Jack Beaman and Novo Abakare: Syft

Jack Beaman, 30 and Novo Abakare, 32
Company: Syft
Web: syftapp.com

The UK is on track for one  million temporary temporary workers in 2020, after a 40% surge in short-term recruitment over the past decade. Yet the problems facing the recruitment of agency workers continue to blight the industry.

Employers complain that temporary staff don’t show up, while the workers themselves complain about low pay and a lack of basic rights. A sector which is dominated by huge international firms has been painfully slow to fix these problems.

But Syft is determined to change the game, leveraging the power of mobile technology to provide a better, more reliable means of recruiting temporary staff. Co-founder Jack Beaman says his own memories of working as a temp during university, and the frustration at his measly pay packet, provided the framework for his vision.

Beaman and business partner Novo Abakare have built an app which has already attracted 13,000 job seekers since launch last year, and placed staff at blue-riband locations such as Harvey Nichols, The Ritz and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

By slashing agency fees, Syft drastically reduces the employer’s bill while also ensuring more take-home pay for workers. All employees are vetted, ensuring trust in the system, and the developers have built in a Uber-style ratings system for staff, which has helped reduce the no-show rate to just 1.7% – less than a tenth of the industry average.

Those who claim work through Syft also receive a raft of benefits, including free phone insurance and discounted gym membership. This has helped ensure a high retention rate, as well as rapid growth via word-of-mouth.

Beaman and Abakare are currently launching their sixth office in Cardiff and eyeing up a Series B in 2019. They are also planning to launch a charity in tandem with their network of employers, aimed at getting homeless people back to work.

The long-term dream is to be the world’s largest temporary recruitment provider – without losing the values that make them stand out in the recruitment jungle.