Company Profile: Unicru, Inc.

Abstract:

This paper-based background investigation company has evolved to become one of the largest homegrown software companies in Oregon.

Article:

The company we know today as Unicru, Inc. began in 1987 as a paper-based background investigation company called National CompuScreen. The company has since evolved through several name changes and technology developments to become one of the largest homegrown software companies in Oregon. Unicru’s President and CEO Chris Marsh spoke to Geraldine M. Power for the Software Association of Oregon.

Background

Let’s say you decide to get a part-time job, for a few evenings a week or maybe one or two weekend days. And you decide that Nordstrom, Circuit City, and Copeland Sports are good places to start. If you fill out an online application, the developer most likely behind the software is Unicru.

Or say you’re applying for a salaried position for a company with an HR consulting firm in place, which includes assessments and behavioral testing as part of determining the best candidate for the position. Unicru could be the brains behind this process as well.

Unicru provides an artificial intelligence engine in a suite of services the HR industry uses to select the best candidates for a given position. The focus of these products and services is refining the “science of selection” and data analysis, thereby increasing the odds of hiring the best candidates and reducing the odds of lost time, revenue and cost of wages.

Geraldine M. Power: Tell me about your growth from 1987 to the present.

Chris Marsh: There were fewer than ten people when we started. Now, we have 250 employees. Our growth can be attributed to a few things. First, we have a knowledgeable executive team with leadership skills to take the company to the next level. Second, we’re targeting the company’s resources on the penetration of key markets, such as retail, grocery and hospitality. We’re bringing a next-generation technology to those markets that are highly in need of operational efficiencies and bottom-line savings. And finally, we’re walking the talk. Unicru is a living, breathing example of how our solution impacts workforce quality. We “eat our own dog food,” so to speak.

GMP: Overall, what types of positions dominate at Unicru?

CM: Two major groups – software engineers and system engineers. About 110 are on the payroll. About 40 to 50 of those engineers are overseas, in India. The rest of the employees include those in sales, marketing, analytics, reporting, HR and professional support for our current clients.

GMP: So, Unicru started here in Oregon? Is it headquartered here? Do you have other locations besides here in Portland?

CM: Unicru was started here and headquartered here. This is our only location.

GMP: From which sources do you receive funding? Do you, at some point, see yourself going public?

CM: In one round of funding four years ago we received 16 million dollars from angel investors and three venture capitalists: Benchmark Capital, Venrock and Greylock Partners.

While we don’t speculate about Unicru’s future, we have always explored every open avenue, making sure that we steer the company down a path that makes the most sense for our customers, our business and our employees. With cash on hand and a solid business model, we have many potential paths that we can travel.

GMP: Besides the name changes and new services and products, are there other ways your business has grown?

CM: We’ve expanded our product line, and in 2003 acquired two companies, Guru and Xperius. With these acquisitions, nine out of the 100 largest US employers are using Unicru’s technology to support their recruiting, staffing and hiring needs – more than any other vendor.

Xperius, based in San Francisco, Calif., was the developer of a next generation talent management system built entirely using state-of -the art web service technology.

Guru Worldwide, Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., best known for its matching of freelance talent and employers, brought Unicru a team that has developed advanced technology for matching job opportunities with candidates, a critical component in the application of selection science to professional and managerial recruiting.

GMP: With the downturn of the dot-com industry in 2000 and the ensuing recession, how did that affect Unicru? Did Unicru go through some “downsizing”?

CM: Unicru was immune to the downturn and the recession, mainly because of the focus of our products and services. We offer a solution that can pick the best job candidates from the largest employment pool in the US – hourly workers. Competition is fierce for a quality front-line workforce and Unicru continues to be the weapon of choice for many of the country’s largest employers.

GMP: Has the addition of specific people to the Board of Directors affected or changed the direction of Unicru, for example, the addition of John Miner in 2004, an Intel veteran?

CM: John provides a valuable perspective, is a coach and helps to navigate the “shark-infested waters.”

GMP: Are there particular lessons you’ve learned over your 18 years in business?

CM: It’s always a challenge to stay agile, nimble as a company, and be open to the many opportunities the market presents.

For more information about Unicru, go to www.unicru.com or call (503) 596-3100.

Geraldine M. Power, Power Communication