Are employment matchmaking services the future of finding jobs?

As of August 2019, the national unemployment rate for the United States was 3.7 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compare that figure to the jobless rate in 2009 -- about 9.9 percent, in the midst of the Great Recession -- and it’s clear that the economy and job market are both at a strong point. The state of the economy has created a job seeker’s market in which skilled professionals can find a wealth of opportunities and employers must compete for top talent.

The priority for job seekers is finding jobs that suit their talents, offer the kind of working life that they want to have, and pay well. The priority for employers is attracting qualified, talented candidates who will mesh perfectly with their company culture -- something that has felt like a needle in haystack search in certain industries. A growing trend stands to serve both these priorities at the same time: employment matchmaking.

Introducing the Employment Matchmaking Service 

Typically, we think of matchmaking as something that happens in romantic relationships. For years, online services have specialized in this type of matchmaking-- Tinder upended the industry by putting matchmaking capabilities literally in every person’s pocket. While "finding a match" is essentially what drives successful hiring, matchmaking services have just now begun to move into the world of employment.

New services such as Workruit have the potential to change the way that employers hire and the way that job seekers look for new positions. The model isn’t just a twist on headhunters. While headhunters are matchmakers in a way, their approach is a one-sided: they are either been hired by the employer or earn a commission for a successful hire. As such, their priority is finding an employer’s dream hire. They aren’t necessarily concerned about making sure that each job seeker discovers his or her dream opportunity.

Workruit is a true employment matchmaking service because it takes both sides into consideration. While most of the messaging on the company’s website is geared toward companies -- "Workruit understands that you are busy building your company and is here to help you save time in finding the right talent," one section reads -- it is a platform that may serve both parties.

So far, Workruit has been compared extensively to Tinder, and for good reason: company founder Manikanth Challa said that he was inspired to build the mobile-based platform after seeing Tinder technology in action. Workruit mimics Tinder in many ways, right down to the swipe-based interface. Companies and job seekers can both download the app and build profiles. From there, the program -- which incorporates both artificial intelligence and machine learning into its digital DNA -- gets to work matchmaking.

As with Tinder, Workruit serves up proposed matches to employers and job seekers based on their profiles (and, in the case of employers, the jobs that they have posted). A job seeker can swipe right to express interest for job postings that they see or left to dismiss jobs that don’t pique their interest. Employers do the same. When both parties swipe right, there is a match, and employment conversations move to the next step.

Uber Works and Matchmaking in the Gig Economy

Workruit isn’t the only platform seeking to match workers with opportunities that might suit them. Recently, Uber launched a new side of its business: Uber Works, which "connects workers with businesses that need to fill available shifts." Uber’s model, unsurprisingly, skews more toward the gig economy than the full-time employment opportunities that are the focus of Workruit. However, the arrival of Uber Works -- launched in Chicago to start -- shows that work matchmaking services are going mainstream.

The Next Steps 

What employers need to recognize when using these services is that Workruit, Uber Works, or any other matchmaking service that they are using won’t do all the work for them. While these services can feasibly cut down on resume sorting and even initial phone screenings, they aren’t redefining the hiring process: steps such as thorough job interviews and detailed background checks are still essential. Criminal history is a factor that employers must consider to ensure a safe workplace. Lies on resumes are likely to remain an issue on matchmaking apps, which means verification checks for education, employment, and professional licenses are still necessities.

By incorporating the protocols of proper employee vetting alongside the innovative matchmaking powers of Workruit or Uber Works, employers could expedite their hiring processes while finding stronger and more qualified candidates. Job seekers could enjoy an easier path to their dream jobs. Time will tell if employment matchmaking platforms will have a significant and lasting impact on either side.

Image Credit: Rido / Shutterstock

Michael Klazema is Chief Marketing Technologist at VODW.com and has over two decades of experience in digital consulting, online product management, and technology innovation. He is the lead author and editor for Dallas-based backgroundchecks.com with a focus on human resource and employment screening developments.