For career seekers, LinkedIn is only a click away. But what about those people who are just searching for a job? That’s where Shiftgig comes in. This online community serves the hospitality and retail industries by connecting employers with workers, making it easier to hire and be hired.
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Last week, Shiftgig announced a $3 million Series A raise from investors including I2A Fund, FireStarter Fund and Red Barn Investments.
“We were fortunate to be 100% oversubscribed and raised over $3 million from institutions and angels in our first round,” says Eddie Lou, Shiftgig co-founder and CEO. “We accepted additional capital so that we could add more features, improve our user experience, hire great people, and expand to more verticals and cities.”
The team’s focus now shifts to functional expansion and improvement of the customer experience. According to Lou, their long-term goal is to “create a community that provides the framework for the working class and their prospective employers to connect, hire and improve the employment experience.”
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At just shy of a year old, Shiftgig already has over 100,000 individuals and 4,000 businesses registered on the site. Since launching in January, Shiftgig has expanded into New York City and Los Angeles and is looking to expand into Miami and Washington, D.C., next.
Along with news of the raise, Shiftgig also announced the addition of former Groupon executive Ken Pelletier as an investor and advisor. “[His] experience as CTO of Groupon gives Shiftgig a valuable resource for building a highly scalable site with a focus on user experience,” says CTO and co-founder Sean Casey.
This weekend, Shiftgig launched a new website section called ARTICLES, which is clearly another attempt at building the community online. Lou noticed fan engagement with articles pushed out on Shiftgig’s social media channels and decided to bring some of that traffic back to the company’s own site. In this new section, members can share industry-relevant news, tips, and gossip.
Considering the economic woes facing working and middle class Americans today, it’s no surprise that Shiftgig’s purpose resonates with customers and investors alike. Inspired by a friend who dropped resumes at 13 bars before coming face-to-face with an owner who liked her personality, Lou hopes Shiftgig will allow employers to see beyond the paper resume and find the workforce they really need.
Visit Shiftgig’s website and follow them on Twitter at @shiftgig.
(Images courtesy of Eddie Lou)
