We are always on the lookout for companies that help connect job seekers with employers. In Southeast Asia, the frontline labor market remains large but fragmented. While there are numerous job boards for white-collar workers, blue-collar workers are underserved. Because of this gap in the SEA market, we are excited about WorkClass, a job board for blue-collar workers that helps job seekers in Singapore find work in under 24 hours.
The Nuts & Bolts
Problem: Due to COVID-19 layoffs, many job seekers are looking for work. Frontline workers are essential for daily operations, but logistics companies struggle to find enough staff due to high turnover and no-show rates.
Solution: WorkClass matches blue-collar job seekers and job hunters with their smart location-matching algorithm. It is the fastest way to match candidates and employers in SEA. With newer entrants in the delivery and logistics space and COVID-19 displacing a multitude of jobs, there is an even bigger need for a solution like WorkClass.
When 500 Met WorkClass
The WorkClass team received a rave review from Magnus Grimeland, Founder and CEO of Antler, after they partook in its fourth Singapore cohort. Nikita Okulov, Co-Founder and CEO of WorkClass, was the general manager at Jobs Today, an identical platform for the UK market. Additionally, he has worked at Lamoda, the sister company to Zalora targeting the Kazakhstan market. He is joined by Co-Founder Stephan Bruggemann, who was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Antler in Singapore and Head of Engineering at Konigle.
WorkClass fits in nicely with our ESG criteria. By connecting blue-collar workers with jobs, it is helping to end poverty (UN Sustainable Development Goal 1), create quality jobs (UN Sustainable Development Goal 8), support the marginalized and disadvantaged (UN Sustainable Development Goal 10), among other goals.
Why Now?
The frontline labor market in SEA is exceptionally fragmented. Blue-collar workers and employers have a different set of challenges than white-collar jobs and an urgency to hire. Many platforms focus on office work (LinkedIn, JobsDB, Indeed, etc.), but there is no clear leader in the SEA market’s frontline worker space.
There are newer entrants in the delivery and logistics space in the region. At the same time, COVID-19 has not only displaced a multitude of jobs, but also created a new set of employment needs.
WorkClass solves a central challenge for both job seekers who want to find work and employers who need many frontline workers on hand. The company provides a supply of essential daily workers for employees and a direct access for frontline job seekers to land a job in 24 hours.
Job seekers can apply for a job and build a profile all through chatting with a bot on WhatsApp or Telegram (native apps). The platform uses a location-based matching algorithm to show only candidates in the employer’s vicinity, which increases interview attendance by 80%. It also provides gamification for job seekers who get points if they use WorkClass to find a job; they can use those points on shopping, etc., with its affiliate partners.
Future of WorkClass
WorkClass plans to be the leader in this space in Singapore, Malaysia, and eventually, Indonesia. Its smart location-matching algorithm, application process via native apps, and catering to an essential class of workers can help it achieve this goal.
You can learn more about WorkClass at https://workclass.co.
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