Every nearshore staffing site — including this one — leads with savings. And it's true: hiring in Latin America can save a US business 40-60% compared to hiring locally. That's real, and it's a big part of why companies reach out to us.
But there's a second number that almost nobody talks about: how much of that savings actually reaches the person doing the work, versus how much gets absorbed as markup before it ever gets there.
The part of the industry we don't love
After 10 years in staffing and BPO, I've seen the same pattern play out constantly: a client pays one rate, the professional doing the work receives a much smaller cut, and the difference — sometimes 2-3x the person's actual pay — goes to the agency in between. The client thinks they got a great deal. The professional often has no idea what the client is actually paying.
That's not illegal, and plenty of legitimate businesses run this way. It's just not the model we wanted to build.
What we do instead
UpHiire charges a flat, transparent fee — the same number, every time, no matter what the placement's monthly rate ends up being. That means we have no built-in incentive to push a candidate's pay down to fatten a percentage-based markup. The professional's rate is between you and them, and it's a real, competitive rate for their experience — not the lowest number the market will tolerate.
Why this matters even if you never think about it
If you're a client, you might reasonably ask: why do I care what the contractor earns, as long as I'm getting a good rate?
Here's why it should matter to you too: a professional who feels fairly paid sticks around, stays engaged, and does better work. A professional who eventually figures out how much markup they're absorbing tends to disengage — or leave. Fair pay isn't just a values thing. It's directly tied to the quality and stability of the person you're actually working with.
A better deal for businesses. A better deal for talent. That's still the only model we believe in.
Want to see how this plays out in practice? Check out our flat-fee pricing or read more about our mission.