SpendHound sends every procurement role to one hiring partner. The 8-person procurement expert team that came back in Colombia is integrated so tightly the line between employee and partner disappeared.
“It basically feels like we’re working with our in-house people team. Sometimes I actually get confused about who’s a YipitData employee and who’s a LatamCent employee.”
Zack HildenbrandtManager, Procurement Expert Team, SpendHound
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At a glance
- Company
- SpendHound, a product of YipitData
- Industry
- SaaS spend management
- Function placed
- Procurement Expert team, the specialists who advise customers on SaaS pricing and contract terms
- Location
- Colombia, part of SpendHound’s broader team across the US, Colombia, and Brazil
- Team
- 8-person procurement expert team
- Sourcing model
- Every procurement role goes to LatamCent
- US-equivalent cost
- Comparable US procurement talent runs roughly 2 to 3x the cost of the same hire through LatamCent
The challenge
SpendHound was growing fast and needed world-class people in a specialized role, quickly.
Zack oversees the procurement expert team, eight people who advise customers on pricing and contract terms across their SaaS agreements and help them save money. It is a niche skill set. The company was scaling its customer base at speed, which meant bringing on that specialized talent at the same pace, in Colombia, a market where SpendHound had no hands-on hiring experience.
“I personally have no existing experience hiring there. So it’s been great to have partners to help navigate the market and find the best possible talent for our team.”
Zack HildenbrandtWhat was at stake: move too slow and the growing customer base outruns the team meant to serve it.
Why Colombia, and why it works
Zack sends every procurement role to LatamCent. It is not a decision he re-litigates each time.
“We send all of our roles to LatamCent. That’s an easy decision for us.”
Zack HildenbrandtThe reason is simple. The value is knowing the market well enough to find the right people for a role most agencies would not know how to fill.
“It’s really just experience in the market, knowing where to find people who could be a good fit for our role and what we’re looking for in our candidates.”
What happened
LatamCent became the only hiring partner for the procurement team, and the integration went past the transaction.
Navigating a new market
Zack had never hired in Colombia. LatamCent brought the market knowledge his team did not have.
Sourcing for a niche role
Finding people who could advise customers on SaaS pricing and contract terms, a skill set most agencies would not know where to look for.
Initial screening
Filtering out poor fits before they reached Zack, so interviews centered on people already likely to fit.
Hiring goals met on time
Quality candidates into the pipeline quickly enough to keep pace with rapid company growth.
“We’ve exclusively hired through LatamCent, and frankly I don’t know how we would have done it otherwise. We’ve been growing very quickly, which means we need to bring on world-class talent very quickly as well. LatamCent has helped us do that in ways I don’t think we otherwise would have been able to, and meet those hiring goals in a timely manner.”
Zack HildenbrandtThe part Zack keeps returning to is how invisible the seam is between his company and his hiring partner.
“It feels just like working with an in-house recruiting team. It helps us navigate a market we don’t have a lot of hands-on experience with and find the best possible talent.”
Zack HildenbrandtThe results
The team filled fast, and the screening kept Zack’s calendar clean.
Before
Hiring in an unfamiliar market
- No hands-on hiring experience in Colombia
- A niche role most agencies could not fill
- A customer base growing faster than the team
After
A team that feels in-house
- 8-person team, 100% hired through LatamCent
- Interview time spent only on likely fits
- Hiring goals met on time during rapid growth
“We’re able to get quality candidates extremely quickly into our pipeline, and you do a great job of initial screening. We’re not spending time with people who wouldn’t be a good fit at all. We’re able to center our time on the people we already know are going to be a good fit.”
Zack HildenbrandtEvery open procurement role got filled with someone strong. Not most of them. Every one.
By the numbers
In their words
“We’ve exclusively hired through LatamCent, and frankly I don’t know how we would have done it otherwise.”
“We’ve been able to find great people for every role, which has been tremendous.”
“There’s a ton of talent and potential there.”
Advice to leaders on the fence
Zack has hired for every open role on his team through one market, and his read on it is direct.
“There’s a ton of talent and potential there. We’ve been able to find great people for every role we’ve had, which has been tremendous. It’s a market we’ve had a lot of success in, and we’ve found great people for every open role.”
For a specialized team growing fast, that is the whole game. The talent exists. The job is finding it before your growth outpaces you.
Part of a bigger build
Work with LatamCent
Build a specialized team that feels in-house
Pre-vetted Latin American talent for US B2B SaaS teams in 21 days or less, through Talent as a Service or Direct Hire.
- English tested and interviewed
- Guided through your full process
- Payroll, compliance, and contracts handled
- Replacement guarantee
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hire specialized procurement talent in Latin America?
Yes. SpendHound hired its entire 8-person procurement expert team, the people who advise customers on SaaS pricing and contract terms, through LatamCent in Colombia.
How integrated does a nearshore hiring partner actually get?
Integrated enough that Zack says he sometimes cannot tell who is a YipitData employee and who is a LatamCent employee. The partnership runs like an in-house recruiting team.
What does procurement talent in Latin America cost versus the US?
Comparable US procurement talent runs roughly 2 to 3x the cost of the same hire through LatamCent, for the same experience level. See the full nearshore cost savings data.
How fast can you fill a specialized role?
LatamCent places pre-vetted talent in 21 days or less, with strong candidates in the pipeline quickly and full interview-process support.
What if we have no hiring experience in the market?
That is the point of the partner. Zack had no prior experience hiring in Colombia. LatamCent’s market knowledge is what let his team fill every open role with strong people.
