The Remote Hiring Revolution: What Changed in 2025
A fintech company in Kuala Lumpur needs a Senior Backend Engineer.
2019 approach: Hire locally (limited pool, expensive)
2025 approach: Hire from anywhere (global pool, competitive rates, best talent)
By 2025, 40% of hiring is remote.
But remote hiring is fundamentally different:
- Different interview process (video, async, multiple time zones)
- Different onboarding (distributed, asynchronous, intentional)
- Different management (less control, more trust)
- Different compensation (cost of living adjustments, time zone considerations)
This guide shows you exactly how to do it right.
Why Remote Hiring is Exploding in 2025
Three Drivers
1. Talent access: No longer limited by geography
- Hire engineers from Philippines (RM 120K) instead of KL (RM 150K)
- Same quality, lower cost
- Or hire truly best person (quality > cost)
2. Cost savings: Remote workers often earn 20-40% less
- No office overhead for them
- Lower cost of living in many regions
- Competitive for them vs. local salary
3. Company resilience: Distributed teams are more resilient
- Not dependent on one location
- Easier to scale (hire from anywhere)
- Business continuity (if one region down, others fine)
The Malaysia Opportunity
Malaysia sits in sweet spot:
- Near Singapore (talent pool, competition)
- Near India (large tech talent pool, lower cost)
- Large local talent pool (growing tech ecosystem)
- English-speaking (unlike Vietnam, Indonesia)
Strategic advantage: Malaysian companies can now hire:
- Cheaper talent from Southeast Asia (70-80% of Malaysia salary)
- More senior talent from Singapore (willing to work for Malaysia-level salary for lifestyle)
- Global talent (anywhere willing to work Malaysia timezone)
The Remote Hiring Landscape: Who’s Doing It
By Company Stage
Startups (Pre-Series A):
- Remote first (easier to scale, no office)
- 50-80% of team remote
- Usually co-located founders, rest remote
Growth companies (Series A-C):
- Hybrid remote (core team co-located, expanded remote)
- 40-60% of team remote
- Intent: distributed but connected
Enterprises (RM 500M+ ARR):
- Distributed (fully remote OK)
- 30-50% of team remote
- Usually specific roles are remote
By Role
Highly remote-able:
- Software engineers (100% remote possible)
- Designers (100% remote possible)
- Product managers (80% remote + some sync meetings)
- Operations (100% remote possible)
Less remote-able:
- Sales (benefits from co-location with manager)
- Finance (some in-person compliance needs)
- HR (culture-building benefits from co-location)
- Executives (strategic alignment benefits from proximity)
Where to Find Remote Talent
Channel 1: Remote Job Boards (Best for Volume)
Malaysia-specific:
- JobsDB.com (remote filter, includes Malaysia market)
- Foundit.my (Malaysia focus, remote filter available)
- LinkedIn (remote filter, global reach)
Global remote boards:
- We Work Remotely (5,000+ remote jobs, global)
- FlexJobs (curated, vetted remote jobs)
- Remote.co (remote-focused, all levels)
- AngelList (startups, mostly remote)
Cost: RM 1K-5K per job posting (1-3 month listing)
Time-to-hire: 4-8 weeks
Quality: Medium-high (attracts people specifically wanting remote)
Channel 2: Direct Outreach (Best for Quality)
GitHub: Search by contribution (for engineers)
- Filter by location (any, but focus on target regions)
- Filter by language (Python, Go, Rust, etc.)
- Find active contributors
LinkedIn: Search with filters
- Location: Any/target regions
- Keywords: “remote”, “distributed”, “flexible”
- Seniority level
- Experience
Twitter/Dev Community: Find voices in target tech
- Tech writers (find voices, reach out)
- Conference speakers
- Open source maintainers
Cost: RM 0 (just time)
Time-to-hire: 6-12 weeks (passive candidates)
Quality: Very high (pre-screened by their work)
Channel 3: Referrals (Best Overall)
Ask your team: “Know any good engineers open to remote work?”
Offer referral bonus: RM 5K-10K (for remote hires, can offer more)
Why it works: Remote workers know remote workers (tight community)
Cost: RM 5K-10K per hire
Time-to-hire: 3-4 weeks
Quality: Very high (trusted recommendation)
Channel 4: Remote Communities (Best for Passive Candidate)
Dev communities:
- Hacker News (remote-friendly audience)
- DEV.to (developer community)
- Product Hunt (tech audience)
- Malaysian tech groups (Slack, Discord, Facebook)
Post in communities:
“We’re hiring a remote senior backend engineer. Based anywhere, timezone-flexible. [Link]. Referrals welcome (RM 10K bonus).”
Cost: RM 0 (organic) or RM 500-2K (sponsorship if community allows)
Time-to-hire: 2-4 weeks
Quality: High (self-selected, engaged community)
Remote Interview Process: Best Practices
Screen 1: Quick Video Chat (30 min)
Purpose: Screen out wrong-fit early (save time)
Structure:
- 10 min: You pitch the role + company
- 10 min: Candidate pitches background + why interested
- 10 min: Q&A (candidate asks questions)
Evaluate:
- Communication (clear? engaging?)
- Interest level (genuinely interested?)
- Basic competence (seem qualified?)
- Time zone comfort (willing to work these hours?)
Decision: 30% advance, 70% polite “no thanks”
Screen 2: Async Work Sample (2-4 hours)
For engineers: Real small project (not leetcode)
- “Build API endpoint for X”
- “Refactor this code”
- “Design system for X”
For designers: Design challenge
- “Design landing page for X”
- “Improve onboarding for X”
For PMs: Case study
- “Design feature for X”
- “Analyze this market”
Evaluate:
- Code/work quality
- Problem-solving approach
- Communication (can they explain decisions?)
- Speed (how fast did they complete?)
Advantage of async: Candidate can work on their schedule (fair for time zones)
Decision: 30% advance, 70% “good work, but not quite right”
Screen 3: Panel Interview (60 min, 3 interviewers)
Setup: 3 parallel sessions, staggered (across multiple days or same day)
Interviewer 1: Technical Lead (30 min)
- Deep technical discussion
- Problem-solving
- Code/design depth
Interviewer 2: Peer/Team Member (30 min)
- Cultural fit
- Collaboration style
- Day-to-day working together
Interviewer 3: Manager/Hiring Lead (30 min)
- Role clarity
- Career goals
- Expectations alignment
- Compensation/logistics (time zone, equipment, etc.)
Evaluate using scorecard:
- Technical skills: 1-5
- Communication: 1-5
- Collaboration: 1-5
- Cultural fit: 1-5
- Remote readiness: 1-5 (critical for remote!)
- Overall: 1-5
Decision: 4+/5 overall = offer, 3/5 = maybe with caveats, <3 = pass
Special Remote Questions
Critical for remote hire:
-
“Tell me about a time you worked fully remote. How did you handle communication?”
- What you learn: Remote experience, communication style
-
“How do you stay motivated without in-person team?”
- What you learn: Self-motivation, discipline
-
“What timezone are you in? What are your work hours?”
- What you learn: Logistics, overlap with team
-
“How do you handle asynchronous communication?”
- What you learn: Async competence (critical for remote)
-
“Do you have reliable internet + dedicated workspace?”
- What you learn: Practical setup
Time Zone Management: The Critical Issue
The Time Zone Challenge
Example: Your company in KL, hire developer in Manila + designer in Bangkok
| Person | Timezone | Overlap with KL | Working Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL HQ | UTC+8 | 8am-6pm | 8am-6pm |
| Manila Dev | UTC+8 | Same! | 8am-6pm KL |
| Bangkok Designer | UTC+7 | 7am-5pm | 7am-5pm KL |
| Singapore PM | UTC+8 | Same | 8am-6pm KL |
This team has great overlap. Can have daily standup at 9am KL = 9am Manila, 8am Bangkok, 9am Singapore.
Time Zone Strategy
Option 1: Hire within close timezone (Best)
- KL (UTC+8)
- Bangkok (UTC+7)
- Singapore (UTC+8)
- Ho Chi Minh (UTC+7)
- Philippines (UTC+8)
All within 1 hour overlap. Perfect for daily sync.
Option 2: Async-first culture (If hiring far)
- Hire from USA (UTC-5 to UTC-8)
- Document everything
- Async communication (Slack, video updates)
- Weekly 1:1s (irregular times)
- Monthly all-hands (recorded)
Requires discipline but works.
Option 3: Hybrid (Recommended)
- Core team co-located (KL)
- Remote team in nearby timezone (Bangkok, Manila, Singapore)
- Far-away people are specialists (not critical path)
- Overlap = 6-8 hours per day minimum
Malaysia Legal & Tax Considerations
Employment Classification
Local employee (same as office hire):
- Must pay employment insurance
- Must follow labor laws
- Must offer benefits per Malaysian law
Contractor (freelancer arrangement):
- Simpler (no employment obligations)
- Higher cost (they pay own tax/benefits)
- Less control (independent contractor)
For Malaysia remote: Most do as local employees if hiring locally. Contractors if hiring internationally.
Visa Considerations for Foreign Remote Hires
If hiring non-Malaysian remotely (working for Malaysia company):
Option 1: They stay in their country (no visa needed)
- They work for Malaysia company remotely
- Legal (not “working in Malaysia”)
- Tax: Depends on their country
- Salary: Can be lower (cost of living)
Option 2: They relocate to Malaysia (needs visa)
- Need Employment Pass (EP) or Professional Visit Pass (PVP)
- RM 10K+/month salary threshold
- Company sponsor visa
- Timeline: 4-8 weeks
Best practice: Hire remote from their country (easier, no visa)
Remote Salary: What to Pay
Malaysia Remote Salary Guidance
Developer hiring locally (KL office): RM 120K-150K
Developer hiring remotely (same location): RM 120K-150K (same)
Developer hiring remote from Philippines: RM 80K-100K (20-35% discount)
Developer hiring remote from India: RM 60K-80K (40-50% discount)
Key: Cost of living difference justifies lower salary
Factors Affecting Remote Salary
| Factor | Impact | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Timezone | Close = higher, far = lower | Nearby timezone +5-10%, far -10-20% |
| Cost of living | Local salary / 1.2-1.5 | Philippines -30%, Singapore +20% |
| Seniority | Senior transcends geography | Senior remote same rate globally |
| Scarcity | Hard to find = higher | Rare skill +10-15% even if remote |
Transparency is Key
Best practice: Post salary range on job post
“Remote Backend Engineer - RM 90K-130K based on experience + location”
Why?
- Attracts right candidates
- No surprise negotiations
- Transparent, fair
- Common in remote hiring
Remote Onboarding: The 30-60-90 Plan
Days 1-7: Welcome & Setup
Before day 1:
- Welcome email (personal, warm)
- Equipment kit (if applicable)
- Access credentials (VPN, email, tools)
- Time zone acknowledgment (“We’ll sync at [time] your timezone”)
Day 1:
- Welcome call with manager (30 min, video)
- Setup call with IT/ops (30 min)
- Async walk-through of key docs (read at your pace)
- Small task (get familiar with codebase, tools, etc.)
Days 2-7:
- Daily async check-in (Slack message: “How’s day X?”)
- 1:1 with manager (3x this week, 30 min each)
- Meet team members (1:1s with 5-7 people, 15 min each)
- Read documentation (culture, process, tech stack)
- First tiny contribution (PR, doc update, etc.)
End of week: Manager check-in “How’s your first week? Any blockers?”
Week 2-3: Ramp Up
Daily structure:
- 10am: Daily standup (30 min, async post if far timezone)
- Rest of day: Deep work, learning, small tasks
Weekly:
- 1:1 with manager (30 min)
- Team sync (1 hour, if applicable)
- Pair programming with teammate (1 hour)
Assignments:
- Build a small feature
- Write documentation
- Fix a bug
- Read codebase
Check-ins: Weekly manager feedback
Week 4: Independence
Transition to full work:
- Lead a small project
- Mentor someone
- Contribute to team meeting
- Ramp to 100% productivity
30-day review:
- Manager 1:1 (structured feedback)
- “How’s your first month? Any concerns?”
- “Are you settling in?”
- Adjustment if needed
Months 2-3: Growth
Same as in-office onboarding + extra async considerations:
- Written communication (over verbal when possible)
- Recorded all-hands (not live only)
- Async feedback (written, not just 1:1)
- Regular check-ins (monthly, not just annual)
Remote Team Management: Best Practices
Communication Norms
Synchronous (real-time):
- Slack messages (expect response within 2 hours)
- Video calls (scheduled, agenda, recording)
- Pair programming (1:1, scheduled)
Asynchronous (can wait):
- Email (expect response within 24 hours)
- Recorded videos (watch + respond when ready)
- Documentation (reference anytime)
- Code reviews (respond within 24 hours)
Default: Async unless urgent. Synchronous means “this can’t wait.”
Preventing Loneliness
Problem: Remote workers often isolated
Solutions:
- Virtual team lunch (once/week)
- Virtual coffee chat (random 1:1s with different people)
- Monthly video all-hands (see each other)
- Annual in-person meetup (if budget allows)
- Slack social channels (memes, life updates, non-work)
Building Culture Remotely
What works:
- Clear values (written, referenced)
- Async transparency (updates for all)
- Regular feedback (frequent, not annual)
- Celebration of wins (public recognition)
- Investment in growth (training, mentorship)
What doesn’t work:
- “Culture fit” alone (remote culture different)
- Ping-pong tables (can’t share)
- Office perks (not applicable)
- Random meetings (async first)
Case Studies: Malaysian Companies Hiring Remote
Case Study 1: MoneyFlow (Fintech, Series B)
Company: MoneyFlow (15 engineers, KL-based)
Situation: Need to scale to 25 engineers in 6 months. Local talent running out.
Decision: Go 30% remote (7-8 remote engineers)
Execution:
- Hired 3 engineers from Philippines (RM 95K salary)
- Hired 2 from Bangkok (RM 110K salary)
- Kept 2-3 core team in KL
- Remaining 7-8 distributed
Results:
- Cost savings: 20-25% (lower salaries + no office overhead)
- Talent quality: Same or better (expanded pool)
- Culture impact: Positive (diverse perspectives)
Challenges:
- Time zone friction at first (now normalized)
- Some communication overhead (worth it)
- One person didn’t work out (wrong for async)
Lesson: Remote works if you’re intentional about onboarding and communication.
Case Study 2: CloudTech (B2B SaaS, RM 50M ARR)
Company: CloudTech (100+ engineers, fully distributed)
Situation: Founded in KL, but built remote-first from day 1
Structure:
- Founders in KL
- Engineering team: 40% Philippines, 30% Thailand, 20% Malaysia, 10% India
- Product: mostly remote
- Sales: mostly KL + regional offices
Outcomes (3 years):
- Headcount: 20 to 100+ engineers
- Revenue: RM 5M to RM 50M ARR
- Cost per engineer: 30% lower than local hire
- Retention: 90% (remote workers stay longer)
Key practices:
- Async first (everything documented)
- Weekly all-hands recorded
- Daily standup via Slack (not video)
- Monthly timezone-friendly 1:1s
- Annual in-person retreat (KL, everyone invited)
Culture: “We hire for values + skills, not location.”
Common Remote Hiring Mistakes
Mistake 1: Hiring remote for cost, not quality
Problem: Hire cheapest person, don’t invest in onboarding/management
Result: Person struggles, leaves at 3 months. Worse than hiring locally.
Fix: Hire for quality. If cheaper, great. But quality first.
Mistake 2: Async communication without structure
Problem: No written documentation. Everything ad-hoc. People confused.
Result: Slowdown, mistakes, frustration
Fix: Document everything. Slack as communication, docs as source of truth.
Mistake 3: Time zone misalignment
Problem: Hire from 10+ time zones. No overlap.
Result: Communication delays, decisions slow, team isolation
Fix: Hire within 3-4 timezone regions. Ensure 6-8 hour daily overlap.
Key Takeaways
-
Remote hiring is now 40% of hiring. Not optional, essential.
-
Geography no longer limits talent. You can hire best person regardless of location.
-
Time zones matter. Hire within close timezone (critical for daily sync).
-
Async communication is skill. Hire people who excel at writing + async work.
-
Onboarding is critical. Remote needs more structured onboarding than office.
-
Salary should reflect location. Pay fairly based on cost of living + market.
-
Culture still matters. Remote culture different than office, but equally important.
-
Communication = productivity. Clear comms > fast communication.
-
Tools matter, but culture matters more. Best tool in bad culture = doesn’t work.
-
Remote first isn’t for everyone. Some people need in-person. That’s OK.
Related Articles
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- Employee Onboarding: The Complete Onboarding Checklist
- Recruitment KPIs & Metrics: How to Measure & Improve Your Hiring Process
About Weizhen Recruiters
Weizhen Recruiters helps Malaysian companies build distributed teams.
What we do:
- Remote hiring strategy & implementation
- Distributed team building
- Remote candidate sourcing
- Async culture consulting
- Remote onboarding support
Our results:
- Average time-to-hire remote: 5-6 weeks
- Remote retention: 92% at 12 months
- Cost savings (vs. local): 20-35%
- Team satisfaction: 4.5+/5
Learn more about remote hiring services
Or book a free consultation to discuss your distributed team strategy.
