Sharesource AU

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of three marketing-related businesses, Brio Group, Brandonian, and TaggedPDF, the last of which is focused on digital accessibility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sharesource AU?

All of my businesses have a hybrid model where we have people onshore and some teammates offshore or nearshore. We have a team of what we like to call global citizens, so the people we hire don’t have to be close to our office. Instead, we go out to the world and find the best person for the job; that’s what Sharesource helps us with.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sharesource helps us with our recruitment process. We start with a meeting where we give them a brief about the type of person we’re looking for. We’ve had information-gathering sessions about the roles and our work culture, and we’ve collaborated on the job descriptions. For example, one of the positions they helped us hire was for our digital accessibility business, so candidates needed good organizational and technical skills. We needed someone who had a bigger goal and some innate planning skills we could help build on.

From there, Sharesource puts out ads in their network and shortlists people. They also prescreen the candidates for us. After we choose a candidate, Sharesource is in charge of employee onboarding. We’ve already worked with their technical support team to set up all of our systems, including email and computers. Recruits do a half-day with Sharesource and a half-day with us. Within a week, we have employees set up and working.

Sharesource has offices that our employees have access to. They also provide a contact that employees can turn to in case there’s an issue or if they’re struggling. If the issue can’t be solved at that level, we get involved. The Sharesource team also provides technical and leadership training so employees can become more advanced in their roles.

So far, we’ve hired two employees through Sharesource, one from Vietnam and one from the Philippines. Currently, they’re helping us recruit for another role within our group of businesses.

What is the team composition?

We work with Ivan (Recruitment Manager) and his recruitment team. There are country managers that we’ve had contact with as part of the welcome process. We’ve also worked with the coaches in charge of the onboarding process and Sharesource’s tech team.

How did you come to work with Sharesource AU?

I know Sharesource’s founder through Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a support network that started in the US and has a chapter in Brisbane, of which we're both members. From talking to him, my mindset changed regarding where talent can come from. Our values aligned in thinking there are smart people everywhere who don’t always have the best opportunities, and I loved the idea of giving that opportunity to someone.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $60,000 AUD (approximately $45,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

For Sharesource, recruitment isn’t just about the person’s skills; it’s also about the culture fit. They even have a whole interview about work culture — I had never seen that before. For one of our roles, the two candidates they suggested were so good that we couldn’t decide who to hire, and we had a second round of interviews. 

The team doesn’t just find us a person and leave. Even though we don’t have an office in Vietnam or Phillippines, Sharesource does, so our teammates can go into their office and participate in team or cultural activities. Apart from joining our team, our recruits join Sharesource’s, so two businesses are helping to integrate them better.

Moreover, the candidates have integrated well into our team. We just onboarded a new teammate a couple of weeks ago; we have weekly catchups, and it’s like she’s working down the road from us. Our collaboration with Sharesource has been truly amazing.

How did Sharesource AU perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good at project management. Transparency is one of our main considerations, and Sharesource tells us salary expectations in advance so that we can start planning and budgeting. We communicate via Zoom, email, and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with Sharesource’s values — they truly want to make a difference. I feel like I’m part of the founder’s revolution in changing the perception of work and that it can be done from anywhere. I’m a part of that journey with Sharesource, helping to generate future leaders at the same time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could let clients know the process a little bit more in advance. When we first started working with Sharesource, we didn’t know the recruitment steps as clearly as we would have liked. I’ve already given them this feedback, though, and the process has become easier since then.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you’re really clear on your culture because Sharesource makes proper use of that information — that’s the secret ingredient to a successful project with them.