M’sian Job-Finder App Makes Job Search As Easy As Swiping Right

The app allows for a seamless and more “human” experience.

Credit: Kabel

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Job searching is a tedious process, for all parties involved. Camelia Loh, founder of the Kabel startup, knows that all too well after 16 years in the recruitment industry. According to her, the job application process is daunting and uncertain in terms of results.

Jobseekers often feel like their resume goes into a blackhole, and companies find it added stress to go through so many CVs.
Camelia Loh to TRP

Job-hunting in the current day and age can be very demotivating. Most companies now use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software, which searches your resume for specific keywords and filters out applicants based on AI.

This is a recurring gripe amongst job-seekers: they already have a resume, why do they still need to copy all the information from their resume into a form for each separate job opening in every company? Chances are, their resume wouldn’t even be seen by human eyes.

Some would be lucky to get called in for an interview. Most will have their resume filtered through AI.
(Credit: Bigstock)

As a result, advice for job-seekers have turned it into a ‘numbers game’: just apply for as many positions as you can for more opportunities– even if it’s not a good fit.

There are plenty of recruitment platforms out there for people to apply for jobs. In fact, recruiters can receive hundreds of applications a day from these various channels– many which do not fit the job roles but are from those trying their luck anyway, causing wasted hours and an even stronger reliance on ATS software to filter out applicants.

We’re trying to solve the relevency and quality issue. Our goal is to increase the quality of engagement while reducing the time and effort required for everyone involved.
Camelia Loh to TRP

Camelia believes that there has to be an easier way to connect the right job-seekers with the relevent employers– so, inspired by the disruptive technology she witnessed in Silicon Valley, she built it herself.

Pulling Kabels

The Kabel app offers a solution that does away with all this unneccesary wasted time and reliance on the ATS.

Touted as a “Tinder-like” alternative to traditional recruitment processes, Kabel allows you to create a profile with your achievements, place of work, and other personal details.

Then, the app algorithm will serve you “cards”– open related job offers which you can browse at your leisure and “swipe right” when you find an offer you like without needing to go through the hassle of applications.

If the hiring manager swipes right back on you, both will be connected and can start a chat– an informal interview that requires less investment in time and effort from both parties.

Kabel places priority on matching the right candidate to the right job with the right people.
(Credit: Kabel)

This works similarly for hiring managers, who will also be able to view candidates’ cards and swipe right on someone who catches their eye.

I want to bring back that human-to-human contact so people can build a real, meaningful relationship.
Camelia Loh to TRP

Why the insistence on human connection?

Camelia insists that there’s no better way to figure out if someone is the right fit for the job, team, and company than talking to them directly– and vice versa.

That’s why it’s crucial for both parties to be able to feel each other out and build rapport, especially with the line manager.

Line managers have a direct impact on the working environment. People leave bosses, not companies.
Camelia Loh to TRP

Relationships, professional or otherwise, are also driven by who we are as people, not just what is listed in a resume. Understanding this human connection is something that cannot be replaced by ATS or artificial intelligence.

Being able to click with people you work with is key to a healthy worklife.
(Credit: Bigstock)

Kabel can also cut the time it takes to find a suitable candidate by 40%, says Camelia. On average, it takes recruiters about two weeks to find and sort applicants for a role before line managers are even able to speak to them. With Kabel, people can make a connection much more efficiently.

Most of the companies drawn to Camelia’s unothordox recruitment methods are usually either very progressive, focused companies with strong visions, or SMEs who are looking to hire the right people and not just another cog in the machine.

So far, even big companies like TUI, LalaMove, Photobook, pitchIN, and AsiaMobilliti have joined Kabel on their hunt for the right talents for their teams.

1 Company, 1 Job, 1 Malaysian

The current situation is also dire as Malaysia faces grim unemployment rates during the pandemic, which is why Kabel has launched the 1-1-1 Movement pledging to have 5,000 unemployed Malaysians placed in jobs by 31st August, Merdeka Day.

The 1-1-1 Movement aims for companies to list just one job, to match one job seeker, and successfully realise one employment opportunity at a time.

The 1-1-1 Movement aims to place 5,000 Malaysians in the right job by Merdeka Day.
(Credit: Kabel)

There is zero cost of entry for either companies or job seekers to join the 1-1-1 Movement. In a destabilised job market, Kabel’s mission with the 1-1-1 Movement of building impactful employment bridges, is a welcome one.

Companies can help to make a difference in someone’s life by pledging a job, while the rakyat can help to share these opportunities to those in need.

Let’s replace the white flags to Malaysian flags.
Camelia Loh on the 1-1-1 Movement to TRP

Companies and job-seekers can visit Kabel’s website for further information on the movement, list or find a job on their app, or even sit in on one of Kabel’s free workshops every week, hosted by Work Inspires and Dr Lynda Ling, to help improve your life.

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