I just wanted to ask...

Yes. Black Piano provides Employer of Record services, but we are much more than a traditional EOR platform. A standard EOR usually helps you legally employ someone in another country without setting up your own local entity. That normally means handling employment contracts, payroll, taxes, statutory benefits, compliance, onboarding and offboarding. Black Piano does all of that. But where we go further is that EOR is only one part of our end-to-end service. We also help you find the right candidates, manage the recruitment process, negotiate compensation, handle onboarding, provide equipment and home-office support, manage payroll and benefits, and give ongoing HR support through real people rather than a self-serve platform.

Not by default, but we can support outsourcing where it is the right model. Most Black Piano clients use us to build dedicated remote teams. That said, Black Piano can also provide outsourcing services when a client wants us to take fuller responsibility for delivery. In an outsourcing model, we can set up and manage a team or function on your behalf, with responsibility shifting to us against agreed KPIs and service levels. This can work well for functions such as finance, system maintenance, IT support, customer support or other clearly defined operational areas.

Yes, recruitment is a major part of what Black Piano does, but we are not a traditional recruitment agency. A traditional recruiter usually helps you find candidates, charges a placement fee, and then steps away once the hire is made. Black Piano works differently. We find and screen candidates, manage the interview process, negotiate compensation, handle contracts, legally employ the person, onboard them, provide equipment and home-office support, run payroll and benefits, and continue supporting the hire through our remote HR services. With us, recruitment is the starting point, not the whole service. Once you choose the right person, Black Piano becomes the legal employer and manages the employment, payroll, compliance and HR responsibilities behind the scenes.

Black Piano helps you build a dedicated remote team without the headache of international recruitment, employment, payroll, compliance and HR. We combine three services in one: Recruitment: Sourcing, screening, interviews, checks and salary negotiation. EOR: Legal employment, contracts, payroll, tax, benefits and compliance. Remote HR: Onboarding, retention, performance support and offboarding. Unlike a traditional recruiter, we do not disappear after the hire is made. Unlike a basic EOR platform, we help you find the person in the first place and support them after they start. All this while ensuring huge savings of up to 70% and 98% employee retention!

Yes. Black Piano can very well support larger hiring projects. Our Grow Big plan is designed for businesses hiring 10 or more full-time permanent staff. For larger teams, Black Piano can provide: Dedicated Recruiter, Dedicated People Manager, Candidate sourcing and screening, English-language assessment, Criminal record and credit checks, Contracts, payroll, tax and compliance, Benefits, pension and healthcare, Equipment and home-office setup, 03:00-22:00 GMT support line, Visa processing where required.

Yes. Black Piano supports smaller hiring needs as well as larger team builds. Our Start Small plan is designed for one full-time permanent hire, and can be used when you only need one or two people. For a permanent hire, Black Piano can provide: Candidate sourcing and screening, English-language assessment, Criminal record and credit checks, Contracts, payroll, tax and compliance, Benefits, pension and healthcare, Equipment and home-office setup, Two-week onboarding support. If you only need someone for a short-term project, our Quick Fix option supports a full-time contract hire with custom pricing, no probation, two-week notice, payroll, taxes, compliance and multi-currency payments.

Generally, yes. Black Piano is built around remote hiring because it is usually the most cost-effective way to build an international team. However, remote-first does not mean remote-only in every situation. If you need to bring a team member to the UK, Black Piano can also support UK visa sponsorship and Skilled Worker visa processing. BP holds a UK Sponsor Licence and can help with short-term or longer-term visa routes where required.

Black Piano works with clients internationally, including businesses in the UK, United States, South Africa, Australia and across Europe. For hiring, India is Black Piano’s core market. We work extensively with Indian talent because of the depth of skills, English-language capability, cost advantages and experience working with international teams.

Black Piano works with start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, digital agencies, technology companies, energy companies and larger consulting businesses. Some clients come to us because they are hiring remotely for the first time and want a partner to guide the process. Others already have offshore or international teams and need help finding better talent, scaling faster or improving retention. We can support a single hire, a small team or a larger scale-up project across functions such as development, performance marketing, finance, operations, sales, customer support, IT support, data and creative roles.

Black Piano hires most commonly in India, where the time zone is GMT+5.5. During British Summer Time, India is 4.5 hours ahead of the UK. Most remote staff are willing to work flexibly to suit your business, and many clients use a working pattern with enough overlap for meetings, collaboration and day-to-day communication. The exact schedule should be agreed during the hiring process, based on the role, the client’s location and the level of real-time collaboration needed.

Black Piano works exclusively with Indian talent because India has a long track record of supporting international businesses, with more than 30 years’ experience in outsourcing and global delivery. India offers a strong combination of: Large skilled talent pool, Strong English-language capability, Experience working with international companies, Stable business environment, Competitive employment costs, Reliable internet and remote-working infrastructure. Black Piano also adds safeguards to the hiring process. Before hiring, we carry out candidate screening, English-language assessment, and criminal record and credit checks where required. Once hired, staff are legally employed by Black Piano, supported by our HR team and set up to work effectively from home.

Black Piano does not believe quality is a country problem. Quality depends on the hiring process, role clarity, communication, training and regular performance feedback. India has a large, educated talent pool with strong English-language capability and more than 30 years’ experience supporting international businesses. But good hiring still needs structure. That is why Black Piano uses a proper recruitment and screening process, including: Candidate screening, Resume review, Video introduction, English-language assessment, Criminal record and credit checks, Screening call with a recruiter, Pre-interview with a Director, Pre-negotiated compensation package. Clients also interview candidates directly, using video interviews, technical tasks or live tasks where appropriate. This helps ensure the person is right for the role, not just available.

Not at all. India has deep technical talent, but it also has strong capability across marketing, finance, operations, data, support and creative roles. Popular roles we help clients hire include: Accountants, Bookkeepers, Copywriters, Graphic Designers, Personal Assistants, SEO Experts, Google Ads Experts, Social Media Managers, Data Engineers, Business Analysts, IT Support Specialists, QA Testers, AI and Machine Learning Specialists.

India has a large, educated workforce, strong English-language capability and more than 30 years’ experience supporting international businesses through outsourcing and global delivery. Its talent market is broad enough to support technical, creative, finance, operations, marketing, data and support roles. India is also cost-effective because of lower local employment costs and favourable exchange rates. That means you can often hire high-quality remote staff at a significantly lower cost (up to 70% with us) than equivalent UK salaries, without reducing the standard of talent. Black Piano adds the structure around that talent: recruitment, legal employment, payroll, compliance, equipment, HR support and retention.

Black Piano supports causes that reflect who we are as a business: people, opportunity and inclusion. We support Dasve Public School in Lavasa, near Pune, India. The school educates children aged 4 to 12 from underprivileged villages, but has faced funding challenges affecting teachers, resources and maintenance. Black Piano members voluntarily contribute from their salaries each month, and Black Piano doubles those contributions. We also support WheelPower, the UK’s national charity for wheelchair sport, based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. Black Piano donates 5% of annual profits to WheelPower. Alongside this, we are working towards carbon neutral by measuring our carbon footprint, limiting unnecessary travel and choosing partners carefully.

Black Piano is comprehensively insured, giving clients extra reassurance when building a remote team with us. Our insurance cover includes: Employers’ liability, Professional indemnity, Public and products liability, Property insurance, Legal protection, Management liability. Black Piano is not only sourcing candidates. We legally employ remote staff, manage payroll and benefits, provide HR support, and help clients build long-term remote teams. Having appropriate business insurance in place is part of running that service responsibly and protecting the relationship between Black Piano, our clients and the people we employ.

Black Piano has a 98% staff retention rate. That is not accidental. Retention is built into how we hire, employ and support remote staff from day one. We focus on keeping people happy, motivated and secure through: Dedicated HR support, Regular pastoral check-ins, Reward and recognition, Benefits, pension and healthcare, Equipment and home-office setup, Internet connectivity support, Access to Black Piano offices, Support with conflict resolution, Performance improvement plans where needed. Clients still manage day-to-day work, but Black Piano manages the employment and HR support behind the scenes. That helps issues get spotted early, morale stay high and good people stay for the long term.

Black Piano is remote-first, so most staff work from home. We support remote working properly, including equipment, home-office setup and internet connectivity where required. Staff are also welcome to work from Black Piano’s office in Pune, India, where that suits the role or the individual. For remote roles, the key requirement is a quiet, comfortable place to work and a stable internet connection during working hours. Staff can work from anywhere in India, but if they intend to travel and work internationally, they should speak to their People Manager first.

Black Piano is British-owned, with our CEO Jonathan based in the UK, and most of our team based in India. That structure gives clients the best of both worlds: a UK-led partner that understands local business expectations, and an India-based team with deep knowledge of recruitment, employment, HR and remote team management. Most Black Piano staff live across India and work from home, with access to our office in Pune where appropriate.

Black Piano charges VAT where UK VAT rules require it. If your business is registered in the UK, VAT is usually charged on your Black Piano invoice. If your business is registered outside the UK, UK VAT is usually not charged, because business-to-business services are generally taxed where the customer belongs. This follows the UK “place of supply” rules for services. In simple terms: if the supply is treated as made in the UK, UK VAT applies. If the supply is treated as outside the UK, it is outside the scope of UK VAT.

Black Piano offers different hiring terms depending on the type of hire. For monthly permanent hires, there is a 6-week probation period, then a 2-month notice period that can be given at any time. For annual permanent hires, there is no probation period, but there is a 12-month fixed term. For Quick Fix contract hires, there is no probation period and a 2-week notice period at any time. So, there is not one fixed term for every hire. The right structure depends on whether you need a short-term contractor, a monthly permanent hire, or an annual permanent hire.

Yes. Black Piano can help you hire short-term staff when you need flexible support for a project, a busy period or a temporary skills gap. For short-term requirements, we can support hourly or fixed-term hiring. We source suitable candidates, arrange interviews, handle contracting and payments, and provide HR management in the same way we would for a permanent hire. Black Piano also offers a Quick Fix option for one full-time contract hire. This includes: Custom pricing, No probation period, 2-week notice period, 5-day resume turnaround, English-language assessment, Payroll, taxes and compliance, Multi-currency payments.

Yes. Black Piano can support part-time hiring through our freelance and short-term services. For part-time requirements, we can help you hire on an hourly or fixed-term basis. Black Piano will source suitable candidates, arrange interviews, manage contracts and payments, and provide ongoing support throughout the engagement. This works well when you need flexible capacity, specialist skills, project support or a role that does not require a full-time permanent hire. For long-term, business-critical roles, full-time hiring will usually offer better value and stronger continuity.

Black Piano accepts payment in GBP, USD and EUR. You pay Black Piano directly through a single monthly invoice. Black Piano then manages the staff compensation package, payroll, taxes and compliance behind the scenes. This means you do not need to pay remote staff directly or manage separate local employment payments yourself.

People we hire for you are outside the scope of IR35, because they are legal employees of Black Piano and are not providing services through their own personal service company or intermediary. IR35, also called the off-payroll working rules, is mainly relevant where a contractor provides services through their own intermediary, such as a personal service company. In Black Piano’s remote hiring model, we legally employ the staff member, manage payroll, taxes, benefits and compliance, and supply their services to you.

Black Piano is the legal employer of the remote staff we hire for you. We take care of the employment contract, payroll, taxes, statutory benefits, pension, healthcare, local compliance and HR admin. Your hire is employed by Black Piano, but works exclusively for your business, like a permanent member of your team.

No. You pay Black Piano through one simple monthly invoice. Black Piano then pays the staff compensation package and manages payroll, taxes, compliance and employment administration behind the scenes. This keeps things clean for you: no separate overseas payments, no local payroll setup and no need to pay remote staff directly.

Black Piano’s management fee covers the service and support wrapped around your remote hire. This includes: Talent sourcing and recruitment support, Payroll, taxes and compliance, HR management, Laptop and equipment, Internet connectivity, Home-office setup, Office space where needed, Healthcare and pension support. The fee is separate from the staff member’s salary and total employment costs. We keep the pricing simple: you pay the staff compensation package plus Black Piano’s monthly management fee.

Black Piano uses simple, transparent pricing: you pay the staff member’s Total Cost of Employment plus our monthly management fee. Our pricing starts from £550 per month + TCOE for one full-time permanent hire on the monthly Start Small plan, or £500 per month + TCOE on the annual plan. For larger teams, we have the Grow Big plan giving 10% off for 10 or more full-time permanent hires. For short-term contract hires, Quick Fix is custom priced. There are no recruitment fees, upfront fees, starting fees or hidden fees.

No. Black Piano works with start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as larger companies. Remote hiring can be especially useful for smaller businesses because it gives access to a wider talent pool without the cost and admin of setting up overseas employment, payroll and HR infrastructure. And the best thing? You do not need to hire a whole department to make it work. You can start with just one important hire, and when you need more, Black Piano is here to help!

No. Black Piano can help you start with just one hire. In fact, starting small is often the best way to build a remote team properly. You can bring in one person, get the working rhythm right, and then grow when you are ready. We can support a single permanent hire, a short-term contract hire, or a larger team build. The right structure depends on what you need now and how quickly you want to scale.

Black Piano usually starts first-round interviews within 3-5 working days once you decide to hire. The candidate market moves quickly, so a clear and efficient interview process really helps. In a typical hiring process, selection is often made within another 3-5 working days, and the candidate can usually start 3-5 working days after selection. Overall, a 3-4 week total timeline is typical.

Black Piano helps you shape an interview process that feels similar to hiring locally but works well for remote candidates. Before you meet anyone, we source and screen suitable candidates. Each candidate is shared with a resume and pre-negotiated compensation package. The interview process can include: Video introductions, Video interviews, Technical tasks, Live tasks, Practical role-based assessments. You stay involved in the decision-making throughout. We help coordinate the process, keep candidates moving and advise on structure, but the final hiring decision is yours.

You manage the staff day to day. They work exclusively for your business, so you set their priorities, assign work, provide training, give feedback and manage performance expectations. This gives you control over delivery, while we handle the people management, employment admin and local support that keep remote staff settled and motivated. If you want Black Piano to take fuller responsibility for delivery, we can also discuss an outsourcing model with agreed responsibilities, KPIs and service levels.

No. Black Piano is built around personal service, not a self-serve platform. You work with real recruiters, HR managers and people managers who handle the work behind the scenes. That includes recruitment, onboarding, payroll, HR support, benefits, equipment, check-ins and staff support. You still manage your team’s day-to-day work directly, but you do not have to log into a portal to figure everything out yourself. If you need help, you speak to people who know your team and understand your business.