Experience > SMS.ac

Client Issue

SMS.ac, a leader in the mobile data communications industry, was expanding their service area to include over 170 countries. Because of their global client base, the company made it a priority to be able to resolve customer issues in the native languages of their customers. Finding individuals with a customer service skill set was relatively easy, but finding those individuals who also had the necessary language skills was quite a challenge. Determining whether or not the individuals were truly fluent in the language was impossible.

Solution

Realizing that a thorough understanding of the client would be the key to success, a TransPerfect Staffing representative traveled to San Diego to meet with the client and attended an Open House being held for prospective employees. After a meeting with several members of the SMS.ac team, it became clear to the then prospective client that while there were many recruitment firms who would take on the project, TransPerfect Staffing Solutions was the only firm which would be able to test candidates for fluency in the required languages. The client identified 11 key languages that needed to be targeted first and aggressive recruitment campaign started on the client’s behalf. Local universities, cultural organizations, and TransPerfect’s existing network of linguists were all utilized to create a pool of potential candidates. When candidates successfully met the language fluency requirements, they were then required to complete an additional screening process including: questionnaire completion, behavioral-based interviews, client interviews, and homework assignments.

Homework assignments required the candidates to visit the SMS.ac web site and make suggestions for improvement based on their experience as a “customer.” Because the client still did not want to make a hiring decision without having had the opportunity to observe candidates “on the job”, TransPerfect Staffing agreed to put the chosen candidates on-site as contract employees for an initial 30 days. During this time, candidates were employees of TransPerfect Staffing Solutions, performing work at the client site on TransPerfect’s behalf with TransPerfect assuming all employer responsibilities. To date, we have had a 100% conversion rate - meaning all contractors have been converted to full-time employees of the client. During a recent conference call with the client, SMS.ac said TransPerfect Staffing had a higher interview-to-hire ratio than the client’s internal recruitment team.