Business In:Brief with Rudy Crous (Shortlyster)
Rudy Crous
Co-founder and CEO of Shortlyster – 2016-present
Rudy Crous is the CEO and co-founder of Shortlyster, a recruiting platform and product of Compono. Shortlyster is designed to allow business leaders to screen high volumes of job candidates quickly and using real-time updates. With Shortlyster, companies can assess each prospective job applicant's qualifications, skills, work culture and behavioural match to the company with ease.
Rudy tells us about himself, his plans for Shortlyster and his advice to always test your mettle when it comes to running a business.
What was your first job?
After university I was a junior Organisational Psychologist at a management consulting firm. The company specialised in culture and change management and I was involved in some of the biggest merger and acquisition projects in Queensland. The specific set of skills I developed and learned over this time period laid the foundation for my career.
What's your proudest achievement?
Coming to Australia with my family as immigrants with nothing but our backpacks and growing in our success in both the academic and professional domains.
What's something that you have learned in business that took you by surprise?
No matter what industry you're in, every business struggles to attract, retain and develop its talent. Investing in your employees needs to form part of every company's strategic agenda in order to remain relevant and have a successful business.
How do you plan on growing your business in the near future?
Shortlyster is the first software product from the parent company, Compono. Compono redefines how companies attract, develop and retain talent, through intelligent software platforms. Our technology powers the work ecosystem by enhancing organisational design and making a person's career more rewarding and productive. Using smart data and behavioural science, Compono unlocks the potential of your workforce. This year we are launching additional software products that solve key problems businesses face within the talent attraction, retention and development areas, and expanding into the US and UK markets.
What other business leader do you most admire and why?
There isn't one leader or person above all that I admire – different leaders have their own strengths and areas of development. So for me, it's about people that are able to build purpose, lead organisations and that are able to rally their workforce under a unified culture with a clear vision and understanding of their values and why they exist. It's people that act with integrity and trust and build an environment where it's OK to make mistakes but unacceptable not to learn from them.
What's the best piece of business advice you've ever received?
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." – Henry Ford
What advice would you pass on to someone starting out in your area?
If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done. Don't be afraid of failing, be afraid of remaining the same. Keep pushing the boundaries, only then will you realise how strong you really are.
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