With tourism businesses one of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19 – with many in the sector finding themselves out of work – a new smartphone app has been developed to enable job-seekers in the sector to market their skills to prospective employers.
Najen Naidoo, Founder of the app, konektd, said this was being driven through the #lovelocalgrowlocal campaign supported by konektd. “The konektd smartphone app allows individuals to easily market their skills or services powered by referrals. Staff from sectors like the hospitality sector can use their track record and employer referrals to build an online profile to market their skills for deployment in other industries like retail.”
He said konektd was rolling out to multiple industries, increasing the chances of employees, contractors and suppliers to find opportunities in areas to which they had never been exposed before. “The #lovelocalgrowlocal campaign konektd aims to break the barriers of market access by building a pool of trusted service providers with access to opportunities beyond their network.”
A guest house owner in Cape Town highlighted her recent experience. “I personally had to retrench staff, but kept my best employee, by paying him out of my savings. To alleviate the burden on myself, I approached neighbours and friends who may need a hand, as John is a whizz at anything from gardening to ironing.”
The guest house owner said konektd was a great platform to assist John to reach more people to find additional work. “By being in a trusted peer-reviewed app, John will be exposed to a larger market than I myself can network. Community outreach for employment opportunities is a great way to help everyone get back on their feet again.”
The features on the konektd platform for staff include:
- A digital profile the equivalent of your community noticeboard – customers or employers get to find out everything that they need to know about the employee or service provider.
- Digital word of mouth – employer referrals help work seekers showcase their credibility and skills to people you know and others, using your standing in the community to help them find work.
- Bookings app – allows employees to manage their schedule with ease
- FileSafe provides staff with the ability to safely store their CV, testimonials, certificates or other commonly requested documents from employers or clients.
