Skip to Content

STErs to Watch

“It shouldn’t matter if your journey is a bit messy,” says Alexander Charles, COO of EMPAUA and Salesforce Talent Ecosystem Star to watch. “What matters is how you get yourself back on track. And that all comes down to accountability and ambition.”

Based in Berlin and London, EMPAUA is a Salesforce implementation partner who focuses on helping start-ups, scale-ups and hyper-growth companies innovate. The Salesforce specialist focuses on business improvement and digital transformation by designing and implementing tailored Salesforce solutions that drive organisational success.

EMPAUA’s goal is to help these companies navigate such complexities simply and quickly.

EMPAUA’s primary focus is to enhance business operations through tailored Salesforce solutions. It becomes the customer’s secret sauce and allows them to stay ahead of the competition and thrive in the marketplace. Through this, EMPAUA is making waves in the industry.

How EMPAUA hires for a different kind of culture

Alexander looks for both accountability and ambition when he hires for EMPAUA. “In my previous role I was actually a Salesforce consultant,” he explains. “So I know what skillsets make for the best consultants. I therefore actively seek out candidates who are clearly ambitious and accountable but haven’t had their break into tech just yet. Candidates like this are always relentlessly driven and acquire the necessary hard skills rapidly.” 

Aside from delivering excellent work, EMPAUA wants to redefine what company culture can mean. “We want to prove that we can have a performance-driven but kind working culture, and that these features can co-exist and enhance each other,” says Alexander. Alexander explains that it’s a balance that is tricky to get just right and while many companies struggle, EMPAUA wants to be a leader with its unique way of working. 

Alexander shares an example of hiring someone from a different background, in this case retail. “I met Sri in my previous role,” he explains. At the time, Sri was involved in a mentorship but Alexander wasn’t in a position to hire her. “Extremely ambitious and qualified, she held a master’s in computer science which was under-utilised in her retail-based line of work. She approached everything she did with such dedication, it was amazing to see.”

The story continues: “Sri wasn’t able to find tech work at first, so she went and became a certified Salesforce admin – all in her own time. To achieve that, without project experience, is another example of her hard work and dedication.”

When the ‘risk’ is worth it

Alexander and his team are clearly big advocates for making non-tech hires, but why? “When people are given a chance, and continuously supported to grow and succeed, they outperform consistently,” explains Alexander. “And people like that are incredibly loyal. They’re just waiting for someone to give them a chance to prove how motivated and capable they are.”

“Hiring Sri has absolutely paid off,” asserts Alexander. “Sri has learned fast and she’s already covering for senior consultants. I think she’s progressing so fast because the company believes in her, and she in turn believes in us. She’s become an invaluable addition to our team.”

Alexander offers some parting words. “We often inflate risks in our minds, and that extends to who and how we hire. I think it’s always riskier to hire someone who’s just there for a pay check, so I’d never shy away from giving a chance to someone that isn’t”.

Get our bi-weekly newsletter for the latest business insights.