Stratum Civil was struggling to find suitable people locally, while the cost of adding staff was a significant commitment for a small construction business. Through Lynk Global, the Gold Coast company found another way to build capacity. As the arrangement proved itself, Stratum continued hiring, growing its offshore team across five areas of the business.
- 9 dedicated staff
- 5 business functions
- Gold Coast Australia
The challenge: more work than the existing team could comfortably support
Stratum Civil needed additional people, but local recruitment was proving difficult. Finding experienced staff took effort, and Australian salaries and employment overheads made each new position a substantial investment.
For a small business, those two challenges were closely connected. The company needed capable people to take on work, but every additional hire also had to make financial sense.
Estimating and finance were putting pressure on the existing team. These were ongoing responsibilities that needed consistent attention, alongside the demands of running a construction business.
Stratum wanted people who could learn how the company worked, take responsibility for recurring tasks and become part of its day-to-day operations. The challenge was finding a practical, affordable way to build that support.
The arrangement: dedicated people working directly with Stratum
Stratum partnered with Lynk Global to recruit staff in the Philippines.
The arrangement gave Stratum dedicated team members working from Lynk’s Manila office. They used Stratum’s systems, followed its processes and reported directly to its managers.
Stratum remained responsible for assigning work, setting priorities, providing technical direction and reviewing outputs. Lynk handled recruitment, Philippine employment, payroll, HR and the local workplace setup.
That division of responsibilities allowed Stratum to build its own team offshore while Lynk provided the employment and office support around them. The working relationship stayed directly between Stratum and the people doing the work.
Building confidence through the work
As the arrangement worked for the business, Stratum continued hiring through Lynk.
The decision to expand followed its experience with the people already in place. Offshore support became something the company could build on, with further hires extending the arrangement into other functions.
Andrew, Stratum Civil’s Estimating Manager, described how closely the estimating support had become connected to daily operations:
“our team has been using Lynk Global for estimating support which has now become a crucial part of our operations!”
Andrew
Estimating Manager, Stratum Civil
His review was written after more than six months of using Lynk’s estimating support. It offers a practical perspective on the relationship: the support had become an established part of how his team worked.
Expanding to nine people across the business
Stratum’s offshore team grew to include:
- Two civil estimators supporting estimating and tender preparation.
- An accountant and a bookkeeper supporting finance.
- A project administrator supporting project documentation and coordination.
- Two quality assurance officers.
- Two planners.
The expansion spread support across estimating, finance, project administration, quality assurance and planning. It also meant that offshore hiring addressed more than the original recruitment pressure: it became an ongoing way for Stratum to add capacity across the business.
The result: more support and lower overheads
The estimating team gained additional tender capacity, while finance staff supported invoicing, payments and reconciliations. Other team members supported project documentation, coordination, quality assurance and planning.
Tim, Stratum Civil’s Managing Director, described the effect on the business:
“Our reports are now more accurate, our operations are far more efficient, and we've significantly reduced our overheads.”
Tim
Managing Director, Stratum Civil Construction
For Stratum, the clearest sign that the arrangement worked was its decision to keep hiring. What began as a response to local recruitment difficulties and cost pressure developed into a dedicated offshore team supporting five business functions.
Where does your team need support?
Tell us about the work you need help with. We’ll discuss suitable roles, relevant experience and likely costs so you can decide whether offshore staffing fits your business.
Team numbers and outcomes describe this engagement, not current headcount or guaranteed results.