Rapid7: Avoiding Costly Expansions and Managing Employee Transitions

Founded in 2000, Rapid7 simplifies cybersecurity with visibility, analytics, and automation delivered through its security platform, InsightCloudSec. Rapid7’s solutions allow security teams to work more effectively with IT and development to reduce vulnerabilities, monitor for malicious behavior, halt attacks, and automate routine tasks.

Challenges of building a worldwide workforce

As a technology company, Rapid7 understood that attracting and retaining the best cybersecurity talent required global hiring. As it expanded into unfamiliar markets and went through organizational restructures, it experienced the uptick in employee management and cost strains that often follow such efforts. 

Although Rapid7 was already working with two other EOR providers, Ross Walker, the Director of People Operations at Rapid7, and his team felt they were missing something. “My experience with prior EOR providers was less people-oriented and more automated,” Walker said. “They felt a little disconnected and distant.” The Rapid7 team wanted a strategic partner with a personal touch rather than a transactional and remote relationship. 

Rapid7 needed a partner for global expansion that could help it change its approach from hiring in spread-out locations to building “strategic hubs” in advantageous markets. “Small numbers of employees in different regions come with a lot of costs, and a lot of effort was being put into managing folks,” Walker stated. 

In addition, Walker and his team needed expert guidance as they navigated employee transitions, ranging from offboardings during company restructures to relocations due to unforeseen circumstances.

As Rapid7 explored potential EOR providers, it found only one was able to deliver the levels of customer service, communication, and expert strategic consulting it required: Velocity Global. 

Strategic partners, rain or shine

Rapid7’s workforce needs have been shaped by a dynamic blend of fast growth, quick pivots, and expansion into new countries. Walker and his team needed a strategic partner that could offer solutions no matter what challenges they faced. With the help of its dedicated account team at Velocity Global, Rapid7 weighed the cost implications of setting up entities where a high number of employees already existed versus continuing to support those employees with an EOR provider. Through transparent dialogue with Velocity Global, Rapid7 determined it was best to retain an EOR provider in locations where the local red tape and cultural unknowns posed more substantial challenges, such as India. 

“We need to understand how complex it is to work in a given region because that can vary so widely,” Walker said. “Ninety percent of the time, we’re coming to Velocity Global first.”

Furthermore, Velocity Global has provided quick and creative solutions as Rapid7’s supported employees navigate various transitions, such as onboardings, offboardings, and relocations. “It’s been incredibly helpful to have Velocity Global as a partner when these things come up to help us understand what’s possible and how we can help this person quickly,” Walker said. “And how we do it as cost-effectively as possible for the business.”

Before partnering with Velocity Global, Rapid7 struggled to receive adequate support from previous EOR providers in handling all the tricky labor laws centered on restructures and offboardings. Velocity Global’s dedicated account team came through in a big way for Walker and his team as they worked through complex employee transitions. “You guys provided a ton of really good guidance for us through the restructure transition process,” Walker said. “It was really helpful to have a partner that understood some of the local challenges that we were going to run into.”

Shared success

Velocity Global’s personal service, country-specific compliance expertise, and solution-oriented approach have helped fuel Rapid7’s continued strategic global expansion and seamless transitions for its supported employees regardless of the circumstances. 

Since partnering with Velocity Global, Rapid7 has been able to hire and retain talent in a wide range of countries, including but not limited to India, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, Canada, and Norway.

For Walker, a successful onboarding is only a part of the employee experience. He needs a partner that can handle all parts of the employee life cycle. 

“Our employee experience is really positive, from onboarding to offboarding,” Walker said. “I think it’s really important to have a partner through the entire employee life cycle. Velocity Global has been an incredible partner in helping us offboard employees in the best possible way for both Rapid7 and the employee. That’s been really impactful for us.” 

Overall, Velocity Global has played a crucial role in Rapid7’s continued success with both global expansion and employee well-being. Rapid7 and Velocity Global continue to benefit from the strategic partnership, sharing constructive feedback to make the EOR experience even more seamless. “Whenever there are challenges, we work through them quickly,” said Walker. “I’ve provided a lot of feedback, and that feedback is taken into account and implemented really fast—faster than I’ve seen most vendors react to anything. I would say it’s definitely a really good partnership, and I speak very highly about it.” 

How Rapid7 strategically expanded with EOR

Rapid7’s challenge

• Rapid7 needed a more economical way to expand globally, as well as the local legal and regulatory expertise critical for sourcing and retaining talent in new markets.
• As the economy and markets shifted, Rapid7’s employees needed an EOR partner that was experienced in sensitive circumstances such as offboardings and relocations.
• Rapid7 wanted a true strategic partner with a dedicated account team to help make the EOR experience less transactional and more personal.

Velocity Global’s solution

• Velocity Global provided expertise in local employment laws and guidance on economic implications in specific regions—two key reasons why it was selected by Rapid7.
• Velocity Global moved quickly with immediate assistance as Rapid7’s supported employees went through stressful situations such as offboardings and relocations.
• Velocity Global’s dedicated account team gathered feedback and implemented changes to continuously improve Rapid7’s EOR experience. 

Shared success

• Velocity Global has been able to provide guidance about which regions are best suited for an EOR solution, helping Rapid7 expand into 13 regions to date. 
• Rapid7 and its supported employees have been highly satisfied with Velocity Global’s industry-leading service and expertise through numerous transitions.
• Based on regular, constructive feedback from Rapid7, Velocity Global has increased efficiency with improved workflows, invoice reporting, and communication.