Spark Universe is a highly successful Minecraft partner studio. They are a relatively small, tight-knit team with an incredibly unique company culture—there is genuinely no other studio quite like them. When they approached us for support, it was clear that preserving this unique dynamic was just as important to them as finding the right technical skills.
The Challenge
After our initial discussions with the Spark Universe team, we noted that they were looking for an HR Assistant to manage HR and payroll specifically for their operations in Germany. This meant the successful candidate needed a solid understanding of international payroll systems and a good grasp of the German language.
While their internal HR team is brilliant at tapping into the global Minecraft talent pool, finding a candidate with this specific, location-based operational expertise was slightly outside their usual reach. Furthermore, because of their unique working environment, they needed someone who could slide seamlessly into their small team and immediately understand their dynamic. It was a role where cultural fit was make-or-break.
The StrideQuest Solution
We sat down, reviewed the brief, and made a plan to conduct a highly targeted search focusing on international payroll experience, whilst keeping a very close eye out for genuine cultural alignment.
Working Transparently
Collaboration was key to this search. We gave the Spark Universe team full access to our client portal. This meant they could log in at any time to see exactly who we were reaching out to and, crucially, why. It allowed them to provide immediate, seamless feedback, keeping us perfectly aligned throughout the process.
The Human Touch
While searching through candidates with the right international payroll background, we noticed one particular professional whose LinkedIn profile picture subtly featured video game posters in the background. We realised this small detail might indicate a genuine, underlying passion for the games industry. We brought her in for a thorough screening call, and within minutes, we knew she was exactly who Spark Universe was looking for. She had the technical experience they needed and the exact personality required to fit their unique dynamic.
The Results
Because we took the time to truly understand Spark Universe's culture and worked so transparently through our portal, the results were incredibly fast and effective.
We sent this candidate over, and she was hired just one week later. She was the very first candidate we put forward. By presenting only highly matched individuals, we ensured the Spark Universe team wasn't overwhelmed with CVs or endless pre-screens, saving them a significant amount of time.
What the Client Said
"As the HR Generalist at our company, I’m confident in our ability to tap into the Minecraft talent pool, but we needed expertise beyond that scope. StrideQuest was invaluable in helping us find the right candidate for a role that was outside our usual reach, as this role needed someone with location-specific knowledge.
One of the biggest benefits was their ability to tap into a pool of candidates that we wouldn't have reached through our usual channels, saving us a lot of time and effort. I appreciated that we weren't overwhelmed with pre-screens and only had a few final interviews with well-matched candidates.
StrideQuest provided valuable feedback to candidates, which helped them improve for future opportunities with us, without us having to be too hands-on. I made sure to gather feedback from the candidates about their experience with StrideQuest, and they were very positive. I was able to feel confident that StrideQuest was representing us well. This was crucial for us as I really care about applicants' experience with us during the hiring process.
The platform they used was user-friendly, and we could integrate all the data into our own system without any hassle. The cost was also quite reasonable, especially given the outstanding candidate we hired."
— Andrea Smith, HR Generalist, Spark Universe