Center of Excellence vs Employer of Record
Not just payroll. A team.
An Employer of Record is a good tool for hiring one person you already found. When you want a team, you need more than a payslip.
Definitions
Two models, two different jobs.
Employer of Record (EOR)
A provider that legally employs someone in another country on your behalf and handles payroll, tax and compliance. You find the person and manage them. They usually work from home.
Topcode Center of Excellence
A dedicated engineering team in Ljubljana, Slovenia. We find and propose engineers, you approve them, and we employ them, give them an office and equipment, and train and mentor them.
Side by side
What you get with each.
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| Employer of Record | Topcode CoE | |
|---|---|---|
| Finds the talent | You | We do |
| Approves hires | You | You |
| Payroll, tax, benefits | Yes | Yes |
| Office | No, remote | Office-based team in Ljubljana; private space by arrangement |
| Equipment | Basic, or you ship it | Managed laptop included |
| Local HR and day-to-day support | Limited | Yes |
| Training and mentoring | No | Built in |
| Team building | Up to you | One office, one team |
| Pricing | Salary + monthly fee per employee | One all-in hourly rate |
Last updated: October 2026.
When an EOR is the better choice
You already found the person you want to hire
They must live in a specific city
You need one person, not a team
When a Center of Excellence is the better choice
You want two or more engineers
You want the engineers found for you
You want a team that works together, not scattered individuals
You want managed equipment and a secure office network
Questions, answered.
We employ your engineers, like an EOR does, plus recruiting, an office, HR and growth. An EOR stops at payroll and compliance. A Center of Excellence starts there and turns individual hires into a team.
Yes. Some companies use an EOR for individual people they already found in specific cities, and a Center of Excellence for the team they want to build in one place. The two work side by side.
An EOR charges the salary plus a monthly fee per employee, and recruiting, office and equipment are extra. A Center of Excellence is one hourly rate per engineer that covers salary, taxes, benefits, office, equipment and HR, with no recruiter fees. Larger teams and longer commitments get better rates.
We do. We source and screen engineers who match your requirements and propose them to you. You run your own interviews and technical tests, and nobody joins without your approval.
You do. Your contract assigns all intellectual property your team creates to your company.
Your next great engineer is already out there. Let's find them.
Tell us what you're building and who you need. In 30 minutes you'll know what your team could look like and how we'd set it up.
Prefer email? info@topcode.si