Company Background
A Singapore-based cybersecurity solutions provider delivers managed security services, threat intelligence, and enterprise network protection to clients across Asia. As the company expanded its customer base, it needed to strengthen both its technical and operational teams in the region to keep up with increasing service demand and client expectations.
Hiring Goals
To support new customer growth and product development, the company planned to hire full-time software engineers, QA specialists, and technical support staff across multiple countries. The goal was to build lean, distributed teams without having to set up legal entities in every new market.
Challenges Faced
- New Market Entry
The company wanted to hire in countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, where it had no existing operations or legal infrastructure. - Urgent Talent Needs
Tight project timelines meant they couldn’t wait months to establish local entities or build internal hiring processes. - Changing Role Locations
Initially, the plan was to hire remote technical roles in the Philippines and Vietnam. But mid-process, the company shifted focus to Malaysia and Indonesia, requiring a fresh search and re-alignment of hiring efforts. - Client-Facing Roles in Singapore
The company also needed to place client-facing staff on the ground in Singapore, where they had no hiring entity. These roles needed to be both compliant and quickly deployable. - Compliance Risk
The internal HR team lacked knowledge of local labor laws, benefits, and contract requirements, making it difficult to hire confidently across borders. - Need for Flexibility
The company wanted to test hiring in new markets without making long-term commitments or creating unnecessary overhead.
Solution
Second Talent delivered a flexible hiring solution aligned with the company’s fast-moving expansion plans:
- EOR for Market Entry
Enabled the company to hire talent quickly and compliantly in the Philippines, Vietnam, and later in Malaysia and Indonesia by placing new hires under Second Talent’s existing legal entities. - Local Employment Support
Advised on local employment laws, contract terms, and termination policies to ensure compliant hiring and reduce legal risk. - Scalable Approach
Gave the company the ability to start small, move fast, and adjust hiring based on changing business needs, without setting up legal entities. - Support for Singapore-Based Roles
Helped the company compliantly place client-facing staff in Singapore, even without having a local presence there. - Fast Candidate Delivery
Second Talent provided shortlisted candidates within days, helping the company start interviews and move forward quickly with team setup.
Results Achieved
Although the company had initially planned to hire across all three target markets, a last-minute shift in business priorities meant that only half the intended roles were filled.
Still, the company was able to:
- Hire key engineering and support roles in two new countries within 30 days.
- Place client-facing roles in Singapore without delays or compliance issues.
- Adjust hiring plans smoothly after shifting from the Philippines and Vietnam to Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Move forward with no legal setup delays and stay compliant in unfamiliar hiring environments.
Note: This case study is intended for reference purposes.
