How to hire creative talent in Pakistan
Pakistan has a growing digital creative sector centred on Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, much of it built around agencies serving domestic brands and a substantial freelance population working for clients abroad.
What the creative pool in Pakistan actually looks like.
Graphic design and video editing are the deepest pools, with motion design growing quickly on the back of social content work. 3D is present but thinner.
- Graphic design
- Video editing
- Motion design
- Social content
Language, hours, contracts and getting paid.
- Urdu, with English used throughout professional and academic settings.
- Five hours ahead of London.
- Payoneer is the most common route. Confirm the arrangement early, as routes for receiving foreign currency have been subject to change.
- Most agencies engage people here as independent contractors on a monthly retainer, which does not require a local entity. The contractor invoices you and handles their own tax locally.
The boards people in Pakistan actually use.
Job hunting is local. The global boards you already know have almost no audience here, and the sites that do are not in English and mostly will not take a posting from a company without a local presence.
Established board with good coverage outside Karachi and Lahore.
The primary general job board in Pakistan.
What catches foreign agencies out.
Power and connectivity interruptions still affect some areas. Ask about backup arrangements for delivery deadlines.
A large freelance population means many candidates are juggling several clients. Be explicit about the hours you expect.
Or skip all of it and post once.
Everything above is doable on your own. It takes a local number, a local entity on some boards, a translated description and somebody to read applications in English. Elsewhere does that part for you. You write the role once in English, pick your markets, and upload examples of the work you want. We translate it, post it to the local boards, pay the posting fees, and score every applicant’s portfolio against your references before you see them.
- One job description in English, plus examples of the work you are looking for.
- Translation into English, posting to the local boards, and the fees they charge.
- Applicants ranked by how closely their portfolio matches the work you uploaded.
Do I need a local entity to hire someone in Pakistan?
Not to engage a contractor. Most agencies engage people here as independent contractors on a monthly retainer, which does not require a local entity. The contractor invoices you and handles their own tax locally. Employing someone on a local payroll is a different question and does normally require an entity or an employer of record.
What language should I write the job description in?
Urdu, with English used throughout professional and academic settings. Elsewhere translates your English description into the local language automatically, so you write it once.
Which job boards should I post on in Pakistan?
The boards that matter locally are Mustakbil, Rozee.pk. Elsewhere posts to them for you and covers the posting fees.
How much overlap will I get with my working day?
Five hours ahead of London.
How do I pay someone in Pakistan?
Payoneer is the most common route. Confirm the arrangement early, as routes for receiving foreign currency have been subject to change.