OnSkil claims it is shaking things up in IT contractor recruitment by basing its platform’s usability on Tinder, the dating app.
The experience of finding a new partner via a dating app is very similar to finding a new job, since they are both very personal to each individual user, according to a new recruitment platform that caters to IT contractors.
OnSkil claims it was inspired by Tinder. But what does that mean?
The co-founder Nick Brand, an IT consultant and recruitment entrepreneur, claims their product’s artificial intelligence puts candidates in control much like Tinder does. “OnSkil is entirely anonymous – until you’re both ready.”
The business calls this “reciprocal interest”, which Brand believes is the foundation of any meaningful ‘match’, whether that’s in love or work, so the platform ensures that before any details are exchanged, you’re both on board.
The search and match process “protects the identities of all our candidates until genuine interest from clients has been established.”
The idea is to ensure no time is wasted on potential mismatches and minimise any bias.
Will the AI ignore me if I want to venture into a new sector or skill set?
Many contractors may get fed up if recruiters focus on one thing when the contractor is actually passionate about another. If a candidate wants to venture into a new area with transferable skills, the technology behind the platform won’t dismiss this, the company claims.
Your profile will be based on your interests – so you can build it based on the skills and experiences of the job role you’re looking for. This means that you are only matched with jobs where there’s a good fit. Like with dating apps, you don’t have to read hundreds of profiles or sift through relationship CVs – you both know there’s a mutual interest.
You choose exactly what you want your next job to include. For example, if you fancy a deviation from Front End to Java — simply put that on your profile and you’ll only match with jobs that require that as a skill. It doesn’t matter what your CV says, because you’re in charge of developing your career.
“Job seekers are protected from unsolicited contact, and clients know that candidates applying to their open roles are genuinely interested in working for them and have not been harassed by pushy recruiters into a process,” said OnSkil.