Scaling smarter: How Hiline brought global expertise into their team

How It Began

Hiline’s name is inspired by the High Line in New York City, a bold urban project that transformed an abandoned railway into a thriving community space. That same spirit of transformation runs through Hiline’s approach to financial services: breathing new energy into a traditional industry and helping small businesses see possibilities where others see roadblocks – Hiline(opens in a new tab). 

As Morgan Siewert, Hiline’s Head of Finance, explained recently when we sat down with her for our fireside chat, “How Justworks Helps Small Businesses Scale International Hiring”(opens in a new tab), “Our mission: Make small business finances stress-free, so founders and operators can focus on building great companies.” Hiline blends advanced technology with human expertise to automate tedious tasks, deliver accurate financial insights, and provide the strategic guidance that keeps businesses moving forward.

Already a fully remote U.S.-based team, Hiline had been considering international hiring for some time. The decision to expand abroad wasn’t about chasing trends, it was about aligning the company’s capabilities with its clients’ needs. To make those hires, Hiline needed a partner that could navigate the complexity of global compliance, benefits, and payroll. Partnering with Justworks allowed them to focus on delivering high-value financial services while Justworks handled the details of hiring and supporting employees across borders.

With a growing team and a strong operational foundation, Hiline continues to deliver on its mission through the help of Justworks, transforming the way small businesses manage their finances and creating new opportunities for growth, wherever their clients and team members are in the world.

Global Reach, Local Compliance

For Hiline, going global was not about chasing growth for growth’s sake, it was about meeting client needs and unlocking new opportunities. In the UK, they already had an existing U.S.-based employee who was living abroad there, and saw a need for a local presence to connect directly with clients. In India, they sought specialized technical expertise to strengthen operations. Both moves were strategic, designed to position the company for long-term scalability.

The challenge? Every country has its own set of complex compliance rules, tax regulations, and employment protections, many of which differ significantly from the U.S. Partnering with Justworks through our Employer Of Record (EOR) solution allowed Hiline to hire quickly without taking on the cost and time of setting up legal entities.

Significantly more employee protections exist outside the U.S. It was helpful to have someone who understands the local compliance landscape,

With Justworks handling the legal details, Hiline could focus on finding the right talent and integrating them into the team. Justworks helped Hiline navigate the different labor laws, tax regulations, and employee protections in each country, ensuring every hire met local compliance requirements.

From understanding employee contracts in the UK to structuring benefits in India, the Justworks team provided clear guidance at every step. This level of compliance support meant Hiline could expand internationally with confidence, avoiding costly mistakes and keeping operations aligned with local laws.

Dedicated Partnership

Hiring internationally is exciting, but it can also feel intimidating, especially when it involves transitioning contractors to full-time employees, or onboarding an employee who has moved overseas. Hiline experienced both scenarios, and in each case, Justworks provided step-by-step support to ensure nothing was missed.

From the start, having a dedicated Justworks representative was a non-negotiable for Hiline. That consistent, personal point of contact meant quick answers, clear guidance, and the confidence that everything was set up correctly from day one.

“Having a dedicated customer service rep with Justworks made a really big difference. It gave us the confidence that things were being handled right from the beginning,”

This hands-on partnership helped Hiline overcome the learning curve of global hiring and allowed the company to scale at a pace that worked for them.

Justworks’ dedicated account managers work to anticipate challenges and provide solutions tailored to each company’s goals. For Hiline, this meant navigating complex compliance questions without delay, ensuring every international hire was set up for success, and allowing the leadership team to focus on strategic growth instead of HR roadblocks.

Seamless Employee Experience

At Hiline, the employee experience is just as important as the client experience. They wanted their entire team to feel connected and supported. Achieving that meant providing culturally competitive, locally compliant benefits without having to become an expert in each country’s benefit systems.

With Justworks, Hiline could offer health insurance, pension contributions, and paid time off that met local standards while keeping payroll for domestic and international employees on one platform. This not only streamlined internal processes but also strengthened company culture by ensuring consistency across the team.

Having all our employees on a single platform, domestically and internationally, didn’t seem possible a year ago. Justworks made it happen.

The result is a cohesive, global team that can work together seamlessly, no matter the distance. The platform’s built-in compliance for each country meant employees received the protections and perks they were entitled to without added administrative work for Hiline. 

Transform Your Strategy with Easy, Global Talent Access

Hiline has built a modern financial services company by pairing expert insights with innovative technology. Partnering with Justworks gave them the tools, guidance, and flexibility to scale internationally, without the stress of managing compliance and entity incorporation. 

Justworks provides solutions for payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR both domestically and abroad, so businesses like Hiline can grow confidently. Ready to take your business global? Partner with Justworks today.