Fast, fair and foolproof: How Sharesies transformed their hiring workflow with Checkmate

When you’re an ambitious company on the forefront of financial innovation,  there’s no capacity for clunky processes or reference calls at bedtime.

Kirralee Hanlon, People Experience Advisor at Sharesies, knows that all too well. Headquartered out of Wellington, with offices in Auckland and Sydney, Sharesies is an award-winning wealth platform. Crowned the Overall Winner for Workplace of the Year in 2025, the team at Sharesies team work closely to hire talented people who also live and breath the companies values.

To keep up with hiring demands (without sacrificing rigour or candidate care), the People team turned to Checkmate.

“We used to do manual reference checks and used a provider to do background screening. It worked, but it could take a considerable amount of time. We had hiring managers chasing references in the evenings and wasn’t scalable or efficient for us as a business.”

— Kirralee Hanlon, People Experience Advisor at Sharesies

The challenge: Too much time. Too many touchpoints.

Sharesies was juggling multiple tools and manual tasks when it came to screening candidates. Hiring managers were squeezed for time and candidates were waiting in limbo. 

The cost of fragmented systems and manual follow-ups was adding up.

The solution: Automated checks that work while you sleep

With Checkmate, reference and background checks are streamlined into one smooth workflow. Everything is online and incredibly fast.

“We send everything out in the afternoon and by the next morning, we’re good to go. Most checks are done in less than 24 hours.”

Candidates can complete checks at a time that works for them. Referees don’t need to jump on a call - they can respond effortlessly via the platform. This has meant Sharesies’ hiring managers could move faster with more visibility and better insights.

“The switch to written reference checks has meant we’ve seen people become more candid. People have the time to think through their responses.”

The results: Time and money saved. Compliance made easy.

Since implementing Checkmate, the Sharesies team has seen huge wins in speed, cost and peace of mind.

• time saved: most checks are completed overnight with no chasing and no hold-ups.
  
  
• cost saving: compared to the previous provider, Checkmate has enabled savings for the business.
  
  
• audit confidence: with regular compliance audits across the business, having a secondary source of truth has helped ensure information is kept up to date.
  
  

Checkmate also integrates smoothly into their wider HR toolkit, working alongside BambooHR and Google Drive.

Smarter, safer hiring

“Super easy. Super efficient. A massive time saver. We get quality insights and  a smoother experience for everyone involved.”

For a company built on accessibility and empowerment, Sharesies needed a hiring process to match. With Checkmate, they found a partner that helps them hire smarter, stay compliant and move fast without the late-night phone tag.