Employer Branding and OnDemand Recruiting with
​Tradeshift

THE CLIENT

Founded in 2010, Tradeshift is a cloud-based business network and platform for supply chain payments, marketplaces, and apps based in San Francisco, California that helps businesses connect with all their suppliers digitally and remove paper and manual processes across procure-to-pay.

Industry: Information technology & services

Offerings: Supply chain payments, accounts payable automation, e-invoicing, e-procurement, procure-to-pay, supply chain finance, invoice processing

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Tradeshift had a fairly strong employer brand, but it lacked focus and the ability to highlight how they are different from other companies. Their career content was inconsistent and did not support a defined position. They needed a strategy to outline where Tradeshift wanted to go as well as how to get there. They also needed help optimizing their recruitment process as well as filling vacant positions.

OUR SOLUTION

We audited Tradeshift's channels and interviewed with staff to define the current state of Tradeshift's employer brand and from there developed an employer brand strategy guide that defined an employer brand position and detailed 14-page plan for execution. We also built a robust, qualified pipeline of prescreened candidates and delivered recommendations to optimize their recruitment process.

Employer Branding

EMPLOYEE INTERVIEWS

Employees themselves determine the identity of a company. We needed to get a good understanding of what motivates Tradeshift employees to do their best work and why they enjoy working at Tradeshift to determine an employer brand position for Tradeshift that was representative of them and their culture.

“People like us are happiest when we are making a difference.”
“We have a lot of ownership - owning your stuff. It’s more than just words or lip service.”
“I have the chance to help other people and the company grow, in a challenging environment, where there's enough chaos to find enough opportunities for myself to develop new skills.”

We found that people truly enjoy working at Tradeshift and felt they had the autonomy and support needed to do their best work. Employees felt heard and respected in their positions and believe that Tradeshift is a great place to grow.


MESSAGING

Because of their culture and geographic spread, it became impossible to decipher what Tradeshift was all about.

Normally, we try to simplify the core motivation of a candidate as a hook to attract interest in the company. The more we looked at Tradeshift, the more complex it became. Rather than try to squeeze them into a single motivation, we believe the complexity (which goes beyond how the company works and how employees view it) was its own hook. 

Rather than hide the complexity, the complexity was the message.
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Companies exist to create change, so the question was then "What change does Tradeshift want to make in the world?"

Tradeshift being a global company, candidates from different locations will be seeking different things in their job searches and be attracted to Tradeshift for different reasons. People in Romania, Kuala Lumpur, and their other more remote areas will compare Tradeshift to big, safe companies. They need a reason to reject the safety net of “big,” to choose something that may appear risky. People in Copenhagen need to see Tradeshift as a Scandinavian company that went global, but is still an extension of its roots.

They needed a message that aligned to and engaged all areas while remaining clear.




Many other brands would focus on only one of these ideas: Brains (NASA), Heart (ASPCA), Guts (Nike), each trying to be the platonic ideal of that aspect, which is impossible. Even if you were to focus on the intersections of any two traits, you would still end up describing limitations rather than successes.

It is only in the intersection of all three traits that we see the Tradeshift employees, as described to us. This position is unique, defensible and authentic - the trifecta of employer branding!


TRADESHIFT POSITIONING

Employees recognize the constant fluidity, growth and change in their work at Tradeshift. More importantly, they see those things as positive.

How do you sail when the sea is always changing, when the territory is never the same way twice? You invent as you go and as the need arises. You navigate a complex and chaotic world not with a map, but with your brains, heart and guts.

It’s not about being all things to all people, but about finding the right candidate - the person who has all three traits and wants to use them equally. No one is along for the ride. Everyone rows. And we get there together.


EMPLOYER BRAND PROMISE

"The ability to be successful is something within reach of every employee at Tradeshift, just by showing up to work with your whole self: brains, heart, and guts."

The employer brand promise becomes believable when it surrounds the candidate. To that end, we also created a list of words and phrases that should be used continuously and intentionally across all of their recruiting and career materials to reinforce the employer brand promise, wherever it is found.

"I really enjoyed working with Proactive Talent for our 3-month engagement. The combination of overall employer branding strategy and content has given us the start to drive employer branding initiatives and help open the doors with cross-functional leadership to collaborate on these projects."

Lyndsay Hanley, Employer Brand Manager, Tradeshift

OnDemand Recruiting

CONSULTING ON DIVERSITY RECRUITING

From conversations of diversity goals in Tradeshift's recruiting and seeing too few women in the ranks of their experienced and management talent, we delivered a 20-page consultation guide on increasing female hiring full of recommendations on attraction strategies, sourcing, application process, candidate experience, and much more.
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INTERVIEW PLANNING

We delivered a 14-page document on interview planning for Tradeshift positions. This document strategizes ways to structure interviews, question areas to consider, and overall how to conduct robust assessments in the interview process while keeping in mind the candidate experience, legalities, and efficiency.


​SOURCING & CANDIDATE PRE-SCREENING

Proactive Talent recruiters engaged in outbound, active, targeted sourcing of top candidates, utilizing a wide-funnel methodology to load the sourcing pool with diverse, qualified candidates from popular social media sites, tech discussion boards, and job boards. We pre-screened candidates on the core requirements identified by hiring managers, providing pre-screen notes with each candidate submission to hiring managers for full transparency.

We also gathered data on compensation expectations, work authorization, notice periods and other personal needs of the candidate. We lastly in this pre-screening process, we assessed the candidate's communication skills, personality, and motivation.


​RECRUITMENT PROCESS OPTIMIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS

We delivered recommendations to optimize the recruitment process at Tradeshift on the areas of job description changes, candidate pipeline, hiring manager turnover, tech screening, and more.

Results

Tradeshift Employer Brand Engagement

The collaboration between Tradeshift and Proactive Talent delivered transformative results, not only for their employer brand but also for their broader corporate brand strategy. The Employer Value Proposition (EVP) developed during the engagement became a cornerstone for both their internal and external messaging. This alignment of the employer brand with the corporate brand helped position Tradeshift as an innovative and people-centric organization, strengthening its appeal to top talent as well as potential business partners.

Impact of the EVP on Corporate Brand Strategy:

The newly developed EVP highlighted key aspects such as innovation, employee support, and career growth opportunities. These pillars resonated with Tradeshift’s corporate goals of fostering an environment of growth and collaboration. The consistent messaging between the employer and corporate brand created a unified identity that appealed to both talent and customers. By showcasing Tradeshift as a purpose-driven company committed to both its employees and clients, the employer brand strengthened overall corporate reputation in the market.

Key Metrics & Results:

  • Increased Career Site Traffic:
    ​Tradeshift experienced a 32% increase in career site views within the first 90 days of implementing the new employer brand strategy. This surge in traffic was attributed to the improved messaging, a better user experience on the career site, and an optimized digital presence across recruitment channels.
  • Higher Quality of Candidates:
    ​As a direct result of the targeted personas and EVP messaging, Tradeshift saw a 23% increase in candidate quality. Recruiters reported receiving more applications from candidates with relevant experience and cultural fit, improving the overall efficiency of the hiring process.
  • Improved Candidate Diversity:
    ​The EVP and recruitment marketing campaigns highlighted Tradeshift’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. This led to a 15% increase in diverse candidate applications, helping Tradeshift build more inclusive teams and further aligning with their internal diversity goals.
  • Glassdoor Review Growth:
    ​Tradeshift's efforts to enhance employee experience and engage employees in sharing their stories contributed to a 20% increase in Glassdoor reviews. The company’s overall rating improved by 0.4 points, reflecting stronger employee satisfaction and a more positive perception of the company as a workplace.
  • Enhanced Social Media Engagement:
    ​With the new EVP and employer brand messaging, Tradeshift’s social media presence became more consistent and impactful. The company saw a 28% increase in engagement across LinkedIn and Twitter, with more likes, shares, and comments on employer brand-related content. Posts highlighting employee testimonials, diversity initiatives, and innovation stories performed particularly well, further building the company’s reputation as a great place to work.
  • Strengthened Brand Reputation:
    ​By integrating employer branding into their broader corporate narrative, Tradeshift improved its brand reputation within both the talent market and the industry. The company's brand awareness grew significantly, as evidenced by a 15% increase in mentions across media outlets and recruitment platforms. Tradeshift was also recognized in industry awards for its employer brand initiatives, adding to its credibility as an innovative and attractive employer.

Conclusion:

The engagement with Proactive Talent allowed Tradeshift to transform its employer brand, resulting in significant improvements across candidate attraction, employee satisfaction, and overall brand reputation. The alignment between the employer brand and the corporate brand reinforced the company’s market position, helping it attract high-quality, diverse talent while elevating its standing as an employer of choice in the tech industry.

Tradeshift OnDemand Recruiting Engagement

In addition to the employer brand transformation, Tradeshift partnered with Proactive Talent for OnDemand Recruiting services to support their aggressive hiring goals, particularly for technical roles in engineering, DevOps, and leadership. The flexible, scalable freelance recruiting solution provided by Proactive Talent allowed Tradeshift to meet its immediate talent needs while significantly improving their recruiting efficiency and outcomes.

Key Metrics & Results:

  • Dozens of Key Technical Hires:
    ​Proactive Talent helped Tradeshift successfully hire over 30 critical engineering and DevOps roles, including several high-level engineering leadership positions. These hires were instrumental in driving forward Tradeshift’s product development and innovation initiatives.
  • Reduced Time to Hire:
    ​One of the most significant outcomes of the OnDemand Recruiting engagement was a 25% reduction in time to hire for key technical roles. By leveraging Proactive Talent’s freelance recruiters, who were embedded into Tradeshift’s recruiting processes, the company was able to quickly source, screen, and hire top-tier candidates, meeting their time-sensitive hiring goals.
  • Expanded Candidate Pipeline:
    ​With the OnDemand Recruiting service, Tradeshift saw a 40% increase in its candidate pipeline, specifically for engineering and DevOps positions. This was achieved through a combination of proactive sourcing, targeted recruitment marketing, and leveraging Proactive Talent’s extensive network of industry contacts.
  • Improved Candidate Quality:
    ​The quality of candidates sourced during the engagement was consistently high, with 92% of new hires meeting or exceeding performance expectations within their first six months at Tradeshift. This outcome was directly linked to the personalized candidate vetting process and alignment with Tradeshift’s specific technical and cultural requirements.
  • Enhanced Diversity in Hiring:
    ​Proactive Talent’s targeted sourcing efforts contributed to a 18% increase in diverse candidates for technical roles, supporting Tradeshift’s commitment to building inclusive teams. This improvement in diversity was reflected across engineering and leadership roles, helping to create a more balanced workforce.
  • Increased Offer Acceptance Rates:
    ​Through better candidate experience management and effective employer branding, Tradeshift saw a 15% increase in offer acceptance rates during the engagement. Candidates were more likely to accept offers due to the clear value proposition communicated throughout the recruiting process, which highlighted Tradeshift’s innovative culture, career growth opportunities, and supportive work environment.
  • Boosted Recruiter Efficiency:
    ​By leveraging Proactive Talent’s freelance recruiters, Tradeshift was able to maintain a lean internal recruitment team while scaling up its hiring efforts during critical periods. This flexibility allowed Tradeshift to maintain an optimal level of recruitment activity without overextending internal resources, resulting in 25% greater recruiter efficiency across technical hiring.

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