# Latin American professionals already in Europe: the talent pool most companies miss Source: https://www.tessera.partners/insights/latin-american-professionals-in-europe Language: en Last updated: 2026-10-02 Insight Many senior Latin American professionals already live and work in Europe. They speak Spanish or Portuguese, often a third language, and know European workplaces from the inside. Most companies miss them because they search either locally or in Latin America, and this group sits between the two. Here is how to reach them. Published October 2, 2026 · Updated October 2, 2026 · By [Lidiane](https://www.tessera.partners/team/lidiane) ## Who are these professionals? They are engineers, finance professionals, salespeople, product people and managers who grew up in Latin America. They moved to Europe for study, work or family. Some arrived recently. Others have built a full career here and lead teams. The group is large. On 1 January 2025, Colombians were the second largest foreign nationality in Spain, with about 677,000 residents ([INE, Estadística Continua de Población](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/ECP4T24.htm)). Brazilians are the largest foreign community in Portugal, about 31% of foreign residents at the end of 2024 ([AIMA, Migration and Asylum Report 2024](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/a-aima/relatorios-de-migracoes-e-asilo)). Not all of them are senior professionals, of course, but the pool is real and growing. ## Why do most companies miss them? Most searches start with a location. A company in Amsterdam searches in the Netherlands. A company that wants Latin American talent searches in São Paulo or Buenos Aires. The professionals who live in one place but come from the other fall through the gap. Job boards make it worse. Senior people who already have good jobs rarely apply to posts. Their profiles also rarely show the languages or regional experience that matter to you. You find them through referrals, communities and networks that know both sides. ## What do they bring to a European company? - **Languages.** Native Spanish or Portuguese, strong English and often Italian, French, German or Dutch. - **Two sets of norms.** They know how Latin American customers and teams work, and how European offices make decisions. - **Time zone.** They work in your hours, which matters for leadership roles. - **Experience of change.** Moving countries and rebuilding a career builds resilience and adaptability, which helps in growing companies. For companies expanding into Latin America, Spain or Portugal, this mix is hard to find anywhere else. If you want to [hire Latin American talent in Europe](https://www.tessera.partners/for/european-companies), we search in both regions at once. ## Which roles suit this talent pool best? Any senior role can work, but some benefit more than others. Roles that face Latin American, Spanish or Portuguese customers gain the most from native language and market knowledge. Regional leadership roles benefit from people who understand both the headquarters and the local teams. Technical roles such as engineering, data and product also fit well, because many of these professionals moved to Europe through tech companies. Finance and operations roles in shared service centers often look for the same mix of languages and process discipline. Roles that need deep local knowledge of a European market, such as public sector sales in Germany, may still need a local hire. Be honest about that in the brief. ## What should you check before you hire? The main practical question is the right to work. EU citizens can work in any EU country without a work permit ([Your Europe](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/work-abroad/index_en.htm)). Many Latin Americans in Europe hold an EU passport. Others need a permit, such as the EU Blue Card for highly qualified workers ([European Commission](https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/working-another-eu-country/non-eu-nationals_en)). | What to check | Why it matters | When to ask | | --- | --- | --- | | Right to work in your country | Defines whether you can hire directly and how fast | First conversation | | Languages and level | Native language plus English and any local language | Test on real tasks during screening | | Notice period | Some countries and contracts have long notice | Before the shortlist | | Relocation needs | Even within Europe, a move may be needed | Before final interviews | | Salary expectations | Local market, not Latin American levels | Before you present the candidate | ## How do you reach them? Start with networks, not posts. Ask your own Latin American employees for referrals. Look at professional communities for Latin Americans in your city or sector. Work with a recruiter who has networks on both sides. Write the job brief for this audience. Say which languages matter and why, describe the market the role serves, and show the salary band. Senior candidates respond to a clear, honest brief much more than to a long list of requirements. ## How do you make the offer attractive? This group is often settled. They have a contract, a home and sometimes a family in their European city. A new role has to give them a reason to move that goes beyond salary. - **Scope.** Show how the role uses their languages and regional knowledge, not only their technical skills. - **Growth.** Explain where the role leads in two or three years, especially if it opens a new market. - **Stability.** Be clear about the contract type, probation and notice, because a move between European employers carries real risk. - **Flexibility.** Hybrid work, travel to Latin America and time for family visits matter to many of them. Salary still matters. Benchmark against the local European market, not against Latin American levels. Candidates notice quickly when an offer is built on the wrong reference. ## What does a good first 90 days look like? Plan the start as carefully as the search. In the first month, give the new hire time with the people they will work with in both regions. In the second month, agree on one or two visible results. By day 90, both sides should know whether the role works. Check in often and ask direct questions. People who moved countries are used to adapting quietly, so they may not raise problems early. A short weekly conversation in the first weeks catches small issues before they grow. ## How do you assess them fairly? Assess the work, not the accent or the path. A professional who moved countries may have a less linear CV than a local candidate. That is not a weakness. Ask about results, decisions and how they adapted to new environments. Test languages on real tasks. A short written update in English and a call in the customer's language tell you more than a certificate. For cultural fluency, look at behavior: how the candidate gives feedback, disagrees and makes decisions with incomplete information. ## What we see in real searches In my own searches between Brazil and Europe, the strongest candidates were often not looking. They had good jobs in Lisbon, Milan or Amsterdam. They were open to a move only if the role used everything they knew: the language, the market and the European way of working. We also see companies underestimate how much these professionals value honesty about the role. They have already been through one big move. They ask direct questions about the team, the budget and the plan, and they decide quickly when the answers are clear. Finally, we see that a first hire from this group often becomes a bridge. They help the company understand Latin American customers, and they refer the next hires. ## About the author [Lidiane](https://www.tessera.partners/team/lidiane) Lidiane is Co-Founder of Tessera Partners. She grew up in Brazil and built her career in Italy and the Netherlands, in IT and product networks. She leads searches in Brazil and Portugal. ## Keep reading - [Hire Latin American talent in Europe](https://www.tessera.partners/for/european-companies) - [Recruitment in Brazil](https://www.tessera.partners/brazil) - [The 5-Lens Method](https://www.tessera.partners/methodology) ## Hiring in Europe and want to include this talent pool? [Book a call →](https://cal.com/tessera)