Online job-matching platform, Kalibrr, a local startup, serves over 6 million Filipino jobseekers todate and processes 10 million job applications annually, a record it intends to break soon, announced CEO and co-founder Paul Rivera.

So far, in its past nine years of operation, the company helped more than 300,000 customers find jobs globally.

And unlike many other job search platforms, Kalibrr uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the applicant screening process for employers.

This is vital for small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) with limited recruitment resources.

With a US$13,000 (P600,000) grant from the 2021 FedEx Small Business Grant Competition, Kalibrr offers SMEs free premium subscriptions to aid them in hiring better-suited workforces.

“In the present job market, postings from SMEs may get buried by thousands of job listings from established companies," according to the CEO.

"Small businesses are at a competitive disadvantage as large companies have the budget to make highly visible job advertisements,” he pointed out.

Kalibrr enables SMEs to customize and highlight their strengths and needs better so they can target a particular niche or sector and connect with ideal applicants.

“We want to give Filipino SMEs equal power through our platform to build their dream team by connecting them with skilled talents swiftly and more efficiently,” Rivera added.

Significantly, the startup employs AI to solve the discovery and match problem.

"We let jobseekers discover opportunities rather than search for them. This means that our AI leverages the jobseeker’s profile histories and behaviors to quickly serve relevant job opportunities,” he elaborated.

On the hiring end, Kalibrr’s algorithm helps companies to screen applicants more efficiently by analyzing the skill level, work environment, responsibilities and education needed for the position.

Its AI-powered system and qualification tests can thoroughly scan and filter the profiles of candidates then match them based on employers’ preferences and online patterns.

"The service we provide is smarter, faster and consistent across all clients, big or small," Rivera maintained.

Notably, they have also survived the challenges of the pandemic.

“Recruiting pretty much stopped in Q2 of 2020 due to the economic disruptions brought on by the pandemic – nobody was hiring,” says Rivera.

They restructured and right-sized the business to survive.

“The pandemic has dramatically altered the job market globally – the labor market today is truly global," Rivera observed.

"Opportunity is no longer defined by where you live. I believe that companies that have leveraged technology to adapt through this pandemic will come out strong and formidable.”