New jobs app offers real-time matches

SINGAPORE — When staff at the Katong eatery The Chop House asked for leave during the Chinese New Year period, restaurant manager Jack Taylor Yang found himself in a bind, as he always does during peak periods due to the manpower crunch in the retail sector.

This time, however, Mr Yang had a quick-fix solution: JobsOnDemand, a real-time, location-based job-matching mobile platform that helps retailers tap into the casual and flexible local workforce when the need arises. “It was quick and easy. Business at the restaurant went on smoothly all through the Chinese New Year period despite my regular staff being on leave,” he said.

JobsOnDemand, available since last year and was launched on Friday (Feb 10), lets businesses post ad hoc jobs via an app, and then alerts job seekers who have signed up as members.

Hiring managers pay a service fee only when jobs have been completed, and workers get paid by the next business day. Registration is free of charge for jobseekers.

Under an exclusive tie-up with CapitaLand Mall Asia, which manages 17 malls, Aptus Technologies — the creator of JobOnDemand — is offering retailers at CapitaLand malls in Singapore special rates for sign-up and commission.

A check at about 10pm on Friday showed nine job openings for catering crew and waiters posted by eateries such as Jack’s Place and Tung Lok Catering.

The jobs were mainly for assignments for Saturday and Sunday this week, paying S$8 to S$11 an hour.

Retailers as well as food and beverage companies across the island have been buffeted by the manpower crunch in recent years in part due to changes in government policy to slow the inflow of foreign manpower while encouraging industry transformation to achieve higher productivity gains.

“JobsOnDemand helped us fill our temporary labour shortages at our busier outlets, especially during peak periods,” said Mr Andrew Khoo, CEO of Swensen’s.

“The flexibility factor and the immediate payments are what I like most about taking up a job through this platform,” said Choa Chu Kang resident Rachel Low, 20, who has taken up several jobs as a service crew member at F&B outlets through the app.