How Mercury transformed their temporary staffing with Tempo Talent
Mercury, a rapidly growing financial services company based in Auckland, faced a common challenge: managing unpredictable workload peaks while maintaining their high standards for talent quality. Traditional temp agencies weren't cutting it, with lengthy hiring cycles and inconsistent candidate quality eating into their productivity.
The Challenge
With seasonal fluctuations in their accounting and customer service departments, Mercury needed a flexible workforce solution. Their HR team was spending up to 15 hours per week coordinating with multiple recruitment agencies, only to receive candidates who often weren't the right fit.
“We were drowning in CVs that didn't match our needs. The traditional agency model just wasn't working for us anymore. We needed quality candidates, fast.”
— Sarah Chen, Head of People & Culture at Mercury
Finding Tempo Talent
Mercury discovered Tempo Talent through a recommendation from their industry network. The pay-per-introduction model immediately appealed to their finance team, as it aligned costs directly with successful outcomes rather than lengthy agency retainers.
The Solution
Within the first week of using Tempo Talent, Mercury's HR team experienced a dramatic shift in their hiring workflow:
- Pre-vetted candidates matched to their specific requirements
- Direct communication with candidates through the platform
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
- Access to a pool of skilled office professionals ready to start
The platform's focus on office workers—from executive assistants to accounts payable specialists—meant Mercury was connecting with candidates who had the exact skills they needed.
Results That Speak
After six months of using Tempo Talent, Mercury has seen measurable improvements across their temporary staffing operations. The numbers tell the story:
| Metric | Before Tempo | After Tempo |
|---|---|---|
| Time to hire | 2-3 weeks | 3-5 days |
| HR hours per hire | 12 hours | 3 hours |
| Candidate retention rate | 65% | 92% |
| Cost per successful placement | $2,400 | $890 |
Looking Ahead
Mercury has now made Tempo Talent their primary channel for temporary and contract staffing needs. They've successfully onboarded 23 temporary staff members through the platform, with 8 converting to permanent roles.
“Tempo Talent has completely changed how we think about temporary staffing. It's not just about filling seats anymore— it's about finding the right people who can hit the ground running. The quality of candidates and the speed of the process has exceeded our expectations.”
— Sarah Chen, Head of People & Culture at Mercury
For Mercury, the shift to Tempo Talent wasn't just about cost savings—though those have been significant. It was about building a more agile, responsive workforce that could scale with their business needs while maintaining the quality standards their clients expect.