How a Singapore-based digital concierge staffed its offshore tech team
Singapore-based startups have been reeling from the current tech crunch as the demand for tech talent outweighs the supply. This makes hiring local talent difficult and even costly since the small talent pool allows for them to command a higher salary.
For employers who are cost-conscious, it’s always best to look for talent beyond borders. The talent pool in Southeast Asia is much larger than in Singapore, providing ample talent supply for employers. A Singapore-based startup — Vouch — has expanded its own tech team by doing exactly that; procuring capable tech talent from neighboring Indonesia when faced with a tech talent shortage.
Vouch is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider that provides a digital self-service concierge designed for hotel guests. It allows them to make requests such as room service and booking hotel facilities quickly without the hassle of waiting for the hotel concierge’s availability. All they need is to scan a QR code on their phones to start using the service.
The startup aims to boost hotel staff productivity by freeing up more of their time to focus on other priorities. Vouch’s clientele includes mid-range to luxury hotels — counting in noteworthy partners such as the Pan Pacific Group, Capri, and Holiday Inn.
During the height of COVID-19, its hotel partners used Vouch’s software to navigate the safe distancing measures in common facilities. It also proved useful when hotels reopened for staycations, despite the reduced staff numbers. Pan Pacific Group noted that 87% of guests booked gym or pool slots through IRIS, its digital concierge powered by Vouch, during Park Royal Marina Bay’s first opening month alone.
Vouch started as a big data service provider before pivoting its business into concierge SaaS. This new direction necessitated the need to scale up its tech talent numbers. However, the startup encountered setbacks when it came to hiring locally. CEO Joseph Ling explains that the tech talent pool in Singapore was scarce, with intense competition against both global and regional tech giants who have set up offices in the island nation.
With a limited budget, Vouch looked overseas for more affordable alternatives. After some research, the startup found Batam, Indonesia, as a viable source of talent. The city’s close proximity to Singapore — about an hour by ferry — made it possible for in-person professional relationships. This means that the team between the two cities can collaborate closely and travel between both offices with ease. On top of that, there is no time zone difference at all.
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Vouch engaged Glints for its expertise in hiring talent across Southeast Asia. Glints end-to-end recruitment solution made it fuss-free for Vouch to acquire the right talent, with interview-ready candidates provided in a matter of days. Within a week, Vouch hired its first remote full-stack engineer in 2018. The talent turned out to be a perfect fit and became an integral part of the startup’s growth — eventually building the digital concierge prototype from scratch.
The profound impact of their first hire spurred Vouch to expand its remote team further. Through Glints, the startup added a total of 12 more remote talent, also known as “hubbers”, of which eight are in the Engineering team, three others in Customer Success, and one in Sales.
“Our product would not be built without the hubbers, and we would not see our current success without them. Our Customer Success hubbers have also done a great job in keeping our clients happy and ensuring the success of our product,” says Ling.
He also adds that the talent Glints provided had a positive attitude towards learning and improving their craft. Ultimately, Ying expresses his utmost gratitude for Glint’s assistance when it came to hiring beyond borders. He hopes to partner again with Glints in the future.
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