For many U.S. businesses, hiring freelancers feels like the easiest way to scale. The promise of flexibility, speed, and “on-demand” talent can seem appealing when you’re trying to move fast.
But here’s the truth: freelancers are often a short-term fix, not a long-term solution. High turnover, lack of loyalty, inconsistent quality, and limited availability can make managing freelancers more frustrating than freeing.
If your goal is to build a sustainable business with a reliable workforce, you need more than just gig workers; you need a real team. And that’s where Latin America (LATAM) comes in.
Across LATAM, there’s a fast-growing pool of highly skilled professionals who are ready to join long-term projects, commit to your company’s vision, and deliver results that freelancers simply can’t match.
With time-zone overlap, cultural compatibility, and cost savings of up to 70% compared to U.S. hiring, LATAM offers the perfect environment to build a remote team that feels like a real extension of your office.
In this article, we’ll explore why relying on freelancers can hold your business back, the advantages of building a dedicated team in LATAM, and the exact steps to make it happen.
The Limitations of Freelancers
Freelancers can be a quick solution for one-off tasks, but when it comes to scaling a business, the cracks start to show. Here are some of the most common challenges U.S. companies face when relying too heavily on freelance talent:
Lack of Commitment
Freelancers are independent contractors juggling multiple clients at once. Your project might be a priority today, but tomorrow it could easily slip down their list. That lack of long-term buy-in makes it hard to count on consistent dedication.
High Turnover and Inconsistency
Need to replace a freelancer mid-project? It happens often. This creates delays, disrupts workflows, and forces your in-house team to adapt to new people constantly.
Scaling Problems
Freelancers work well when you need one or two tasks done, but try building a 10-person department out of freelancers and you’ll quickly run into communication, accountability, and management headaches.
Limited Integration
Because freelancers aren’t embedded in your culture or processes, they rarely feel like part of the team. That disconnect can weaken collaboration and lower the quality of work.
Hidden Costs
Freelancers may look cheaper upfront, but turnover, retraining, missed deadlines, and duplicated efforts often add up to more than hiring a dedicated team.
Why LATAM Is Different
While freelancers often operate as short-term, transactional workers, professionals in Latin America (LATAM) bring something entirely different to the table: long-term commitment and real team integration.
Here’s why companies across the U.S. are shifting their focus from freelancers to building LATAM teams:
Time-Zone Alignment
Unlike teams in Asia or Eastern Europe, LATAM professionals share similar working hours with U.S. companies. This makes collaboration seamless, eliminating the need to wait overnight for responses or struggle with late-night calls.
Cultural Compatibility
LATAM shares many cultural values with the U.S., from business etiquette to communication style, which makes onboarding smoother and teamwork more natural. You’re not just hiring skills, you’re hiring people who fit into your company’s culture.
Cost Efficiency Without Sacrificing Quality
Hiring in LATAM can cut costs by up to 70% compared to U.S. salaries, while still giving you access to highly educated, experienced professionals. Instead of stretching your budget thin with freelancers, you can build a stable team that grows with you.
Strong Technical and Soft Skills
From software engineers to marketers to finance professionals, LATAM talent is globally competitive. Beyond hard skills, LATAM professionals also bring adaptability, loyalty, and collaboration; qualities that freelancers often lack.
Long-Term Reliability
Unlike freelancers who move from project to project, LATAM professionals are seeking steady, long-term opportunities. This creates continuity, reduces turnover, and gives your business a team that’s invested in your mission.
The Benefits of Building a Real Team in LATAM
Switching from freelancers to a dedicated team in LATAM is all about transforming the way your business operates. A real team offers stability, scalability, and commitment that freelancers simply can’t provide. Here are the biggest benefits:
Stability and Retention
LATAM professionals are looking for long-term growth, not one-off gigs. This means less turnover, fewer disruptions, and a team that becomes more effective the longer they work with you.
Better Collaboration and Productivity
A real team works together toward shared goals. With consistent communication, aligned schedules, and a sense of belonging, projects move faster and deliver better results.
Access to Specialized Talent Pools
Whether you need software developers, marketers, finance experts, or customer support reps, LATAM offers deep talent pools across multiple industries. Instead of piecing together freelancers with mixed expertise, you can build a multidisciplinary team that works in sync.
Long-Term Cost Savings
Freelancers may look cheaper per task, but constant replacements, quality issues, and inefficiencies add up. By building a team in LATAM, you invest in people who grow with your company, delivering far greater value over time while still cutting costs by up to 70% compared to U.S. salaries.
Stronger Company Culture
A dedicated team integrates into your culture, processes, and vision. This fosters loyalty, accountability, and pride in the work being done, something that’s nearly impossible to achieve with a rotating list of freelancers.
Key Roles You Can Build in LATAM
One of the biggest advantages of hiring in Latin America is the breadth of roles you can fill with highly skilled professionals. Instead of juggling multiple freelancers across different countries and platforms, you can centralize your hiring and build a cohesive, long-term team.
Here are some of the most in-demand roles U.S. companies successfully build in LATAM:
Software Development
From full-stack engineers to QA testers, LATAM is home to a rapidly growing tech workforce trained in the latest tools and frameworks. Many have experience working with U.S. startups and can integrate quickly into agile development cycles.
Marketing & Sales
LATAM professionals bring both creativity and strategy. You can find skilled digital marketers, content creators, SDRs (Sales Development Reps), and account executives who understand how to drive growth in competitive markets.
Finance & Operations
Controllers, analysts, and operations managers in LATAM are detail-oriented and process-driven, helping U.S. businesses run smoothly and make smarter financial decisions at a fraction of U.S. costs.
Customer Support
With strong English proficiency and cultural alignment, LATAM-based support teams can provide excellent service to U.S. customers. Their overlapping time zones mean faster response times and a better overall customer experience.
Design & Creative
Graphic designers, UX/UI specialists, and creative directors from LATAM have a global perspective and competitive portfolios, making them ideal for startups and brands looking to stand out.
How to Build Your Latin American Team Step by Step
Building a dedicated team in LATAM doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right process, you can go from identifying your needs to having a fully operational team in just a few weeks. Here’s how to make it happen:
Define Your Roles and Requirements
Start by listing the positions you need and the skills required. Be specific about whether you’re looking for short-term project support or permanent, full-time roles that grow with your company.
Choose the Right Hiring Model
Decide whether you’ll hire directly or partner with a specialized nearshoring agency. Direct hiring gives you full control but requires more resources. Partnering with experts in LATAM hiring (like South) speeds up the process and ensures vetted candidates.
Source and Vet Candidates
Don’t just look at résumés. Conduct structured interviews to test both technical and soft skills, and evaluate cultural fit to ensure long-term success.
Onboard with Clear Systems and Processes
Set expectations early. Provide tools, workflows, and communication guidelines so your new hires feel like part of the team from day one.
Focus on Retention and Growth
LATAM talent is loyal, but only if you invest in them. Offer competitive salaries, opportunities for advancement, and a strong company culture. This keeps your team engaged and reduces costly turnover.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with access to incredible talent, many U.S. companies make avoidable mistakes when building teams in LATAM. Steering clear of these pitfalls will save you time, money, and frustration:
Treating LATAM Professionals Like Freelancers
One of the biggest mistakes is hiring full-time LATAM talent but managing them as if they were gig workers. Without proper integration, they won’t feel part of the team, which leads to disengagement and turnover.
Ignoring Culture and Onboarding
Skipping onboarding or not sharing company values leaves new hires feeling disconnected. Take the time to explain your processes, mission, and expectations; it pays off in loyalty and performance.
Offering Below-Market Salaries
Yes, hiring in LATAM is cost-effective, but underpaying professionals is a quick way to lose them. Competitive local salaries are still far below U.S. levels, so invest fairly to retain top talent.
Not Providing Career Development
Freelancers expect short-term gigs. LATAM team members, on the other hand, look for growth. Without training opportunities, promotions, or clear career paths, even your best hires may move on.
Failing to Build Relationships
Your team isn’t just a set of tasks; they’re people. Recognizing accomplishments, celebrating milestones, and building personal connections make LATAM teams more loyal and engaged.
The Takeaway
Freelancers can help you get started, but they can’t take you where you want to go. If you’re serious about scaling your company, building consistency, and creating a culture of loyalty, the answer is clear: you need a real team. And right now, Latin America offers one of the best opportunities in the world to do it.
By hiring in LATAM, you gain access to world-class professionals who share your time zone, understand your business culture, and are ready to commit long-term. The cost savings are significant, but the real value lies in the stability, collaboration, and innovation that a dedicated team brings.
It’s time to stop patching gaps with freelancers and start investing in a workforce that grows with you.
At South, we specialize in helping U.S. companies build high-performing LATAM teams. From software developers to marketers and finance pros, we connect you with vetted candidates who are ready to make an impact.
Book a call today and meet pre-vetted candidates this week; your next key hire might be just a click away!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why not just stick with freelancers?
Freelancers are fine for one-off tasks, but they often lack commitment, consistency, and loyalty. A dedicated team in LATAM gives you stability, long-term collaboration, and professionals who integrate into your company culture.
How much can I save by hiring in LATAM?
On average, U.S. companies save 50–70% on salaries by building teams in Latin America compared to U.S.-based hires without lowering the bar on quality.
Do LATAM professionals speak English fluently?
Yes. Many LATAM professionals are bilingual and have experience working with U.S. companies. Countries like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile have strong English proficiency rates among professionals in tech, marketing, and business.
What industries benefit most from hiring in LATAM?
Software development, marketing, finance, customer support, operations, and creative roles are among the most common and most successful functions U.S. companies build in LATAM.
How do I make sure my LATAM team feels connected?
Invest in proper onboarding, use collaborative tools (Slack, Notion, Jira, etc.), and treat your LATAM team as true colleagues, not outsourced contractors. This builds loyalty and long-term performance.
