Can I recruit my own candidate and use an EOR in Mexico?
Keywords: Employer of Record Mexico, recruit your own candidate, EOR services Canada, hire in Mexico, Canadian startups hiring abroad.
Let’s say you’ve found the perfect candidate in Mexico, someone who aligns with your company culture, brings serious skills to the table, and is ready to hit the ground running. But there’s a catch: you don’t have a legal entity in Mexico. So now what?
Here’s the good news: yes, you can recruit your own candidate and still use an Employer of Record (EOR) in Mexico. In fact, that’s one of the smartest ways Canadian companies are expanding their teams internationally without getting tangled in red tape.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how it works, why it’s a win-win, and what to watch out for to make sure things go smoothly.
First things first: what’s an Employer of Record (EOR)?
An Employer of Record is a third-party organization that hires employees on your behalf in a country where you don’t have a legal presence. The EOR becomes the legal employer, handling things like:
Employment contracts
Payroll and tax compliance
Benefits and contributions
Local labor laws and severance
Government reporting and audits
Meanwhile, you still manage the employee’s day-to-day work, responsibilities, and performance, just like you would with any team member.
At Bridg Global, for example, we specialize in helping Canadian companies hire Mexican talent through our EOR services. Whether you find the candidate or we help you with recruitment, we make sure the entire process is compliant, transparent, and smooth.
So… can I recruit the person myself?
Absolutely. If you already have someone in mind, or if you’ve gone through your own recruiting process, that’s totally fine. You don’t have to rely on the EOR to source the candidate.
In fact, many Canadian startups prefer to:
Use their own networks, internal recruiters, or job boards to find top talent
Interview and select candidates based on their own criteria
Then partner with an EOR to handle the legal and operational side of hiring
This gives you full control over who you hire, while the EOR takes care of how that person is legally employed in Mexico.
Why this model works so well
Let’s break down why this setup is ideal for startups and growing teams in Canada:
Full control over hiring. You know your business best. By handling recruitment, you ensure the person you bring on is a perfect fit for your mission, team dynamics, and long-term goals.
Compliance peace of mind. Even if you find a great candidate, hiring them directly in Mexico (without a legal entity) puts you at risk of misclassification, tax issues, and labor law violations. With an EOR, you avoid all of that.
Faster onboarding. Once you select a candidate, the EOR steps in to draft contracts, enroll them in social security, manage payroll setup, and get them started, often in just a few days.
No need to set up a Mexican company. Registering a legal entity in Mexico is expensive, time-consuming, and requires ongoing administrative maintenance. Using an EOR skips all that.
What does the process look like?
Here’s a quick overview of how things work when you recruit your own candidate and use Bridg Global as your EOR partner:
You find your candidate. You can source them through your own channels or even internal referrals. Once you’ve selected someone, we’re ready to step in.
We handle the employment setup. We’ll issue a compliant Mexican employment contract, onboard the employee, and register them for all required benefits and contributions.
We run payroll and stay compliant. Every month, we’ll handle payroll, taxes, social security, and any local employment reporting. You receive one invoice and don’t need to worry about the backend.
You manage the day-to-day. You assign tasks, manage performance, include the employee in your team meetings, everything you'd normally do with an in-house hire.
We support with offboarding too. If the employment ever needs to end, we’ll ensure it’s done in accordance with Mexican labor law, including calculating final pay and severance, and handling all notifications.
What to keep in mind when recruiting in Mexico
While you’re free to run your own recruitment, here are a few tips to make sure the process goes smoothly:
Be clear about compensation in pesos. Salaries must be paid in MXN, so make sure your offer is competitive within the local market. We can help benchmark this.
Avoid offering "contractor" roles. If you plan to use an EOR, the role must be structured as formal employment, not a freelance gig.
Be transparent with candidates. Let them know an EOR will be their legal employer, even though they’ll be working directly with your company.
Need help reviewing an offer or drafting a job description? That’s part of what we do. Even if you recruit independently, we’re here to support your success.
Final thoughts
Recruiting your own candidate and then using an EOR in Mexico is often the smartest path forward for Canadian companies expanding across borders.
You stay in control of who you hire. We handle the complex stuff that keeps you compliant.
At Bridg Global, we believe hiring across borders should feel as easy and human as hiring across the street. If you’ve already found someone amazing in Mexico, or want to get started, we’re here to help you make it official, the right way.
Thinking of hiring in Mexico?
Whether you’ve already found your next team member or are just getting started,let’s talk. We’ll walk you through how it works and help you make your next international hire simple, fast, and compliant.
