From the UK to Geelong: The Founder’s Journey
After 14 years in recruitment, Cam Rosie’s journey began in the UK and eventually led him to Geelong, Victoria. Having worked across engineering markets including oil and gas, renewables, nuclear and manufacturing, Cam had seen every side of the recruitment industry.
The decision to start his own recruitment agency became clear when he wanted to spend more time with his young family and be more present with his kids. That’s when COMPASS Recruitment was born, a boutique engineering recruitment agency focused on technical roles across Australia, built on connection, service and local roots.
“I wanted the flexibility to build something of my own, close to home, while still supporting clients nationally.”
Cam Rosie, Founder of COMPASS Recruitment
The Challenge: Funding Growth from the Ground Up
Like many new recruitment start-ups, Cam understood recruitment inside out but knew that managing contractor payroll and maintaining consistent cash flow would be one of the biggest hurdles to growth. Paying contractors weekly while waiting 30 to 60 days for client invoices to clear can quickly destabilise any recruitment business.
Having previously worked with other recruitment funding and payroll providers, Cam was familiar with the concept of invoice finance and payroll support, but was looking for a partner that offered more flexibility, simplicity and a better overall service. Through a personal recommendation, he was introduced to APositive, a recruitment finance and payroll funding specialist, and that introduction became the turning point for COMPASS Recruitment.
The Solution: A Partnership That Simplified Everything
After being connected with Ross from APositive, Cam immediately noticed the difference.
“Ross explained everything so clearly and made it work for me. It was structured differently to what I’d experienced before, and it just made sense.”
From setup to daily operation, everything has run smoothly. The invoice funding solution provided the cash flow stability COMPASS needed to confidently place contractors and ensure they were paid on time. Payroll was streamlined, reconciliations were clear, and the account management team offered hands-on support, especially through end-of-quarter processes.
Communication has been consistent and responsive. The APositive funding portal made invoicing, payroll and cash flow management effortless.
“It’s all been really easy and straightforward. The communication has been great, and the accounts team have been incredibly helpful through reconciliation and payroll. It’s made growing the business so much easier.”
The Impact: Flexibility, Stability, and Scalable Growth
With APositive managing invoice finance and contractor payroll behind the scenes, COMPASS Recruitment gained the stability it needed to grow with confidence. Cash flow became predictable. Contractor payments were always on time. Administration became lighter, freeing up Cam’s time to focus on business development and client relationships.
The flexibility of APositive’s recruitment funding solution meant Cam could scale at his own pace, placing contractors today while planning for bigger things tomorrow. With strong financial foundations in place, COMPASS is now entering a period of high growth, aiming to expand its client base, build out its temp desk and make its first new hires in the coming year.
“There’s sometimes a misconception that small agencies can only do permanent recruitment because of the cash flow challenge. With APositive’s recruitment funding model, that’s simply not true. You can place contractors and fund them the same way large agencies do.”
Looking Ahead
With strong momentum and funding certainty, COMPASS Recruitment is gearing up for its next phase of rapid growth over the next 12 months. Cam plans to expand his contract division, grow his national presence and bring in new hires to support the demand ahead.
“It’s been a really, really good experience with APositive. It’s made the whole process a lot less stressful, and that makes all the difference when you’re building a business.”
Backed by APositive’s invoice finance, payroll management and recruitment funding solutions, COMPASS now has the tools, support and flexibility to scale with confidence.