Frequently Asked Questions

Staff Stack is delivery infrastructure for digital agencies. We place StackCertified operators — full-time, Philippines-based specialists tested on real, role-specific agency work and AI workflows before you ever interview them. Unlike a generalist VA shop or BPO, we focus on three agency verticals — retention/email (Klaviyo), paid media operations, and Shopify development — and every operator joins your delivery team to execute production work, not ad-hoc tasks. You see the proof — a scorecard, a sample deliverable, and an AI workflow trace — before the interview.

We fit ecommerce and marketing agencies that are winning clients but hitting delivery bottlenecks — campaign production, QA, reporting, and client turnaround piling up on senior strategists. If you need reliable full-time capacity in retention/Klaviyo, paid media, or Shopify (rather than freelancers or résumé floods), we're built for you. We're not the right choice for one-off admin tasks or a cheapest-possible-VA hire.

It starts with a short consultation to scope the role and workflow. You get a shortlist of vetted operators within 5 business days, and you interview the shortlist with their scorecards in hand. Your operator starts within 7 days of your pick. The final hiring decision is always yours.

We staff 12 StackCertified roles across three agency verticals: Retention & Klaviyo (Klaviyo Ops, Email Copywriter, Lifecycle Strategist), Paid Media Ops (Media Buyer, Creative Strategist, Paid Social Analyst), and Shopify Development (Shopify Developer, Shopify Theme Developer, Shopify Plus Architect) — plus cross-functional Operations roles (Account Manager, Project Manager, QA Reviewer). Every role on the Roles page comes with a scorecard and a clear price band.

Before placement, every operator completes a role-specific, production-style test — the real work they'll own — and we capture the evidence: the finished deliverable, the AI workflow trace (prompts → output → edits), a QA checklist, and a Loom handoff. That becomes a scorecard you review before the interview. StackCertified is our own internal assessment, and it covers the AI tools relevant to each role, such as Klaviyo AI, Meta Advantage+, Claude, and GitHub Copilot.

Yes. After our screening and certification, you get a shortlist with scorecards and sample work, then interview in whatever format you prefer — technical assessment, panel, or multiple rounds. The hiring decision is entirely yours; we never auto-assign an operator to your team.

Shortlist of vetted operators within 5 business days. Your operator starts within 7 days of your pick.

Every placement is backed by a free replacement guarantee (6 months on Direct Hire, 30 days on Managed Teams) and a pre-certified backup bench, so we can swap an operator if the fit isn't right and keep your delivery moving. It's a replacement, not a refund of fees. We also work with you and the operator through StackOps to address performance issues early.

Most agencies choose one of three setups: operators work your business hours for real-time collaboration; you establish core overlap hours for meetings with independent work outside them; or operators work Philippine hours for overnight turnaround. Operators are generally flexible on schedule, and we'll agree the best arrangement during onboarding.

Operators are full-time and remote. They use their own business-grade setup, and we verify their internet and backup power before placement. Day to day, you direct the work just like an in-house team member. On Managed Teams, Staff Stack handles payroll and day-to-day HR admin for your operator, plus the StackOps support layer around them.

Operators work inside your own tools, using accounts you provision and can revoke at any time. We recommend least-privilege access and multi-factor authentication on every account you give an operator. See the Security page for how we handle client data.

That's what StackOps is for. After placement we support each operator with weekly KPI reviews, QA checklists, SOP coaching, and escalation support, while you keep direct day-to-day work management. The goal isn't just to fill a seat — it's to keep client work shipping at a consistent quality.

Two transparent models. Managed Teams: the operator's salary plus a flat $1,600/mo Staff Stack fee per operator — no hidden salary markup. Direct Hire: a one-time placement fee of 25-35% of first-year salary, started with a $500 deposit. Estimated all-in monthly cost runs roughly $2,000-$7,200 depending on role, experience, and scope. The Pricing and Salary Guide pages show per-role ranges.

No. On Managed Teams the monthly fee covers recruitment, StackCertified onboarding, payroll and day-to-day HR admin, StackOps QA and KPI reviews, and the 30-day replacement guarantee. We separate the operator's salary from our fee so you see exactly what you're paying for. On Direct Hire, the $500 deposit is credited against the placement fee if you hire. The only possible extra is specialized software your work specifically requires, which we'd agree on in advance.

Managed Teams are month-to-month: no long-term contract, 30 days' written notice to cancel, and no early-termination fee. Direct Hire is a one-time placement fee, started with a $500 deposit that is fully refundable if we don't deliver a shortlist within 10 business days or you decide not to hire from it, and credited against the placement fee if you hire.

Managed Teams are invoiced monthly in advance via bank transfer or card, in USD or other major currencies as needed. We provide detailed invoices and can accommodate your accounting requirements.

On Managed Teams, we handle payroll and day-to-day HR admin for your operator, while you keep full day-to-day direction of their work. On Direct Hire, you hire the operator directly.

Operators work inside your own tools, on accounts you provision, so the work stays in your systems and you can revoke access at any time. If you need a specific confidentiality or IP agreement with your operator, raise it during scoping.

Contact us first. We'll work with you in good faith to resolve any concern quickly and fairly during the engagement.