Do you remember where you were in December of 2019? It was a while ago, five years to be exact, and we’ve since been through a lot together - a global pandemic, two US presidential elections, two Summer Olympics, artificial intelligence, and The Eras Tour all happened.

But before all of that, Hireframe was founded! Our founders, Mike Wu and Tyler Rachal reflected on our first five years.

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What’s your favorite memory from Hireframe’s first five years in business?

Mike: One memory that stands out…a client had a big exit. The client felt that their Hireframers had been so critical to their company’s growth that they rewarded them with bonuses, emulating the equity-stakes that their US-based team had earned. We started Hireframe to staff overseas talent in mission-critical roles, not just administrative roles, so this was a sign that we were on the right path. 

Tyler: My favorite memory is our first trip to meet our team in the Philippines. Because of the pandemic-related travel restrictions, our first in-person meeting took longer than we wanted. 

It was exciting to finally connect in person and confirm that we were more than just floating heads on a Zoom screen. Every year, it’s rewarding to reunite with long-tenured and new team members.

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What’s one regret or something that you’d want to do differently? 

Mike: I’d want to ask for more feedback and do it sooner. In the early days, we’d work our tails off behind the scenes to source phenomenal talent, convince them to join Hireframe, and then place them in a role with a customer. Then, we’d disappear and hope that everything would work out. Luckily, most of the time it did. But sometimes it didn’t. We missed a lot of opportunities to collaborate and iterate with costumes and prospective Hireframers. Giving and receiving feedback is hard, but we’ve made it easier with processes and systems. 

Tyler: As first-time entrepreneurs, we mistakenly relied too much on “expert” advice, focusing solely on lead generation as a managed service. This strayed from our true mission: simplifying the staffing experience. Our clients value how we identify top talent and provide ongoing support, so we pivoted to better align with their needs and empower Hireframers.

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Give a shoutout to someone who has significantly impacted you or Hireframe.

Mike: I want to shout out Janie (hey, Janie!), who is our first employee, and a recruiter based in Manila. She recruited and interviewed every one of our early Hireframers, setting the standards for talent acquisition and talent development. We are very proud of Hireframe’s culture and much of it stems from who Janie is as a person.

Tyler: One standout Hireframer is Ody, who joined early and became an integral part of her client’s team, eventually taking on a managerial role. She set the bar for the many success stories we’ve had, proving early on that we were onto something special with Hireframe.

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What’s something on Hireframe’s roadmap that you’re excited about?

Mike: I’m excited to share more stories from our customers, Hireframers, and from us here at Hireframe HQ. We just recently started sharing customer stories, we’re working on some inspiring Hireframer stories, and our newsletter is one new way we’ll be sharing more about Hireframe. We are all nothing more than a collection of stories, right?  

Tyler: We’re planning a comprehensive training program for all Hireframers, similar to our "Account Development Representative Bootcamp." Topics like communication, delegation, AI, and project management will prepare Hireframers to excel. This will be launched well before five years and will significantly enhance client and Hireframer experiences.

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Thank you for being a part of Hireframe’s first five years!