For small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the Western world, securing high-tier talent can be an ongoing challenge. As the global talent shortage persists, companies often face rising salary demands, growing pressure on budgets, and the need to adapt to an increasingly volatile and competitive marketplace. In this climate, the ability to attract the right people has become a key factor for survival and success.
Adam Houlahan, Founder and CEO of Prominence Global, a well-regarded LinkedIn marketing agency, has developed an approach to help address these challenges.
Prominence Global’s adaptive approach to talent acquisition, which emerged from a pivotal learning experience in Houlahan’s own business, has helped reshape what once seemed like an insurmountable problem. Three years ago, Houlahan decided to bring his entire team back to work on-site at their offices in Queensland, Australia. While the decision appeared sound initially, unexpected challenges arose.
The Talent Acquisition Struggles SMEs Face
The issues Houlahan encountered were varied, but two stood out: the difficulty of sourcing talent within a small local market and rising salary demands. As Prominence’s client base expanded globally, the company realized that relying on a local team could limit its ability to offer the flexibility needed to serve clients across multiple time zones.
Moreover, the talent pool itself had changed. Previously, the company had found qualified candidates with relative ease, but the dynamics shifted. Job seekers gained more leverage in the hiring process due to the ongoing scarcity of skilled professionals. This led to fewer applications, challenges in securing high-tier talent, and increased demand for higher pay.
Houlahan recognized that dismantling a long-standing team structure presented difficulties. However, he believed that to thrive, Prominence had to evolve and reconsider its approach to talent acquisition.
The Approach: A Global Talent Strategy
Acknowledging the need to think beyond local borders, Houlahan explored offshore talent. While promising, this approach required careful consideration. It involved extensive research to identify regions with high levels of English proficiency, manageable time zones for collaboration, and competitive wage expectations that aligned with the company’s budget.
After thorough deliberation, the company focused on several key regions: the Philippines, South Africa, India, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Vietnam. These regions provided a rich talent pool along with the opportunity to create a diverse and flexible team capable of operating across multiple time zones.
Today, Prominence Global has built a robust, multi-national team spanning the Philippines, South Africa, India, Eastern Europe, and three separate time zones across Australia. The outcomes have been notable.
The Next Step: Empowering Clients with Remote Team Connect
As the company observed the positive impact this global team model had on their own operations, particularly during the pandemic, Prominence Global’s clients expressed interest. The flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of this approach appealed to other businesses, many of which sought assistance in building similar teams.
This led to the launch of Remote Team Connect, an initiative that applies Prominence Global’s expertise in global talent markets. Through this service, Prominence has developed a recruitment process that blends its deep understanding of regional labor markets with an AI-driven approach to sourcing talent. Their refined process typically delivers a list of at least 20 qualified candidates within approximately 14 days.
Though the process may resemble traditional recruitment, it goes further. By positioning clients as attractive employers of choice, Prominence Global has integrated talent acquisition with marketing strategy, helping businesses stand out in competitive international markets.
New Leadership: Prominence Talent
As part of their continued focus on innovation in talent acquisition, Adam Houlahan has introduced Gavin Lister, former Head of the Prominence Global Copywriting Team, to lead a new venture: Prominence Talent.
“Gavin has been instrumental in Prominence Global’s success and has a strong grasp of talent acquisition,” says Houlahan. “His experience, coupled with his leadership, positions him well to lead Prominence Talent. This new initiative will enable us to broaden our offerings and support businesses in finding high-quality talent on a global scale.”
Prominence Talent will specialize in tailored talent solutions for businesses seeking offshore teams, applying the same proven methodologies that have contributed to Prominence Global’s growth.
Summary: Scaling with Strategic Talent Acquisition
The ability to hire talented individuals without excessive costs or sacrificing quality is increasingly critical for small and medium-sized businesses in today’s fast-paced global economy. Prominence Global has developed an effective framework for navigating international hiring, offering SMEs a practical way to compete in the modern marketplace.
To learn more about how Prominence Talent is helping redefine team building with cost-efficient solutions, connect with Gavin Lister on LinkedIn or visit their website.
Published by Jeremy S.
