Singapore SMBs, how do you actually pay your remote workers and overseas contractors?
Hey all,
Bit of a long shot, but I'm hoping to learn from people who've lived this.
I'm trying to understand how small Singapore companies handle paying people outside the country like remote employees, contractors, freelancers, whoever. Not from a "best practices" angle. More like, what does it actually look like on a Tuesday afternoon when payroll is due and someone's bank in Manila hasn't received the transfer yet.
If you're the founder, finance person, ops lead, or HR manager who's stuck dealing with this, I'd really love to hear from you.
Some of the things I'm curious about (no need to answer all, just whatever's on your mind):
- What platform are you using right now? Did you try anything that didn't work?
- Who in your company actually owns this? Is it falling on one person who didn't sign up for it?
- What's the part of the month you dread?
- Has anyone ever pushed back on how or what currency you're paying them in?
I'm not selling anything and I'm not going to pitch you. I'm at the stage where I'm just trying to understand the problem before assuming I know it. I've talked to a handful of people so far and almost everyone's process is held together with spreadsheets and goodwill, which is exactly why I want to talk to more.
Happy to do a 15–20 min call, or just trade DMs if that's easier. Can send a small coffee gift card as thanks for your time, I'm grateful for any reply, even a one-liner.
If you've hired anyone outside Singapore in the last year, I'd love to hear how you're managing it.