data stays compliant when your offshore team touches it.
This is a plain-English guide, not legal or tax advice. Your specific position should be confirmed with a qualified UK adviser — we are happy to talk your accountant or solicitor through how the arrangement is structured.
Roles UK businesses hire offshore
Any role that can be done well over a laptop and a good connection is a candidate. Our most-requested functions:
From brief to a contributing hire in weeks
Scope the role
We define the exact role, responsibilities, tools and hours you need — and the profile of person to match.
We source & vet
We shortlist from our talent networks in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, test skills and English, and send you a vetted shortlist.
You choose
You interview your favourites and pick. We make the offer and handle the local employment contract.
We onboard & equip
Kit, accounts and access are ready before day one, with a structured first-30-days plan and a named point of contact.
We keep it running
Payroll, attendance, HR, IT and monthly performance reviews are handled — you just manage the work.
Up to 85% less than a comparable UK hire
The honest comparison isn’t salary vs salary. It’s your true cost to employ in the UK — salary, employer NICs, pension, holiday, equipment, software, recruitment fees and management overhead — against TalentDock’s single all-in monthly fee. That gap is where the saving lives. Exact figures depend on the role and seniority.
All-in, per seat, no separate recruitment fee. See full pricing →
An offshore staffing agency built for UK businesses
Most offshore staffing companies were built for the US or Australian market. TalentDock is set up for UK buyers from day one: British English, UK working hours, pricing in pounds, and contracts and data-transfer paperwork written for UK GDPR.
Our offshore staffing services cover the full cycle: recruitment and vetting, employment and payroll in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, equipment and secure set-up, onboarding, attendance and performance support, and replacement cover. You simply direct the work.
Offshore staffing services, end to end
Sourcing, testing, shortlisting, employment, payroll, benefits, IT and HR, all included in one monthly fee per seat.
Hire offshore staff you choose
You interview every shortlisted candidate and decide who joins. No one is placed without your say-so.
Start with one seat
Add a single offshore employee or build a dedicated offshore team; scale up when the work grows.
Transparent UK pricing
From £1,195 per person per month, no recruitment fee. See pricing.
Two delivery hubs
Sri Lanka for finance, IT and analytics; the Philippines for support and virtual assistance.
Compared honestly
Not sure which provider to use? Use our 12-point checklist for choosing an offshore staffing company.
Offshore staffing in the UK — common questions
Is offshore staffing legal for a UK business?
Yes. You are buying a managed service from TalentDock under a B2B agreement; we employ the staff overseas under local law. Nothing about it is unusual or grey — thousands of UK firms run offshore and outsourced teams this way.
Does IR35 apply?
The off-payroll working rules concern UK workers supplying services through an intermediary. Our team members are our overseas employees working wholly outside the UK, so an IR35 status determination is not something you need to make for them. We can walk your accountant through the structure.
Who employs the team member?
TalentDock’s local entity is the legal employer. We hold the contract and handle payroll, tax, benefits and HR in-country. You direct their day-to-day work.
Where are the staff based — Sri Lanka or the Philippines?
Both. We match the hub to the role: Sri Lanka is strong for finance, accounting and technical roles with close UK-hours overlap; the Philippines is a global leader for customer support and virtual assistance. More on Sri Lanka · More on the Philippines.
How quickly can someone start?
Typically a few weeks from an agreed brief to a contributing hire, depending on the role and how fast you can interview.
What if it doesn't work out?
Performance is managed monthly and backed by a replacement approach, so a poor fit is our problem to fix, not yours to carry.
What's the difference between offshore staffing and outsourcing?
One dedicated person who works exclusively for your business, inside your own systems and processes — versus handing a task or function to an external provider who decides who does the work. If you want continuity with one person long-term, offshore staffing is the fit; if you want a defined outcome delivered by someone else’s team, that’s outsourcing. See the comparison table above for the full breakdown.
How much can I actually save?
Most UK businesses save up to 85% versus the full cost of hiring the same role locally, once you count salary, employer National Insurance, pension contributions, recruitment fees, equipment and management overhead — not just the headline salary. Current per-seat plans start from £1,195/month; see full pricing or get a tailored quote.
Is my company's data safe with an offshore team member?
Yes. Data transfers to Sri Lanka and the Philippines are covered by a Data Processing Agreement and, where required, a UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or equivalent safeguard. Your offshore team member works inside your own approved tools and access controls, the same as any remote employee you manage directly.
What roles can I hire offshore?
Most back-office, technical and customer-facing roles that can be done well over a laptop: finance and accounting, customer support, virtual assistance, IT and software development, digital marketing, data and admin — plus a growing bench of AI and emerging-tech specialists such as AI delivery engineers, RAG engineers and DevSecOps/GitOps specialists. See all roles →
Isn't "offshore" about oil rigs and shipping?
No — that’s a different industry entirely. “Offshore” also describes oil, gas, wind and marine crewing, which isn’t what TalentDock does. We place dedicated back-office, technical and support staff based in Sri Lanka and the Philippines who work exclusively for your business, the same way a remote UK employee would.
Is offshore staffing only for large companies, or can a small business use it too?
It works for businesses of any size. Most of our clients add one or two roles at a time rather than running a large offshore department. Because you pay per seat with no separate recruitment fee, it works just as well for a single hire as it does for scaling a whole function.
What does an offshore staffing agency do?
An offshore staffing agency recruits, employs and supports staff in another country who work full-time for your business. Unlike a recruitment agency, it stays involved: payroll, HR, equipment and replacement are handled for as long as the person works with you.
How do I hire offshore staff in the UK?
Define the role, choose a provider, interview a shortlist, sign a managed-services agreement and UK GDPR transfer agreement, then onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan. Our guide to building an offshore team walks through each step.
Is offshore staffing the same as offshoring?
Offshore staffing is one form of offshoring: moving work to another country by hiring dedicated staff there. Read what is offshoring for the other models.
What is offshore staff leasing?
Another name for offshore staffing: a provider employs staff abroad and leases them to you full-time. See staff leasing vs employer of record.
Go deeper: guides to hiring a virtual assistant
How to hire a virtual assistant in the UK
The complete six-step guide: costs, routes and legal checks.
Go deeper: offshoring explained for UK businesses
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Offshore teams for UK businesses, managed end to end. Dedicated talent in Sri Lanka & the Philippines, trained to your standards.
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