The Challenge
As Andzen first began to build a global reputation and take on larger clients, they faced the challenge of finding and hiring talent to keep up with the increasing demand for their services. As a proud Brisbane-based company, they were unfortunately situated in a smaller talent pool than agencies headquartered in larger cities (like Sydney or New York). They had a fantastic team but felt that they were limiting themselves by being understaffed.
Co-founder and CEO Brenden Rawson said they started looking deliberately and carefully at augmenting their team with offshoring. They researched price points and service offerings, and liaised with their professional network. The challenge for Andzen was that their lean management structure meant they were not in a position to take on the oversight of building an offshore team. In the words of Andzen CEO, Brenden, “an offshore team in a country that we didn’t know, in a system and a service that we hadn’t done before. It was almost guaranteed that we were going to make mistakes, and it was going to cost us time and money.”
The Requirement
Andzen approached Filta, a company they’d heard of during their diligence process. During discussions, it became clear that Filta wasn’t just an offshoring company but a business and growth partner who would be responsible for onboarding, growing, managing, and maintaining Andzen’s presence in the Philippines (and beyond). Filta’s broad philosophy of creating embedded, accountable, and cost-effective teams appealed to Brenden, who recognised that neither he nor his partners had the experience or bandwidth to execute the roll out without professional guidance.
The Outcome
Looking Beyond the VA
Working with Filta helped the Andzen management team to understand the extensive opportunities in offshoring. They started with administrative support, a category that they, like others, had considered to be the ‘typical’ offshore hire. However, as time went on, Filta helped them develop a broader vision. As Brenden put it, “the floodgates opened, and we started hiring graphic designers and project managers and more producers. To the point where, as a role emerges, we discuss whether it should be in Brisbane, remote, Philippines or even in the US?”
Expanding Filta’s Role
While Andzen was leveraging the offshoring knowledge, team development, and other skills Filta could offer in the Philippines, the company was still tentative about expanding that relationship back to Brisbane. However, as Filta had become an integral part of Andzen’s business, they eventually decided to hand over their domestic recruitment as well. At that point, Filta became responsible
for Andzen’s Australian recruiting, helping the
company look beyond Brisbane to Sydney,
Melbourne, and elsewhere.
In 2019, Andzen decided it was time to expand their operations to the United States. Brenden and his partners felt there was a significant market opportunity in the US. They turned to Filta to define roles and recruit the US staff.
“Filta has become part of our close circle of consultants. They understand how we work, and they understand the company dynamics and culture. I’m pleased to say, we’ve been very successful with our offshore hires”
“Filta knows how to find talent that will fit in with the Andzen culture and way of working.”
Offshoring Changes Everything
Brenden now realises that many of Andzen’s key roles can be found offshore.
“I’ve learned that there is exceptional talent all over the world. But what I wasn’t expecting is how Filta and its role changed Andzen”
Filta is less of an offshore company, less of a recruitment company, and more of an HR partner. They challenge us when structuring a team or formulating a resource centre. That only comes from knowing and understanding how we work. We’re grateful for that.
