Why I Employ Freelancers From Developing Countries
Spread the money and spread the love
Whenever I need to use freelance for any of my projects, I try to hire ones from developing countries. No, it’s not because I want to pay as little as possible. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I want to help those that are much worse off than I am.
I have already won life’s lottery by being born and educated in the UK. Many reading this will have been born in the US or other Western countries. We’re the lucky ones.
It’s just sheer luck that we were born where we were. Do you think we’d have such a great life if we’d been born in a developing country?
I’ve heard many say that hiring workers from these countries is wrong because we’re taking work away from workers in our home countries. I don’t see any logic to this argument.
We are all citizens of the world. Why does a worker in our home country deserve special treatment? I don’t think they do. I think all people deserve to have an opportunity to better themselves.
Almost everyone talks about inequality and how we need a more equal world. I agree. We do need a more equal world.
For many people, perhaps most, that seems to involve taxing the rich and giving the money to the middle classes. That sounds more like greed to me. Despite what they say, people don’t want an equal world. What they really want is more for themselves by taking it from the rich.
Most people in Western countries have wealth and a lifestyle that’s above the global average. If they want more equality they need to spread their wealth downwards. They need to give to poorer people, not take from richer people.
When we hire a worker from a developing country, we’re not likely taking work away from someone in our home country anyway.
If you have a project that will only be viable by hiring a worker for $5 an hour from a developing country, the alternative would be ditching the project. If it’s not viable above that rate, then you wouldn’t be able to hire a local worker anyway. In this case it’s a straight choice between hiring a working from a developing country or not hiring anyone at all. No worker from our home country losing out.
When I hire workers from developing countries, I always pay them well above what they could earn locally. I don’t hire them just because I want a higher profit. I also want to help them.
In any case, making more profit means I can help more people.
As well as everything I’ve said about, you should also consider the fact that workers from the developing world are often the best people for the job anyway.
If you don’t agree with this, then consider the fact that you already do this indirectly. Almost everything you buy these days is produced by workers in poorer countries. I don’t see many complaining when it means cheaper goods for them.
Let’s create more equality in the world by helping those that are poorer than us. Let’s think about others, not just about ourselves.
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