When one of Zest's best people decided to move to Germany, founder Calum Lyle had a choice: let her go, or find a way to employ her there compliantly. Here's how Peak made that an easy decision.
"From start to finish, Peak were brilliant. As a complete novice when it comes to European employment law, the Peak team made ample time to chat me through the steps - and made something that could've been complicated, simple."
Calum, founder of Zest, got the kind of message most founders dread: one of his best people, Lizzie, wanted to move to Berlin. For a lot of businesses, that's where the story ends - a resignation letter, a scramble to backfill, months of lost momentum. Calum wasn't willing to let it end there.
The problem was, he had no idea how to employ someone in Germany. Different employment law, different compliance rules, different payroll setup entirely - none of it territory a UK-based recruitment founder had reason to know.
Zest places Sales, Marketing, and Operations talent into forward-thinking tech businesses, and does it differently: genuine relationships and data-driven matching over volume recruiting. It's a business built on trust that takes time to earn - which is exactly why losing Lizzie mattered so much.
In recruitment, the team is the product. Losing Lizzie wouldn't just have left a vacant seat - it would have meant disrupted client relationships and saying goodbye to someone Calum had genuinely invested in.
There was a bigger tension underneath it too. Zest's whole identity is built on doing right by people. Letting geography end a good employment relationship would have cut against everything the business stands for.
Calum came to Peak, and the difference showed up from the first conversation. Through Peak's Employer of Record solution, Zest could employ Lizzie compliantly in Germany, with no local entity, no legal maze, no unnecessary risk.
"As a complete novice when it comes to European employment law, the Peak team made time to walk me through it - and turned something that could've been really complicated into something simple."
- Calum Lyle, Founder, Zest
The commercial side matched it: transparent pricing, no hidden costs, and questions answered within 15 minutes. And for a founder who'd built his business around values, the partnership mattered as much as the paperwork.
"It's really important to me that the businesses we partner with are aligned from a values perspective. Peak want to build a relationship with their customers, and it's clear they operate with a diverse, ethical and sustainable mindset."
- Calum Lyle, Founder, Zest
Lizzie made her move to Berlin. Zest kept a brilliant team member. Calum got the peace of mind that everything was above board, taken care of, and in safe hands.
Lizzie working legally in Germany, no local entity required.
Client relationships and momentum stayed intact.
Questions answered fast, whenever Calum had them.
What Peak do
We help businesses employ people anywhere in the world, without the need to establish a local entity, and without the admin and compliance headaches. Wherever you need to employ people, we handle the compliance, the contracts, and the complexity.
No hidden costs, no nasty surprises - just people who care about getting it right.
Let's talk
Tell us where you're headed and we'll show you how simple global employment can be. No hard sell, just a straight conversation with someone who knows their stuff.
