Getahead declares the resume dead by offering a swipe right for that new job

Brisbane start-up Getahead is on a mission to make it easier for employers and jobseekers to find their perfect match through a new app that has declared the traditional resume dead.

Founded by entrepreneur Sam McNamara and shaped by the ‘painful experience’ of writing his first ever resume, Getahead has just completed a $680,000 capital raise with plans to launch the app in early August to capitalise on a challenging jobs market for employers.

The app, which is backed by Brisbane coffee king Phillip Di Bella, aims to cut the time it takes for employers to find a new employee from the traditional 25 days to 25 minutes using an algorithm that creates a ‘Tinder for jobs’.

“But the app is a lot smarter in terms of what it does,” says McNamara, whose passion for building online businesses began when he was 16.

“Using AI technology, our app will match candidates with desirable jobs based on jobseeker and employer preferences. Once your profile is built, the application process is as easy as one swipe.

“After connecting with the employer, they can message you directly through the app, and you can even have a video interview straight away through the app.

“We’re trying to make it easier for applicants to find jobs that are attractive to them and also make the process easier and faster for the employer, while also hopefully improving their staff retention rates.”

McNamara created the app from his own experience searching for a job after a recruitment start-up he was helping to grow suffered headwinds during the pandemic.

“I started looking for jobs on the market and I found it incredibly painful,” he says.

“I struggled to get my head around how old school some of the dominant platforms are in the market currently.”

McNamara, whose diverse career included a stint with the US sales team of Jordan Belfort, the notorious Wolf of Wall Street, says it was the first time he ever had to prepare a resume.

“I was on a piece of paper like every other candidate applying for the same jobs so that inspired me to create something exciting, innovative and expressive of who I am and what I was trying to achieve.”

McNamara has designed Getahead to provide greater transparency for both employers and potential recruits. He says it eliminates the need for employers to ‘stalk’ potential employees on social media - a process that usually happens after looking at a traditional resume. The app also requires employers to reveal more about the jobs they are offering, including listing the salary package.     

“Our research has found that companies were investing heavily to train new recruits before these candidates realised that they weren’t a good fit for the company. Getahead works very much like a dating app. We are trying to match the candidate with a job that suits their preferences by bridging the gap between a social network and a resume.”

Getahead has already caught the attention of large employers with the app initially targeting the high-volume sectors of hospitality, retail and construction. Among the companies keen to get on board are Wyndham Destinations, Acai Bros. and Di Bella’s The Coffee Commune.

The app is free for people looking for jobs and costs employers about $50 per month, allowing them to post an unlimited number of job profiles.

“The costs for this on other platforms are crippling, especially for those in hospitality and retail which are sectors we are heavily targeting,” says McNamara.

“We are playing in the fast-hiring industries where staff turnover is massive. A lot of people in these jobs don’t last longer than three, four or five months and companies trying to get back on their feet are struggling to afford paying for conventional recruitment adds.”

Di Bella was the second investor to back Getahead and is taking a strong interest in the company’s development.

“I see this product being one of the great products of the future that solves big problems very quickly, very easily and inexpensively for all parties,” says Di Bella, who sold his Di Bella Coffee Group to Retail Food Group (ASX: RFG) for $30 million in 2015.

McNamara says the coffee entrepreneur is both an investor and mentor for the team.

“We’re very selective about who we have brought on as investors and we have turned down a number that were just purely financial,” he says.

“Every investor that comes on board brings a network that we believe will benefit our product.”