While still in its early days, Oceans is redefining the conventional narrative surrounding the 9-5 work landscape by connecting exceptional operational talent in Sri Lanka with global, cutting-edge startups and fast-growing businesses. As catalysts for the ‘Future of Work’ ethos, Oceans is also spotlighting the island’s remarkable workforce on a global scale. In this interview, we talk to Ian Myers, Founder and CEO of Oceans, who has ambitious plans to transform the global workforce landscape.
What inspired the creation of Oceans?
The concept originated at the onset of the pandemic, when organizations were forced to become fully remote, quickly. During this time, I was working with a team of about 30 professionals in Sri Lanka and was impressed by their skill set, tenacity, drive, and overall business savvy. At a time when hiring good talent in the U.S. was extremely difficult, I would talk about this a lot with my friends in New York, and many would approach me, expressing interest in hiring individuals from Sri Lanka.
With remote working trends making companies more comfortable with global teams and async work, we began exploring possibilities for facilitating connections between Sri Lanka’s talent pool and fast-growing businesses around the globe. That’s when Oceans was born.
How does Oceans effectively connect talent in Sri Lanka with global businesses, ensuring a seamless and mutually beneficial partnership?
Our commitment goes beyond merely collaborating with the top 1% of skilled global talent to make our clients happy; we also prioritize the fulfilment and engagement of our team at Oceans. It involves a meticulous approach to understanding and aligning their interests with industries that spark enthusiasm and long-term passions on both sides.
With clients, we invest substantial time in understanding their needs, culture, and commitment preferences. Crucially, we seek clients who view our Divers, what we call our client-facing team members, not just as service providers but as integral members of their teams; for example, would they recognize milestones like a Diver’s birthday? Would they celebrate it like they would for their full-time employees?
For our Divers, our approach involves a comprehensive analysis of their skills, strengths, weaknesses, and the type of work environment where they thrive. We conduct in-depth qualitative assessments to ensure a harmonious fit. Factors such as the pace of work and personal interests, previous experience, career aspirations, and personality, are carefully considered.
With a diverse array of clients spanning various industries, we can tap into almost any sector, allowing us to tailor opportunities to the specific interests of our Divers. This very granular matchmaking process helps to create a symbiotic relationship where our Divers and clients derive maximum value and motivation from the collaboration.
How have the benefits provided at Oceans positively impacted the professional development and experiences of Divers?
We offer many benefits and opportunities to individuals who join Oceans. One of the most frequently mentioned is our policy of fully remote and flexible work. Many people got accustomed to the ease of working remotely during the pandemic and struggled with the pressure to return to office. We allow all of our Divers to work remotely or from home indefinitely.
Another advantage we offer is salary paid in USD, mitigating the impact of currency fluctuations, inflation, and other economic variables associated with the local currency. Our comprehensive benefits extend beyond financial considerations; providing health insurance, wellness programmes, and support for mental health.
One of the standout benefits of working at Oceans is the global exposure our Divers enjoy. Working with diverse clients from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond provides our Divers with exciting opportunities. Whether collaborating with an A.I. startup, a professional athlete, or a real estate magnate, our Divers continually engage with remarkable projects and industries worldwide.
This exposure offers invaluable learning, perspective, and rapid skill accumulation. Divers can explore various industries, understand their passions, and gain insights into how companies operate in cutting-edge markets. For those in the early or mid stages of their careers, this presents a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons and bring back valuable knowledge to the more traditionally structured business landscape in Sri Lanka.
How will the global recognition of skilled professionals influence how companies organize and plan their teams?
We are witnessing a notable shift, particularly among our startup clientele in the U.S. Traditionally, discussions around global talent utilization were centred on short-term, project-specific, or low-level back-office engagements. The significant contribution of Sri Lankan talent, fully embedded in our client’s companies as a front-and-centre presence on their teams, is reshaping this narrative.
What we do is completely different. How we operate recognizes that highly skilled professionals can seamlessly integrate into full-time roles, advancing their knowledge and ambition on the front lines of the future of work. This shift is empowering companies to reevaluate and reimagine their operational frameworks, from business models and financial structures to long-term growth strategies. Acknowledging that a substantial part of their skilled workforce can thrive outside the U.S., particularly in Sri Lanka, is transforming strategic planning.
The impact of these evolving perspectives is tangible and is poised to have a lasting influence on how businesses operate in the future.
How does Oceans plan to sustain its accelerating growth?
Our expansion has been rapid and isn’t slowing down. We are not yet two years old and our team has already grown to 250, predominantly located in Colombo, and a few based in the U.S.
This is driven by escalating demand from the U.S., but notably is entirely a result of referrals. Happy clients telling their connections about the incredible Sri Lankan talent Oceans helps them tap into is what has helped us grow so quickly.
To keep pace with this demand, we’re actively recruiting additional talent. The widespread global interest in our services points to a sustained and robust growth trajectory, with ambitious plans to scale our team to 500, 1,000, and eventually 2,000 members in just a few short years.
As part of this growth, we aim to position Oceans as the default employer for those seeking an exceptionally unique opportunity and a fulfilling career journey.