Budget but no headcount: how to hire AI talent anyway

It is one of the most common situations in large Hong Kong and Taiwan companies today: the board wants AI results, the budget exists, but headcount is frozen. The work does not get done because nobody can be hired to do it.

How outsourced hiring works

The partner recruits the person to your specification and becomes their legal employer, handling the employment contract, salary, MPF, insurance and HR administration. The person works full-time inside your team and takes direction from you. You pay the salary and statutory costs plus a monthly service fee, usually from an operating budget rather than a headcount line.

When it fits

• Headcount is frozen but budget is approved.
• You want to test a new AI function before creating permanent roles.
• You do not have a local entity in the market where the person is based.
• You need someone quickly for a defined period, typically 6 to 12 months.

What to check first

• Finance treatment: confirm with finance how the cost is classified.
• Duration and renewal: agree an initial term and how extensions work.
• Conversion: agree in advance the fee and process if you later hire the person directly.
• Supervision: the person reports to your manager day to day, so make sure someone owns their objectives.
• Compliance: confirm the arrangement fits your company policies and local employment rules.

The result

You get the person you need, inside your team, without waiting for next year's headcount plan. If it works, you can convert the role to permanent; if priorities change, the arrangement can end at the agreed term. See how outsourced hiring works at GI Executive.