Second Talent Reviews & Provider Details

Name: Second Talent
Rating: 4.9 (166 reviews)

Second Talent handles sourcing, screening, contracts and payroll for US startups that want to hire AI-native engineers and specialists from Asia. Clients share the role and stack they need, and Second Talent sends a shortlist of screened candidates, usually within a day. Screening covers technical skills, English, and how candidates use AI coding tools and AI Agents. Most engineers work a shifted schedule to overlap with US hours. Engineers are employed through Second Talent's own entities in nine Asian markets, so you pay one monthly invoice, starting at $29 an hour, with no fee until you hire. If a hire doesn't work out in the first 90 days, Second Talent finds a replacement. Since 2023, Second Talent has helped Adobe, Truckstop, Tom Ferry, Animoca Brands, Lacoste and Neopets build AI-native engineering teams in Asia. Second Talent was founded in 2023 and is based in San Francisco.

Seller

Second Talent

Discussions

Second Talent Community

Languages Supported

English

Services Offered

Contracting, EOR & Payroll, Global Hiring

Locations Serviced

United States

Overview by

Elton Chan

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User Insights

Average based on 166 real user reviews.

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Verified User in Information Technology and Services

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

12/8/2025

"High quality engineers with predictable costs and strong support"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

Their engineers don't need heavy handholding, the ramp up was quick, and they contributed to code reviews and standups in the first week. The service has also been very cost effective compared to similar options we explored. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

We are satisfied with their services and would love to extend our collaboration. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Second Talent solving and how is that benefiting you?

We needed extra engineering capacity for a long-running product module that kept getting deprioritized internally. Second Talent gave us access to dependable engineers without the unpredictable costs we were dealing with before. Their monthly pricing structure made budgeting a lot easier and the talent quality helped us finally move features from backlog into production. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Financial Services

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

2/8/2026

"Fast, Straightforward Communication with Quick, Helpful Responses"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

Communication is fast and straightforward. Whenever there are questions or adjustments needed, their team responds quickly and helps keep things moving Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

Nothing in mind, so far my experience was positive Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Information Technology and Services

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

2/15/2026

"Highly Responsive Team and Smooth Communication"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

Their responsiveness and how easy it is to communicate with their team. Things don’t get stuck for long Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

Nothing major, the experience has been pretty smooth Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Sporting Goods

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

1/26/2026

"Cost-Efficient Hiring with High-Quality Candidates and On-Time Communication"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

About the cost efficiency and candidate quality. The engineers delivered solid output and communication was always on time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

More insight into future talent availability would be helpful Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Information Technology and Services

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

8/5/2025

"Reliable, fast, and high-quality support from skilled professionals"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

The talents provided are not only fast and accurate but also genuinely skilled at what they do. Their communication is smooth, they pick up processes quickly, and the quality of work is consistently high. It honestly feels like having an extension of our in-house team. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

Nothing major so far! If I had to mention something, it would be the occasional need for more detailed onboarding depending on the role — but that’s true for any external support. Once onboarded, the performance is excellent. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Second Talent:

Be clear about what you need and the kind of support you're looking for. Second Talent will match you with someone who fits really well. Great option if you’re looking for fast, skilled, and dependable help without the hassle of traditional hiring. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Second Talent solving and how is that benefiting you?

Second Talent helps us scale quickly without compromising on quality. We needed reliable support for client outreach and lead generation, and the team consistently delivers with speed and precision. It’s been a huge time-saver and helps us stay focused on strategy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Apparel & Fashion

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

Originally submitted 5/8/2025

"Fast, reliable hiring partner for scaling tech teams across Southeast Asia"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

The speed and quality of talent matched to us was surprisingly good — we were able to interview pre-vetted candidates within a couple of days. The team communicates clearly, understands tech hiring well, and the unlimited replacement policy gives us peace of mind. They also helped us onboard people in markets like Vietnam and Indonesia with zero friction. We didn’t have to worry about local compliance, which was a big relief. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

nothing general. i love and really appreciate their help Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Second Talent:

Be clear about your hiring needs upfront especially around technical skills, soft skills, and culture fit — because their turnaround is fast, and the clearer your brief, the better the match. If you're scaling quickly or hiring across multiple countries without a local entity, Second Talent can really take the heavy lifting off your plate. They’re especially valuable if you're a lean team or don’t have an in-house recruiter familiar with SEA markets. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Second Talent solving and how is that benefiting you?

We needed to hire several skilled engineers in a very short time across different Southeast Asian markets, but didn’t have the resources or local legal knowledge to manage multi-country hiring. Second Talent helped us solve both issues by sourcing strong candidates quickly and handling the EOR and payroll setup seamlessly. They’ve saved us a huge amount of time and HR overhead, especially in countries where we don’t have legal entities. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

eric c.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5/11/2025

"Exceptional Offshore Recruitment Partner for Web3 Talent"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

• Deep understanding of the Web3 ecosystem

• High-quality candidate pipeline

• Fast and transparent communication

• Strong cultural alignment with our team Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

Nothing major. Occasionally, there’s a short delay in sourcing very niche roles, but they always catch up quickly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Second Talent:

We’ve partnered with Second Talent for over a year to build our offshore team, and they’ve consistently exceeded expectations. Their specialization in Web3 talent is unmatched—they understand the space deeply and bring in candidates who not only have strong technical backgrounds but also align with the ethos of decentralized ecosystems.

The process is efficient, transparent, and tailored to our needs. From sourcing to onboarding, the Second Talent team acts more like an extension of our internal HR function than a third-party vendor. Their responsiveness and candidate quality have saved us countless hours and ensured we hire faster without compromising on fit.

If you’re scaling a team in Southeast Asia or need specialized talent for crypto, blockchain, or AI roles, I highly recommend Second Talent. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Second Talent solving and how is that benefiting you?

We needed to scale our engineering and marketing teams quickly in a cost-effective way. Second Talent gave us access to a vetted pool of Southeast Asian talent, which helped us grow without compromising quality or burning our budget. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jason M.

Cyber Security Engineer

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

11/3/2025

"Outstanding Team, Process, and Culture—No Complaints"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

People, their process and the culture processing the application. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

None at all. They are really attentive and updates you from time to time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Second Talent:

Second has proven to be a reliable recruitment partner, providing top-tier talent and excellent client support throughout the hiring process. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Second Talent solving and how is that benefiting you?

Looking for the best employer and helping you from the beginning until the onboarding stage. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Financial Services

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

2/4/2026

"They Listen and Match You with the Right Opportunities"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

They actually listen to what you’re looking for instead of pushing random opportunities Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

More frequent updates on new openings would be great Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Marketing and Advertising

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

8/6/2025

Guest users or non-business users of the software, not included in G2 scores.

"Great Support & Transparent Team"

5/5

What do you like best about Second Talent?

From our very first conversation, they took the time to understand not just my skills and experience, but also my career goals and what I was looking for in my next role. They were incredibly responsive and kept me informed at every stage, from submitting my resume to preparing for interviews and negotiating my offer. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Second Talent?

None at the moment, overall was a great experience Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Second Talent:

I highly recommend Second Talent to any job seeker looking for a partner who is knowledgeable, proactive, and truly invested in your success. I'm extremely grateful for their support and couldn't be happier with the outcome. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Second Talent solving and how is that benefiting you?

Working with Second Talent was a fantastic experience from start to finish. As a job seeker, I truly appreciated the professionalism, transparency, and genuine support I received throughout the process of finding a suitable role. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.