A new digital business in downtown Detroit called re:purpose uses algorithms to match employees and their cultural preferences with employment opportunities from small and midsize firms searching for tech talent. It is the first company to be launched from WeWork, a collaborative workspace in the central business district that opened last year.
“We match people who are looking for technology jobs with employers in Detroit, the suburbs, and the Ann Arbor area,” says Ryan Landau, founder and CEO of re:purpose. “We launched on March 1, and we’re receiving 100 applications per week. Our platform is curated, so we only work with top tech talent and top tech businesses.”
In addition to working with local job seekers, Landau says the company’s platform appeals to people who grew up in metro Detroit, moved elsewhere, and are now looking to return. Once the business is established in Detroit, plans are to expand the platform to other cities. The company generates revenue by charging a fee from a participating employer once they hire someone.
“We offer a 90-day money back guarantee,” Landau says. “We get paid a placement fee, and down the road we’re looking at introducing a subscription plan. It’s free for the job candidates. We have dozens of companies on our platform who want to be connected with curated talent.”
Participating employers include Rocket Fiber, Quikly, Castle, Level Eleven, Benzinga, Health Rise Solutions, Farm Logs, and Nutshell. Landau says both job candidates and participating businesses are curated to ensure the best possible connection. Candidates also can be matched with a talent agent to assist with negotiations, available housing, and other needs.
To get started, job candidates fill out an online talent application where they are asked, for example, to select the values from an employer that are most important to them, including execution, passion, efficiency, creativity, communication, resourcefulness, among others.
“People, especially young people, are looking to work for brands they believe in,” Landau says. “They are typically looking to work with established companies that have between 20 and 500 employees.”
More information can be found here.
