1. Client Snapshot
| Company | PayWave (Series B FinTech, 220 → 500 employees) |
| Headquarters | Singapore, with new hubs in Dhaka & Bangalore |
| Roles Needed | 35 software engineers, 5 data scientists, 4 DevOps/SRE, 2 tech‑lead product managers |
| Timeline | 6 months |
| Challenge | Hyper‑growth after a USD 45 M Series B round; internal TA team overwhelmed; fierce regional competition for senior engineers |
2. Objectives
- Fill 46 critical tech positions within six months.
- Reduce average time‑to‑hire below 40 days (industry avg. ≈ 63 days).
- Improve candidate quality (measured by post‑probation retention ≥ 95 %).
- Strengthen employer brand in South & Southeast Asia.
3. Rise Hire’s Strategy
| Phase | Key Actions | Tools & Tactics |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery & Calibration (Weeks 1‑2) | • Embedded a Rise Hire consultant on‑site to shadow engineering leads.• Ran “role‑clarity workshops” to define must‑have vs nice‑to‑have skills. | Job‑task analysis templates, Miro mapping, 360° stakeholder interviews |
| Sourcing Sprint (Weeks 2‑10) | • Activated Rise Hire’s curated South‑Asia tech talent pool (18 k profiles).• Launched micro‑targeted LinkedIn & GitHub ads highlighting PayWave’s green‑field projects.• Hosted a virtual coding challenge co‑branded with HackerRank. | AI‑assisted boolean search, LinkedIn Recruiter, GitHub API mining, HackerRank |
| Assessment & Selection (Weeks 3‑20) | • Designed a 3‑step funnel: asynchronous technical screen → panel interview → live system‑design case.• Deployed Rise Hire’s proprietary rubric to cut bias and standardize scoring.• Trained PayWave interviewers on competency‑based techniques. | Structured‑interview playbooks, DEI calibration sheets |
| Offer & Onboarding (Weeks 4‑24) | • Benchmarked comp vs 15 regional FinTechs; advised on equity refresh policy.• “Closing calls” with each finalist, addressing remote‑work & relocation concerns.• 30‑day “white‑glove” onboarding checklist co‑authored with HR. | Comp‑Insights database, DocuSign, Loom welcome videos |
| Employer‑Brand Lift (Ongoing) | • Pitched success stories to Tech in Asia, built DevRel content series “Inside PayWave Stack.”• Sponsored Dhaka JS and Bangalore Kubernetes meetups. | Content studio, event partnerships |
4. Results (KPIs after 6 months)
| Metric | Target | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Positions filled | 46 | 48 (pipeline surplus) |
| Avg. time‑to‑hire | ≤ 40 days | 32 days |
| Offer‑accept rate | 80 % | 87 % |
| 6‑month retention | 95 % | 96 % |
| Cost‑per‑hire | Baseline –5 % | –12 % |
| Glassdoor rating | 4.1 → 4.5 | 4.6 |
5. Impact Highlights
- Scaled engineering headcount 118 % without sacrificing code‑quality metrics; velocity (story points) up 34 %.
- Candidate NPS +62: common themes — “transparent process,” “thoughtful feedback.”
- PayWave’s “Inside the Stack” articles reached 140 k views, boosting inbound applications by 3×.
6. Lessons & Best Practices
- Early calibration saves weeks later. A shared rubric cut re‑interview loops by 40 %.
- Employer branding isn’t optional in competitive markets. Content + community events created a talent magnet effect.
- Data beats instinct. Weekly dashboards let stakeholders pivot quickly (e.g., upping remote‑friendly roles when relocation declined).
- Onboarding is part of recruitment. A structured first 30 days locked in retention and advocacy.
