How R\nd Slashed Hiring Time to Just 2 Weeks and Cut Overhead Costs by 60% With Near

R\nd, a leader in digital marketing and web development, is known for transforming brands into competitive market forces. 

As they looked to scale their operations, they encountered a significant challenge: finding highly skilled and dedicated professionals while navigating the steep hiring costs typical of the North American market. This challenge highlighted the need for a recruitment strategy that balanced commitment, skill, and cost effectiveness.

Summary

• Challenge: R\nd needed to expand their team with dedicated professionals without overshooting their budget. Their key hurdles were ensuring deep commitment from candidates and managing high recruitment costs in North America.
• Why R\nd chose Near: Frustrated with unreliable freelance platforms and inadequate traditional hiring channels, R\nd turned to Near after discovering their effective, structured recruitment process could provide the right talent with minimal effort on their side.
• Solution: Near introduced R\nd to a pool of talented professionals from Latin America (LatAm), enhancing the diversity and depth of skills within their team. The process included a detailed feedback loop, ensuring each candidate closely matched R\nd’s criteria.
• Roles hired: SEO Specialist, UX Strategist, and Website Project Manager.
• Results: Partnering with Near enabled R\nd to achieve the following benefits:some text
  • A 60% reduction in overhead costs, saving over $175,000 annually compared with hiring similar roles in the US.
  • Streamlining the hiring process to just two weeks per role, saving R\nd 15–20 hours per candidate, which allowed them to redirect resources to core business functions.
  • Helping the CEO regain several hours to spend on growing the business.

Challenge

At R\nd, the main challenge was finding dedicated talent that matched the company’s commitment and style. As they aimed to grow, they encountered two major problems: 

• Ensuring candidates were fully invested in their roles
• Dealing with the high costs of hiring in the competitive North American market

Problem

R\nd’s search for a Senior SEO Strategist uncovered their biggest recruitment challenges. The usual channels like freelance platforms were no longer bringing in the right kind of talent. They’d get 30–100 applicants in two days, give them a paid test, and discover that most of them weren’t even qualified for the position. On top of that, most candidates seemed to be looking for quick, temporary gigs.

Moreover, the high costs of salaries in the US were stretching their budget thin. R\nd’s attempts to find suitable candidates through popular job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed often fell flat, missing the mark on both budget and cultural fit. This pushed them to look for a more effective way to recruit that could handle their need for quality, commitment, and diversity without breaking the bank.

R\nd has always valued a diverse and international team, preferring to blend different cultures and perspectives. However, finding this quality in LatAm added another layer of complexity to their recruitment process. They needed a solution that not only met their high standards for talent but also understood their global approach.

Solution

R\nd’s journey to finding the right talent took a positive turn when they stumbled upon Near. This encounter came at a crucial time, following a series of disappointing experiences with freelancers who, despite initial promises, often left projects hanging. 

Initially cautious about working with a staffing agency, R\nd quickly gained confidence in Near’s structured process and clear communication. The team at R\nd was particularly impressed by Near’s expertise on LatAm talent for their SEO needs, appreciating the cultural diversity and fresh perspectives these candidates brought to their global brand.

“It seemed like you guys had a proven process. That took a burden off of my shoulders.” 

Drew Prescott

CEO of R\nd

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Near’s commitment to understanding R\nd’s unique needs and ensuring that only relevant, high-quality candidates were presented made a significant difference. The team at R\nd was relieved to have a partner in the hiring process who was genuinely invested in their success and respectful of their time.

Just two weeks into their search, R\nd saw the value in bringing in more full-time talent with Near’s assistance. They decided to fill two additional roles through Near: a UX/Conversion Rate Optimization Strategist and a Website Project Manager. 

Results

Working with Near revolutionized R\nd’s hiring approach. Before, they never felt like they would hire full-time team members. They had to constantly build a bench of freelancers that would come and go. But Near changed the way they looked at scaling their business: focusing on full-time people who really wanted to be part of the team.

The quality of people they hired through Near made a big difference. These candidates were everything R\nd was looking for: skilled, dedicated, and eager to dive into the work. 

Not only did we find great talent, but they are also great people.

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ROI

Partnering with Near led to:

• Cost savings: R\nd saves over $175,000 annually, resulting in overhead costs 60% lower than what they would’ve paid for similar roles in the US.
• Recruitment efficiency: By taking the reins in R\nd’s hiring process, Near reduced the hiring timeline to just two weeks and saved 15–20 hours of recruitment effort per candidate.

Near not only helped us navigate the hiring process but fundamentally changed our approach to building our team. Their ability to connect us with high-quality, dedicated talent has been invaluable.

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Ready to level up your team with skilled professionals while managing costs? Book your complimentary consultation with Near to discover how its tailored hiring solutions can align with your company’s goals for quality and commitment.

To learn more about R\nd, visit R\nd’s website.