UnifyWork — the first spinout from Cleveland social enterprise UnifyLabs — has launched its workforce intelligence platform in Northeast Ohio.
Formerly known as UnifyJobs, the platform turns the traditional jobs site model on its head, putting control in the hands of job seekers by replacing the traditional résumé in the application process with an assessment that identifies a seeker's skills and interests.
The "intelligence" comes from applying patented technology to government data, combining the market demand for skills with equitable hiring practices that seek to avoid hiring biases, the company said in a statement.
"We believe [job] seekers are more than a piece of paper, a résumé," Steve McHale, the serial tech entrepreneur who is founder and CEO of UnifyWork, told Cleveland Inno.
"We've come up with a skills-based technology ... that essentially helps employers see the true value of individuals, versus a piece of paper," McHale said.
There are more than 27 million "hidden workers" in the United States who could find work or better work but are not being considered by current talent acquisition and development methods, according to a 2021 study by Harvard Business School and Accenture, the professional services company.
These workers are hidden partly because the siloed system of skills-based education and training in the U.S. is misaligned with the skills employers say they need, UnifyWork said.
In addition, many businesses can't see these workers because of the very processes they use to find talent, according to the Harvard/Accenture study.
By using UnifyWork to fill job openings, employers can gain access to a talent pool of prequalified candidates that they will not find on traditional job boards, McHale said.
"Access is a key issue when it comes to equity in our society," said McHale, who expects job seekers who are underrepresented in the workforce to benefit most from the skills-based approach.
UnifyWork might even help solve the Great Resignation — the period starting in the spring of 2021 during which an elevated number of U.S. workers resigned from their jobs amid strong labor demand and low unemployment — McHale said.
This phenomenon may have arisen partly because of skill and interest mismatches among employees and employers, he said.
UnifyWork is holding a Dec. 7 launch event at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland to introduce its services to users, employers and partners in Northeast Ohio, the company said.
The UnifyWork app is available to job seekers for free download via the Apple App Store or Google Play. Employers can join and hire for free through the end of the year at the company's website.
UnifyWork raised $4.5 million in seed money in June.
