3 Direct Hires in Under 4 Weeks: Account Managers for Washington E-Commerce Email Agency

Snapshot:

Business: E-commerce Email Marketing Agency (Social Scout, Washington)

‍Roles Hired: 3 Account Managers — sourced from South Africa, UK & LATAM

‍Objective: Build a distributed AM team to manage client relationships, scale delivery capacity, and eliminate US payroll constraints without sacrificing communication quality.

‍Outcome: 3 direct hires placed in under 4 weeks. Margin protected with proven operators at mid-market comp.

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The Problem:

Social Scout was growing fast, but client communication, campaign coordination, and weekly reporting still ran through a small core team. Washington-based hires would crush the margin; freelancers created inconsistency and dropped the ball during busy periods.

The solution: build a permanent, full-time Account Management layer that could own client relationships, execute flawlessly, and work across US time zones without draining profitability.

The Strategy:

Zabota ran the Direct-Hire Sprint:

1. Role & Pod Definition – We mapped the AM function: proactive client communication, campaign execution oversight, weekly reporting, and escalation handling. Each AM needed client-facing polish and operational ownership.
   
   
2. Geo Targeting (South Africa, UK, LATAM) – We sourced across three high-signal markets with native-level English, strong remote work culture, and US-aligned availability, optimizing for $3-4.2k/mo proven talent.
   
   
3. Signal-Based Vetting – Beyond resumes: async communication tests, scenario-based client handling, proof-of-work samples; only A-player finalists reached the founder's calendar.
   
   
4. Direct Hire, Zero Markup – Social Scout hired directly (no payroll middleman), backed by our 90-day free replacement guarantee.

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The Hire:

Regions: South Africa, UK & LATAM

‍Roles: Account Managers (3 roles)

‍Time-to-Hire: Less than 4 weeks

‍Model: Full-time, direct hire; no ongoing % of wages.

Results:

Payroll Efficiency: $138,000/year saved vs. equivalent US-based AM team, while maintaining US-grade communication, responsiveness, and client satisfaction.

Founder Leverage: Leadership team steps out of day-to-day client updates and campaign orchestration; time reinvested into business development and strategic partnerships.

Client Coverage: Three AMs across different time zones enabled round-the-clock responsiveness and faster campaign execution without management overhead.

Quality & Retention: Native-level English communication, proactive problem-solving, and clean weekly reporting drove higher client satisfaction and retention.

System Installed: A repeatable direct-hire track (geo-targeted sourcing → structured vetting → shortlist → plug-in onboarding) now used to scale additional roles as the client roster grows.

Why It Works:

At Zabota, we place mid-market operators, not VAs, not overpriced local hires. By sourcing globally and hiring direct, founders get senior, pre-vetted talent at sustainable comp. The result: capability, culture, and profit.