How Phiture manages 30% of its workforce with Remote

Phiture, a pronounced leader in the global mobile growth consultancy space, has been fostering meaningful connections between brands and customers since 2016. Their revolutionary approach to app store optimization (ASO) has carved a sizable and enviable niche for the company, but being top dog in a new field has come with some serious challenges.

The ASO talent field is still relatively small and, to find the best people, Phiture couldn’t just search in their own backyard. It needed to cast a wide, global net for the sharpest minds in the business.

Unable to spare resources towards opening their own entities, Phiture sought a global EOR service provider that could quickly onboard and manage workers, and deliver solutions as innovative as their own.

Here’s why Phiture chose Remote to fill this critical international employment need.

Phiture at a glance

• Headquarters: Berlin, Germany

• Founded: 2016

• Number of Employees with Remote: 55 (in 19 countries across 5 continents)

• Industry: Mobile marketing

Phiture (pronounced “feature”, if you’re wondering) provides an industry-acclaimed mobile growth stack featuring ASO, performance marketing, user retention and CRM, subscription revenue optimization services, and growth consulting. Potential clients are aware of it, competitors recognize it, and, critically, the world’s top mobile marketing talent knows it too.

“If a person is into ASO, then working at Phiture is like working at Google,” says Phiture’s HR manager, Zuzanna Forell. “We are pioneers in the ASO space.”

Their mission (besides being the best ASO provider on earth, of course) is to be "the top destination for knowledge and talent in the mobile growth industry." And with a diverse team of 160+ employees, representing 41 nationalities, and speaking over 35 languages, Phiture is well on its way to fulfilling this goal. 

The evidence has been pretty conclusive — global hiring has been a game-changer for Phiture, fueling their sky-rocketing growth.

Why hire internationally?

The decision to recruit globally wasn’t just a strategic or ethical move for Phiture: it was a necessity. With its business operating in a relatively new field, the talent numbers just simply haven't matured yet.

"ASO is still a relatively new specialization,” explains Forell, “so people with even three or four years’ experience are incredibly rare and difficult to find. And when we do find them, they are based all around the world."

Establishing legal entities across multiple countries was one option but, as a relatively fresh startup, there were limitations to what Phiture could achieve with its resources.

"Setting up our own legal entities was not sustainable for a small business,” says Forell. “We would have needed accountants, tax specialists, people who knew all the local labor laws. It wasn’t something we could do.”

Another option was to work more closely with an employer of record (EOR) service provider, but Forell’s previous experiences of partnering with an EOR had not been positive.

“We were becoming increasingly dissatisfied and disappointed with their services,” she says. “The service was unreliable which was causing problems for our people, and there were ongoing breakdowns in the process.”

After weighing up the pros and cons, Phiture opted to shift to an EOR provider who could provide a more reliable level of support. This meant equal treatment for all the company’s employees, as well as a smoother onboarding process, top-tier expertise, fantastic collaboration, and — of course — reliability.

As Phiture continued to grow, they also needed a partner who could match their momentum and enable hiring in previously inaccessible regions. Which is when it found Remote.

• Remote offers a flat pricing structure and no hidden fees when hiring contractors

• Remote’s quick, self-serve platform makes life easier for employers and contractors alike

• Remote’s global, on-the-ground employment and compliance experts give Phiture the confidence to onboard talent globally

The Remote partnership

Remote quickly became Phiture's ally, empowering them to tap into the global talent pool smoothly and efficiently. And the partnership with Remote brought something else that Phiture values highly: expertise and trust. 

"Remote has been instrumental in streamlining the hiring process for us,” says Noelia Núñez, another HR manager at Phiture. “They are experts in the recruiting process for different countries, which means we can move from offer stage to onboarding quickly and smoothly."

From day one, Remote’s customer success manager (CSM) has been an integrated part of Phiture's team. They provide invaluable insights and assistance, ensuring a seamless onboarding experience for new hires. According to Forell, this level of commitment really solidified the partnership. 

"We feel like Remote really values us as a business and is invested in our success,” she says. “As companies, we have similar shared values. We are both looking for the best possible experience for the employee."

“That makes for a successful partnership.”

What stress-free global hiring means for Phiture

In a niche as competitive and fast-paced as ASO, attracting and retaining top talent is pivotal. This is where Remote has made a key difference. By ensuring easy onboarding and compliance, Remote has helped Phiture provide a premier experience for its global workforce.

"Onboarding is easy and everything is compliant, from benefits, payroll, contracts, and other nuances specific to a particular country,” says Forell. “The platform is very easy and straightforward for new joiners, which wasn't the case with our previous provider."

Forell also appreciates that Remote continually makes improvements to the platform, and implements new features and integrations constantly. Phiture was even able to contribute its feedback to inform Remote’s roadmap. 

But a platform is nothing without a focus on people. "We’re a very people-centric organization,” Forell says, “and Remote helps us to ensure everyone in the company has the same benefits, vacation allowance, and parental leave. We also use a global pay structure, so wherever in the world you are located, you are paid well for your contribution to the business."

Maintaining a strong company culture

Sustaining a strong company culture with such a diverse and distributed team is not easy, but Phiture — along with Remote — has managed to make it look like a walk in the park. According to Forell, this is due to regular non-work-related interactions, and concentrated efforts to strengthen interpersonal relationships among its global team. 

"We have an incredible culture at Phiture and dedicate a lot of time to team bonding and strengthening relationships,” says Forell. “In the HR team, for example, we have Monday and Friday coffee chats that are not work-related.”

If international employees felt separate from the company culture, or like they were operating under a different HR umbrella, this solid interpersonal bond couldn’t exist.

“We all feel like one company,” explains Forell. “There is no difference between our people who are employed directly in Germany, and our people who are hired through Remote.

“This enables us to create a great workplace culture where people work together and create great outcomes for all.” 

What’s next for Phiture?

Phiture's future trajectory is one of purposeful and passionate growth. 

"Everything we do is for the benefit of our people and our clients,” Forell says. With a focus on attracting the best talent, providing top-tier services, and contributing valuable knowledge to the mobile marketing industry, Phiture is committed to maintaining its pioneer status.

"I love everything we have achieved,” Forell concludes. “We’ve grown so rapidly but we give people a lot of trust and freedom to explore. Every single person at Phiture will tell you that it’s a great place to work, and I’m really proud of that."

Remote will be there to continue providing the innovative platform — and people-first global HR services — that Phiture’s workforce has come to expect.

Want to take the stress and ambiguity out of international hiring? Contact us today to schedule a friendly consultation with one of our global hiring experts.

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