“Traditional recruiting often doesn’t have the interests of either the employer or the contractor at heart, and I really wanted to change that,” says tech professional Jacqueline Custodio.
This single mom had grown frustrated with the employment issues she faced in Australia. She knew she had a lot to offer, but found doors closed in her face because she needed flexible work for herself and her children. From this frustration she started a digital worker recruitment platform called Lightsapp, a first-of-its-kind in the tech employment space.
What exactly is Lightsapp?
Lightsapp is a new contingent workforce employment platform for the ICT industry. The platform is unique because its mission is to secure and support the contingent worker throughout their entire life cycle.
It caters to all professional contractors. It enables students in need of internships, through to professional women out of the workforce for a stretch, as well as “silver talent” (semi-retires) looking to “give back” their vast accumulated experience.
To do this, Lightsapp directly engages employers and contractors, bypassing traditional outdated recruiting methods.
“I found recruiters were being very dismissive of my chances of finding work and they paid little attention to the wealth of my experience, as my needs presented a challenge out of the ordinary for them,” said Jacqueline.
“I felt I was at the mercy of recruiters, and I wanted to take back control and be in charge of my own outcomes. I realised this must be happening to others, not just women, and decided to do something about it.”
Jacqueline highlighted that a big part of the problem also lies in the significant lag between advertising an ICT position and filling it. In Australia it takes 45 days to source a contingent worker with a 67 per cent success rate at best.
Organisations can now easily access diverse workforce segments depending on the level of experience and skills required because the cloud platform brings together students, graduates, professional contractors, consultants and semi-retirees in
a single talent pool.
Already lighting up
Lightsapp has been likened to the Airbnb for professionals due its simplicity in being able to shortlist, connect and book diverse workforce based on skills, availablility, and location.
This matching process is further strengthened by strategic partnerships. For example, Lightsapp has partnered with RISQ Group, a leading screening and technology company, to offer KNOWN verification.
It has also joined hands with Paypartners, a leading contractor management company that has pioneered virtual HR and Payroll services.
“KNOWN is a first-of-its-kind verification system for the new economy and as such is a perfect fit for the positive change that Lightsapp will bring to the employment space.
“Trust is essential to this process and KNOWN delivers that trust and makes questions like identity and qualifications truly transparent,” said Nick Roberts, CEO of RISQ Group.
Companies can request a RISQ-powered check on a contractor through Lightsapp platform. Lightsapp also encourages contractors to proactively get themselves “KNOWN” to maximise their opportunities in securing quality engagements.
Paypartners specialises in the engagement, management and payroll of professional contractors. “Lightsapp delivers the visibility a contractor needs and we provide the support that contractor needs to thrive in their career. Lightsapp is an innovatice way of bringing contractors and clients together as well as empowering this growing workforce” said Vicki Carolan, Director of Client Services at Paypartners.
