Startup makes job seekers into video stars

A new Australian startup is aiming to put the power back into the hands of job seekers with a simple idea: “make a video, get a job”.

EmployMe is a two-way platform for job seekers and employers, allowing potential candidates to upload a two minute video resume with the aim of standing out from the pack.

Managing director Joseph Buccheri says there’s a growing movement of incorporating technology into the traditional recruitment process.

“A group of small business owners came up with the idea,” Buccheri says.

“They really saw a growing trend of using videos as part of everyday society and in job applications.”

The site launched last year and now has a database of 23,000 employers and 25,000 job seekers.

Standing out

The purpose of the site is for employers to find potential new employees by searching through the videos.

Job seekers can make a profile on EmployMe for a free and upload a short video from their smartphone.

“This really highlights their personality and strengths, letting employers visualise and understand this, and make a quick decision,” Buccheri says.

“The reality is that in today’s society, everyone is using their phones, it’s very much a visualised economy, so we’re trying to keep up with the trends in society.”

“It’s putting the power back into the job seeker. In the traditional employment market, it’s always the employer that’s posting vacancies, and they get inundated with CVs.

“This shortcuts that and allows job seekers to demonstrate personality. It’s a reverse of the traditional model.”

Some of the most popular job-searching websites in Australia are Seek and CareerOne, but these are focused on job seekers applying for jobs, rather than employers looking for workers.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are currently 568,100 unemployed Australians looking for full-time work, and 232,600 on the hunt for part-time employment.

EmployMe is free for job seekers and for employers to browse the profiles, and is monetised through a fee applied when these employers want to actually contact someone.

At the moment, it costs $89 for three contacts, $179 for eight contacts, $269 for 15, and $899 for 70, with this option meant specifically for recruiters.

Job seekers can also pay $18 a month for their profile to appear higher in the search results.

International growth and funding

The startup has been bootstrapped by the initial group of small business owners and Buccheri, who was brought on board last year.

He says once they reach certain growth targets, they’ll look to publicly list the company and expand internationally.

“We’re looking to reach a critical mass of 100,000,” he says.

“We’re trying to synchronise the business agenda with the corporate agenda and get the revenue stream well developed, then we’ll look to IPO.”

EmployMe is currently spending big on advertising and marketing projects, including partnerships with Nova and ZOO, and a large billboard campaign.

“It’s all about brand awareness,” Buccheri says.

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