Quantine: Virtualising the interview process

• Main Authors: NARASIMHALU, Arcot Desai, WONG, Adina
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2014
• Subjects: job candidate pre-screening service; asynchronous video interviews; on-demand video; Next-5 platform; new product development; start-up; product development strategy; entrepreneurship; stage-gate process; Business Administration, Management, and Operations; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations; Human Resources Management; Technology and Innovation
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/84; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/2721
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The case is set in January 2012, and begins with Kenneth Yap, the founder of Quantine Pte Ltd, strategising on an effective growth plan for his company. Quantine was a job candidate pre-screening service provider, which specialised in asynchronous video interviews. In the three years since its inception, market forces and internal factors had necessitated a change in its original corporate strategy. The business had started out in 2009, focusing on competency assessments for testing technical skills for the information technology industry. It also provided aptitude tests for companies to assess candidate qualities such as numerical skills and the ability to pay attention to detail. Due to strong competition in the market, likely demise of the technology for its platform, and lack of funds, Quantine had been forced to re-evaluate its business proposition. It decided to focus on a different business idea – a new method of candidate pre-screening: on-demand video. The Next-5 platform, as it was called, was created as an ecosystem for recruitment agencies, companies and prospective employees. From 2009 to late 2011, Quantine had gone through four rounds of fund raising. With the latest grant of US$392,000 from the National Research Fund, Yap wondered how he could best use this money to market his company’s suite of pre-screening services, and implement an effective growth plan for the company. This case can be used to teach concepts related to new product development strategy. Students will have an opportunity to understand the challenges faced by a start-up, and the reasons for these challenges. They will learn that the maturity of the market is a key determining factor in product development strategy. Students will also get an overview of the stage-gate process to product development, and discuss its strengths and weaknesses. They would understand the criteria for choosing an investor, and the contribution investors should make to a start-up.