Question 1

What is an Employer of Record (EOR) in Greater China?

Accepted Answer

An Employer of Record (EOR) in Greater China acts as the legal employer and helps companies legally hire employees without setting up a local entity. The EOR manages employment contracts, payroll, tax contributions, statutory benefits, and labor law compliance on behalf of the company. This allows businesses to expand into Greater China faster while reducing administrative complexity and compliance risks.

Question 2

How does Glints TalentHub Employer of Record service work in Greater China?

Accepted Answer

Glints TalentHub helps companies hire, onboard, pay, and manage employees across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan without establishing local subsidiaries. As the Employer of Record, Glints handles payroll, employment contracts, statutory benefits, tax contributions, onboarding, and compliance with local employment regulations. Your company directs the employee's daily work and performance, while the EOR manages formal employment responsibilities.

Question 3

Can I hire employees in China without setting up a legal entity?

Accepted Answer

A foreign company generally cannot directly employ local workers in Mainland China without an appropriate local employing structure. An Employer of Record can provide a route for hiring eligible employees through a local entity, subject to the role, location, and applicable employment requirements. The EOR manages formal employment responsibilities such as the local employment contract, payroll, statutory contributions, benefits administration, and employment documentation. Your company continues to manage the employee's daily work and performance.

Question 4

How fast can companies hire employees through an Employer of Record in Greater China?

Accepted Answer

Using an Employer of Record is significantly faster than establishing a local entity. Hiring through an EOR is often faster than establishing a local entity, although the exact timeline depends on the market, role, documentation, and work authorisation requirements. This allows businesses to secure talent and expand into Greater China more efficiently.

Question 5

Do companies still have control over employees when using an Employer of Record?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Companies retain full control over employees' day to day responsibilities, performance management, reporting structure, and career development. The Employer of Record acts as the legal employer for payroll, employment contracts, benefits administration, and compliance purposes, allowing businesses to focus on managing their teams while supporting compliance with applicable local employment requirements.

Question 6

How do I choose the right Employer of Record provider in Greater China?

Accepted Answer

When evaluating an Employer of Record provider in Greater China, companies should consider local compliance expertise, payroll accuracy, onboarding speed, market coverage, and experience supporting businesses in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The right EOR provider should simplify international hiring while helping companies remain compliant across multiple jurisdictions.

Question 7

When should I use an EOR instead of setting up an entity in China?

Accepted Answer

An EOR may be suitable when you need to hire a small number of employees, test a market, onboard talent before an entity is ready, or avoid building local payroll and human resources infrastructure immediately. Establishing an entity may be more appropriate when you are building a large permanent operation, need direct commercial capabilities, or require employment arrangements that cannot be supported through the available EOR structure.

Question 8

Why do companies choose Glints TalentHub for Greater China hiring?

Accepted Answer

Unlike traditional EOR providers that focus primarily on payroll and compliance, Glints TalentHub combines talent acquisition, Employer of Record services, and local workforce expertise to help companies build teams across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. From sourcing and onboarding talent to managing payroll, statutory benefits, and employment compliance, Glints TalentHub provides end to end support for companies looking to expand into Greater China without establishing local entities. This allows companies to access local talent, expand into new markets faster, and build distributed teams while reducing the complexity and risks of international hiring.

Criteria	Entity setup	Employer of Record
Speed to hire	Often takes months before hiring can begin in a new market	Hire and onboard Greater China talent faster without waiting for entity registration
Upfront cost	Requires legal, registration, payroll setup, and local admin costs	Lower upfront commitment because employment infrastructure is already in place
Compliance workload	Your team manages contracts, payroll, tax, benefits, and local labor rules	EOR supports local employment compliance, payroll, benefits, and HR administration
Best fit	Long-term market commitment with larger local operations	Market testing, first hires, regional teams, or faster Greater China expansion

Hire in Greater China Without Setting Up Local Entities

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