JOIN Solutions AG

Tim Ruffner founded JOIN Solutions to help small- and medium-sized businesses manage complex hiring processes through accessible, innovative technology. Tim, a serial entrepreneur with extensive HR tech experience, recognized an untapped potential in recruitment solutions tailored to smaller businesses. But why had smaller businesses been out of scope for these providers? According to Tim, customer acquisition costs are high in this business, so only companies with bigger recruiting budgets were viable customers for the existing HR-tech providers.

Doing what nobody else dares to do

"I thought, 'We need to build something truly innovative for these small businesses, a platform that's as easy and affordable as possible – if not free.'" Driven by this vision, he and his experienced team launched Join.com as a multi-posting recruitment tool, focusing on the needs of small businesses with limited hiring resources. Starting as a free platform, JOIN rapidly gained traction, avoiding acquisition costs that kept the competitors from serving the SME market. "By making the product freely accessible, we could build a large user base while keeping costs low. With freemium, we weren't just betting on volume—we were betting on the power of word-of-mouth," Tim explains.

The model worked. JOIN Solutions quickly gained a solid user base, expanding beyond Switzerland to Germany, Austria, and France. This rapid expansion taught Tim and his team the importance of adaptability and scale. "From the beginning, we knew JOIN had to be international, but scaling quickly is always a leap of faith," Tim reflects. "You need a bit of naivety to push forward, knowing you'll need to adapt as you grow." His willingness to invest his own capital, and the support from external investors, was instrumental in maintaining the company's independence and focus on quality over quick profit.

HR-Tech experience boosted the journey of JOIN Solutions 

Tim's industry experience played a vital role in JOIN's fast-paced development. Prior to founding JOIN, Tim and his team had already worked in HR technology, building and scaling platforms like Talendo. This previous work gave them a thorough understanding of their customer needs and made them a well-coordinated team for developing high-quality technological solutions. "I knew that my team was longing for applying new technologies and building new products. By going into this venture together, I was able to start the journey with a close-knit team that was eager to learn and build this product-led solution," Tim says.

Leveraging this gained expertise, the JOIN Solutions team was able to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that addressed the pain points of SMBs quickly and efficiently.

Tim's approach to company culture has also been a defining factor in JOIN's success. He emphasizes hiring top-tier talent and investing heavily in product quality rather than prioritizing aggressive marketing tactics. "We placed around 80-90% of our resources into product development and hiring, aiming for an R&D-like focus on quality," he shares. JOIN's commitment to developing an excellent product ultimately allowed it to differentiate itself in a competitive market. Tim attributes this to his "American start-up mindset," which focuses on providing something "truly good for as many people as possible." 

Value-driven approach leads to having a sustainable and successful business

Today, JOIN Solutions has over 100'000 registered businesses, and over 35 million job applications are generated. In six years, the company has become a trusted partner in recruitment for small businesses. "I was optimistic from the start, and yet I was surprised by the high demand from smaller companies and the willingness of major industry players like LinkedIn and Indeed to partner with Join on multi-posting services. Their openness was incredible," he says. "For giants like LinkedIn and Indeed, supporting a company like ours was a win-win."

Tim focuses on further enhancing talent attraction, securing additional strategic partnerships, and expanding the platform's applicant tracking capabilities to streamline communication and improve mobile accessibility for candidates. His long-term goal is not a company exit but instead building a sustainable, independent business that empowers small enterprises to find the right talent, ultimately boosting their growth and success. Tim reflects on this with evident pride, noting, "Our mission has always been to make recruitment accessible and affordable for the businesses that need it most."