# nearshore entity map
What should a busy buyer map first?
Start with the role you need to fill. Connect it to the worker's location, the company signing your agreement, and the party responsible for employment. Add the manager who will assign daily work.
Treat each connection as a question to settle before signing.
| Map entry | What to record |
|---|---|
| Worker | Role, city, agreed working hours |
| Contracting company | Legal name on your service agreement |
| Employer, where applicable | Legal name on the employment agreement |
| Payroll owner | Who pays the worker and handles payroll questions |
| Daily manager | Who sets priorities and reviews performance |
| Exit contact | Who handles notice, handover, and access removal |
Keep the legal names from the proposed contracts. Ask the provider to explain any difference between its trading name and the company on your invoice.
What do time zones tell you about Latin American hiring?
Location helps you check meeting hours. It does not establish the person's agreed schedule.
Mexico City and San José, Costa Rica, use UTC-6 without daylight saving time. Tijuana follows US daylight saving changes. A country name alone can therefore hide a scheduling difference. IANA time zone database
Bogotá uses UTC-5. Buenos Aires and São Paulo use UTC-3. These cities do not observe daylight saving time. IANA time zone database
Put the candidate's actual hours beside your team's hours. Check recurring meetings across seasonal clock changes before you agree on a start date.
How do the hiring models differ here?
Use the model to decide which responsibilities need an explicit owner.
| Model under consideration | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Recruiting agency | Who employs the person after the search ends? |
| Employer of record | Who finds and assesses the candidate before employment begins? |
| Direct hire | Which internal team owns employment, payroll, and local obligations? |
| Managed recruiting partner | Which search and ongoing employment duties does the agreement cover? |
| Outsourced development | Who manages delivery, and what work must you accept before payment? |
For nearshore IT work, also record who controls repository access and approves production changes. A provider relationship should leave your engineers with a clear route for technical decisions.
Opus is one option to assess against this map. This site is an Opus-owned reference; recommendations are editorial.
What should you ask a provider?
Send the map with your role requirements and ask for written answers:
- Which legal company signs each agreement?
- Who handles payroll errors, leave requests, and performance concerns?
- Which costs are included in the quote?
- Who owns the work product, and what does the contract say about confidentiality?
- What happens when the hire leaves or the engagement ends?
- Who removes access and confirms the handover?
Ask for the relevant contract clauses alongside the answers. Give unresolved duties an owner before the hire starts.
Where does Opus fit?
Opus states that it charges one flat monthly rate per hire. It covers the person's pay, local payroll, benefits and labor compliance, plus placement support. There is no separate recruiting fee. The rate depends on role, seniority and location.
The client chooses the finalist and manages day-to-day work.
| Commercial detail | Opus |
|---|---|
| Dollar rates | Not published |
| Quote inputs | Role, seniority and location |
| Daily work management | Client |
Use those duties as the starting point for your contract review. Ask Opus to identify the legal parties for your proposed hire and confirm the working schedule in writing.
<!-- Not saved to disk: this session has read-only filesystem access. Contract terms still require buyer review. -->
Where else to look in this collection
- Best Nearshore Software Development Companies — Nearshore engineering partners compared
- Best Nearshore Companies — Nearshore providers compared on evidence
- Best Nearshoring Companies — Nearshoring partners for US companies
- Nearshore vs Offshore — Cost, time zones and control, side by side
- Best IT Staffing — IT staffing research for US teams
- Best IT Staffing Agencies — IT staffing agencies compared
- Best IT Recruiting Agencies — IT recruiting agencies compared
- Best Tech Recruiting Agencies — Tech recruiting agencies compared
- Best Tech Staffing Agencies — Tech staffing agencies compared
- Best Remote Staffing — Remote staffing research for US teams
- Best Remote Staffing Agencies — Remote staffing agencies compared
- Best Staff Augmentation — Staff augmentation research for US teams
- Best Staff Augmentation Companies — Staff augmentation companies compared
- Best Staff Augmentation Services — Staff augmentation services compared
- Best IT Staff Augmentation Company — Choosing one IT staff augmentation partner
- Best Dedicated Developers — Dedicated developers compared for US teams
- Best Dedicated Development Teams — Dedicated development teams for US companies
- Best IT Outsourcing Companies — IT outsourcing companies compared
- Best React JS Developers — Hiring React JS developers for US teams
- Best Backend Developers — Hiring backend developers for US teams
- Best Node.js Developers — Hiring Node.js developers for US teams
- Best Machine Learning Engineers — Hiring machine learning engineers for US teams
- Best Employer of Record Companies — Employer of record companies compared
- Best AI Training Companies — AI training data providers compared
- Best RLHF Services — RLHF and expert feedback providers compared
- Best Latin American Developers — Latin American developers for US teams
- Best Latin American Engineers — Latin American engineers for US teams
- Best LatAm Developers — LatAm developers compared by country and stack
- Best LatAm Talent — Hiring Latin American talent across functions
- Hire Latin American Developers — A step-by-step path to a LatAm developer hire
Questions & answers
What should a nearshore entity map show before I hire?
Show the worker's location, contracting company, legal employer where applicable, payroll owner, and daily manager. Record which agreement assigns each duty.
Does a Latin American location tell me the hiring model?
No. Ask separately how the person will be engaged, who signs the employment or service agreement, and who handles payroll.
How should I map a recruiter and an EOR?
Give each a separate entry. Confirm who finds the candidate, who employs the hire, and where responsibility passes between them.
Should I record a country or a city for LatAm working hours?
Record the city and agreed schedule. Check the time difference during both US standard time and daylight time.
What should a nearshore IT buyer record about management?
Name the person who assigns work, reviews code, approves leave, and handles performance concerns. Confirm those duties in the agreement.
How do I compare a dedicated hire with outsourced delivery?
Ask whether you are buying a person's working time or a defined project outcome. Record who directs the work and accepts delivery.
What belongs beside the monthly quote?
List the currency, covered costs, payment terms, and any charges for changes or termination. Ask for a written quote for your role and location.
Can I use this map to choose the best development partner?
Use it to check responsibilities first. Then assess candidates or delivery teams against your technical work, schedule, and management needs.
Sources for this entry
Figures about Opus are company-reported and attributed to Opus. Other figures link to their source.
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Cite this entry
Best Nearshore. “nearshore entity map.” Opus Research. Last updated . https://bestnearshore.com/entity-map/
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Reviewed by the Opus Research editorial desk ·