Pilotly, a pioneering market research platform for creative content, needed to hire remote engineers quickly and efficiently. As an innovative startup operating globally, they faced challenges in identifying and hiring the right talent in a competitive market.
The Problem
Pilotly encountered several obstacles when trying to hire remote engineers:
- Limited funding in the competitive Bay Area tech scene
- Difficulty finding truly skilled candidates in a saturated market
- Traditional recruiting companies were too expensive and ineffective
- Lack of internal bandwidth to manage a complex hiring process
James Norman, CEO of Pilotly, explained: "Without really knowing where to go to actually find good engineers, it kind of popped into my mind that I should be reaching out to Awana to streamline the process."
The Challenge
Pilotly needed to hire remote talent for specific roles:
- 1 Mid Full-stack developer (3+ years experience)
- 1 Senior QA Automation engineer (6+ years experience)
- 1 Senior mobile iOS developer (7+ years experience)
All candidates needed strong English proficiency and the ability to work in Pilotly's time zone.
Our Approach to Hire Remote Engineers
Awana implemented a targeted strategy to help Pilotly hire remote engineers:
- Rapid sourcing: Within 11 days, we presented 7 Full-Stack and 2 QA candidates for review.
- Quality over quantity: We focused on presenting only high-quality candidates worth interviewing.
- Comprehensive vetting: We assessed both technical skills and cultural fit.
- Seamless communication: We integrated with Pilotly's team using tools like Slack.
- Flexible scaling: When Pilotly later needed an iOS developer, we quickly adapted to source 5 qualified candidates in just 4 days.
The Results
- 14 vetted profiles of remote engineers presented for Pilotly to review
- 3 successful hires from Brazil and Costa Rica
- First two remote engineering roles filled within 2 months
- Third role (iOS developer) filled within 1 month
- 100% retention rate of placed remote engineers
- Pilotly became a returning customer, opening additional roles after initial success
"Awana will help you find engineers south of the border; they'll be in your timezone, speak English, and become an integral part of your team. Within a few weeks, we found the candidate we wanted to hire."
James Norman, CEO & Founder at Pilotly
Key Takeaways for Hiring Remote Engineers
- Streamlined process: Awana's efficient workflow saved Pilotly time and resources in hiring remote engineers.
- Quality candidates: Our extensive network provided highly skilled remote engineering professionals.
- Fast results: Presented qualified remote engineer profiles within 11 days of starting the search.
- Cultural fit: Remote engineers not only had technical skills but also aligned with Pilotly's company culture.
- Problem-solving mindset: James noted, "I've seen people have a problem-solving mindset. So far it's been really good."
Continuous Partnership
Pilotly's trust in Awana's ability to hire remote engineers extended to executive-level searches. They recently reached out for support in finding a VP of Engineering, demonstrating the ongoing value of the partnership.
Conclusion
By partnering with Awana to hire remote engineers, Pilotly overcame their recruitment challenges and quickly built out their engineering team with top LATAM talent.
The success of this collaboration led to a continued partnership, with Pilotly returning for additional remote engineering hiring needs.
Awana's personalized approach, extensive talent network, and efficient process proved to be the ideal solution for Pilotly to hire remote engineers effectively in a competitive market.
Looking to hire remote engineers in Latin America?
Contact Awana today to learn how we can help you scale your engineering team efficiently into the Latin American market.