Building a successful offshore team.

Client snapshot

Industry: Labour hire
Business: Top of The Crop Labour Hire
Contact: Caren Brown, Finance and HR Manager, Top of The Crop Labour Hire
Service: Payroll, finance, HR and compliance support, hosted services
Challenge: Streamline routine shared services functions, reduce overheads, and build a reliable offshore team

The situation

Before partnering with Clear Admin People, Top of The Crop Labour Hire had already worked with Filipino professionals and had seen the quality of work they could deliver. They knew the value of offshore talent and appreciated the strong work ethic and professionalism these team members brought to the business.

What they needed was a trusted partner who could consistently provide high-quality people and manage the recruitment, onboarding and ongoing support process.

The initial focus was payroll. Payroll processing was taking up valuable time that could be better spent on other business priorities. The aim was to move this function offshore, create more capacity within the business, and build a long-term solution that could grow alongside the organisation.

The problem

Payroll and other routine administrative and finance tasks were consuming significant time and resources. As the business continued to grow, relying solely on local recruitment was not always practical or cost-effective.

Hiring additional local employees increased overhead costs, while workload demands often changed throughout the year. Top of The Crop Labour Hire needed a more flexible solution that could adapt as business needs changed: access to skilled professionals who could become an integrated part of the team, deliver consistent results, and provide support when workloads increased.

Like many businesses considering offshore support, there was also a concern about getting it wrong. A poor offshore experience can impact productivity, create additional work, and reduce confidence in future offshore opportunities.

The solution

Clear Admin People began by placing an offshore payroll professional to take on payroll responsibilities, with the role carefully planned to match the right skills and experience to the business's needs.

Regular monthly meetings were established from the start to review performance, discuss challenges, and keep workloads manageable, with room to adjust as business requirements evolved. When performance issues arose with some team members, Clear Admin People acted quickly, putting coaching, support and close monitoring in place to maintain service standards.

As workloads increased, additional fixed-term staff were introduced to provide support and continuity. As ongoing demand became clear, these positions were converted into permanent roles.

The offshore team was encouraged to work collaboratively and support one another during busy periods, maintaining service quality and reducing the risk of errors. As confidence in the team grew, so did the scope of work, expanding from payroll into finance, human resources and compliance functions, each new responsibility added because of proven performance.

The results

Payroll responsibilities were successfully transitioned to the offshore team

The team expanded over time to support finance, HR and compliance functions

Regular reviews ensured resources remained aligned with business needs

Performance challenges were managed proactively through coaching and ongoing support

Additional staff were introduced during peak periods, providing flexibility and stability

Team collaboration ensured workloads were managed effectively and service standards remained high

The relationship continued to grow as trust and confidence in the offshore team increased

Caren Brown, Finance and HR Manager, Top of The Crop Labour Hire, describes what the partnership looks like now: "What started with payroll support has expanded into broader finance, HR, and compliance functions because the team consistently adds value to our operations. Clear's team has the strong work ethic and professionalism we were looking for, and they're proactive about workload management and resourcing needs. We have never looked back and continue to grow our amazing Clear Team."

What began as a solution to relieve pressure from payroll processing became a long-term partnership that supports multiple areas of the business.

Want to know what this could look like for your business?

Every partnership starts with understanding what's actually getting in the way.
Book a Workforce Efficiency Assessment and find out what a managed offshore team could take off your plate.