Case Study: World Resources Institute expands global workforce and cuts hiring costs 40% with Safeguard Global

Research-driven NGO adds more on-the-ground workers to make a local impact on a global scale

World Resources Institute (WRI), a research-driven NGO working to halve global emissions and protect vulnerable populations, needed to hire technical and policy staff on the ground in countries where it had no local entity. Facing complex local labor laws, visa needs, benefits requirements and gaps during entity setup (notably in Kenya), WRI sought a provider to manage legal, payroll and HR administration — ultimately selecting Safeguard Global’s Global Employment Outsourcing (GEO) employer-of-record service.

Safeguard Global’s GEO solution provided a single point of contact, local HR partners and standardized processes so WRI could legally employ staff across six continents (including Kenya, Australia, Sweden, Philippines, Colombia, Canada, Belgium and Argentina) and sponsor visas as needed. The partnership enabled WRI to onboard 18 employees in Kenya while entity registration is completed, integrate outsourced workers into WRI systems, and realize about 40% savings in global hiring costs — letting WRI focus on strategy while Safeguard Global handles compliance and payroll.

World Resources Institute

Shefaali Desai

HR International Manager Global Human Resources