How this startup has recruited a customer with a surprising outcome

Winning your first enterprise customer can be a champagne-popping milestone for any small business. However, for founders who have traversed the wilds of jumping through all the hoops, while dotting Is and crossing Ts, it can be a gruelling process.

Whether you’re contemplating entering the defence prime supply chain to preparing for a competitive tender process, sometimes the customer acquisition process can be firmly placed in the ‘too hard basket’, especially if you’re early stage or a resource-strapped startup.

Outhire co-founder, Matt Bauer, however, has a different view after a chance encounter landed a meeting with dynamic AnglicareSA executive general manager for social enterprise, Dominic Gagliardi.

Their meeting discussed key pain points when it came to recruitment for the social enterprise, but it didn’t end there.

The challenge

AnglicareSA employs over 2,000 staff and 300 volunteers to support more than 50,000 South Australians each year through a multitude of social service programs.

“The challenge for not-for-profits is finding the right people for roles like aged care or childcare, who may not be on LinkedIn or Seek. The People & Culture Team has a big focus on staff retention and growth within Anglicare,” says Gagliardi.

“In the post COVID environment, turnover was at an all-time high, and coupled with restrictions on visa regulations, it became clear that a fresh approach was needed to attract and retain talent,” says Gagliardi.

“With bulk recruitment, an efficient process that moves quickly from screening to reference and medical checks was required” says Gagliardi.
“Since candidates often apply to multiple organisations offering similar pay and benefits, speed—from application to first shift is the real challenge.”

The solution

Based at Stone & Chalk’s Startup Hub for a year, Outhire started out with a simple offering, providing job descriptions powered by AI.

Through its strategic collaboration with AnglicareSA, the company uncovered additional opportunities to address customer pain points and create even more impactful solutions.

Over the eighteen months of supporting AnglicareSA’s recruitment and retention, Outhire has completely transformed its recruitment platform and is gearing up for growth both in Australia, Europe and the US.

Outhire has added increased functionality and features, all the time learning and gaining invaluable insights from AnglicareSA, building out their tech to directly solve the organisation’s needs in real time.

Now Outhire’s platform can help similar large organisations to showcase their unique culture and attract top talent. Combining AI-powered job description creation, dynamic social media job ads, and authentic employee storytelling, its AI Recruitment Assistant makes hiring smarter, faster, and more human.

Outhire now provides a service to customers facing similar challenges in the market.

An iterative approach

“Our journey with Outhire has been a rewarding process of growth and collaboration over an extended period of time,” says Gagliardi.

“By offering valuable feedback to startups, we drive their growth and innovation, while simultaneously enhancing their ability to succeed in tenders. This partnership not only accelerates their success but strengthens our position, creating a mutually beneficial pathway to sustained competitive advantage.”

Key learning points

When it comes to enterprise-level companies working with startups, Gagliardi says, “be persistent, ensure your procurement policy is flexible, get support from your CEO and Board and understand your role in supporting the communities you serve.”

“My advice for startups is to be flexible in who you approach in an organisation and don’t be put off by long delays, honest feedback or non-action.”

Gagliardi encourages startups to, “stay open-minded about how you evolve your business, while focusing on building something simple and impactful from the start.”

Bauer says, “working with large organisations presents great opportunities, as we navigate key processes like procurement, ISO standards, security, and waiver requirements to ensure long-term success and compliance.”

He suggests that startups, “launch a pilot, be patient, and leverage networking to gain exposure to other organisations by travelling, seeking introductions, and focus on creating meaningful solutions rather than just features.”

Alex McConville, Stone & Chalk startup success manager says this customer story is exactly the type of working relationship that can be a win-win for startups and enterprises.

“The partnership highlights how agile startups can be, injecting innovation where its most needed. We look forward to seeing how Outhire continue to grow and scale.”

Outhire is a recent recipient of Seed-Start funding receiving $90,000 from the Department of State Development which will support its US market entry and achieve industry compliance for data protection and privacy.

AnglicareSA continues to be a proud supporter of Adelaide’s thriving startup scene, “we’re excited to connect with innovative minds, drive meaningful change. We’re looking into exploring more opportunities to work with companies at Lot Fourteen.”

“By supporting startups, we can create lasting social impact,” says Gagliardi.