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This Spotlight is sponsored by Petronas.
According to the Employee Provident Fund’s (EPF) 2019 study, nearly four out of 10 Malaysians in the workforce are gig workers
Image via Brooke Cagle (Unsplash)
Additionally, in the last year or so, we’ve seen many turning to the gig workforce to earn a living. Reports have also revealed that majority of gig workers comprise of the younger generation.
Consisting of part-time workers, freelancers, and workers who rely on short term contracts, the gig workforce is attracting Malaysians of all backgrounds, be it fresh graduates or parents juggling between work and children.
As such, the government has also identified the gig economy as a new source of economic growth. From providing financial help to gig workers, to forming a committee to solve the issues within the gig economy, the government recognises the increasing relevance of the economy.
That’s why tech startup SOLVNEX wants to help connect gig workers to the right jobs available
Image via PETRONAS
SOLVNEX is an online platform, which is kickstarted by SEEd.Lab, a collaborative programme by PETRONAS and Tata Consultancy Services.
With the rise in unemployment, SOLVNEX wants to help create more job opportunities for gig workers. At the same time, SOLVNEX also aims to get corporations and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to participate in the gig economy.
This way, SOLVNEX can help facilitate not only the education on gig economy in the country, but also help execute their platform successfully and bring it to the next level.
To help create more job opportunities, the chief executive officer of SOLVNEX, Qadir Hadri, shared that he wants to change the way corporations and SMEs hire workers
Image via PETRONAS
“A lot of companies have just two ways to hire a talent: permanent or contract of at least a year. We are working with corporations to deconstruct and disrupt traditional hiring mechanisms while taking into account the security and risk factors, and adhering with the governing policy in place,” he shared.
Knowing how different corporations and SMEs are, the SOLVNEX team also takes different approaches to reach out to them. With the latter, the team reaches out through online campaigns via social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. For corporations, a more hands-on approach is necessary.
Additionally, to ensure that they maintain the quality and transparency of jobs offered, SOLVNEX carefully screens jobseekers who sign up on their platform
Image via PETRONAS
The team conducts relevant background checks and pre-assessments to ensure the jobseekers’ skills and level of experience are as according to what was provided. Plus, to ensure that gig workers get the best experience out of the platform, SOLVNEX even hired a gig professional to build the application.
“We also make sure that the jobs posted by the companies are legitimate. Every job that is posted is screened, verified, and approved by a designated person in SOLVNEX. We also have a review and feedback system as a control for the quality of the job transactions,” Qadir added.
Once completing the initial stage, companies and gig workers can easily find their match by simply searching for what they seek. SOLVNEX uses an algorithm based on how companies hire, taking into account things like cost, level of skills required, and optional and mandatory skills, among others.
According to Qadir, SOLVNEX wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for SEEd.Lab by PETRONAS
Image via PETRONAS
“We were able to get the right guidance from established mentors and support from the programme. Through SEEd.Lab, we even got to meet with various start up players and work with them to learn as much as possible, giving us a leg up when we graduate from the programme,” Qadir said.
SEEd.Lab is Malaysia’s first-of-its-kind social enterprise innovation hub, with the primary aim to address the rising youth unemployment issue in Malaysia through the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities via social enterprises.
To find out more about SOLVNEX and SEEd.Lab, head over to their website
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