The 28-point offshore hiring safety checklist

What is inside

Three stages. 28 checks. Nothing you cannot action this week.

• 01/Pre-hire

  10 checks

  • Confirm the role is a full-time job, not a pile of odd tasks
  • Write the outcome you want in the first 90 days
  • Verify legal right to work and contracting model in their country
  • Check identity documents against the person on video
  • Run a criminal and background check appropriate to the role
  • Test written English with an unprompted, timed exercise
  • Test the actual skill with a paid trial task, not a quiz
  • Speak to two references who managed them directly
  • Check home internet speed, backup power and workspace on camera
  • Agree pay, hours, timezone overlap and notice period in writing

• 02/Onboarding

  10 checks

  • Issue accounts from your own identity provider, never shared logins
  • Turn on multi-factor authentication on every tool from day one
  • Grant least-privilege access and document who approved it
  • Sign NDA, IP assignment and data-handling agreement before access
  • Set device standards: disk encryption, screen lock, current OS
  • Explain what data may never be downloaded, screenshotted or forwarded
  • Record a walkthrough of each core process they will own
  • Name one person who answers their questions in week one
  • Set a written 30 / 60 / 90 day scorecard with measurable targets
  • Book the first four weekly one-to-ones before day one

• 03/Monitoring

  8 checks

  • Review output against the scorecard, not hours logged
  • Audit tool access quarterly and remove what is unused
  • Watch for login anomalies: new countries, new devices, odd hours
  • Keep a single offboarding checklist ready before you need it
  • Rotate shared credentials and API keys on a fixed schedule
  • Check payroll actually reaches the person, on time, in full
  • Ask about workload and burnout every month, directly
  • Review pay and scope every six months to protect retention