Storyblocks is Handoff’s first pilot companion. (Left to proper) job-share companion Jodie Reyes, Handoff founder LaToria Pierce, Storyblocks CEO TJ Leonard and job-share companion Redeit Admassie
Many certified employees are failed by the present mannequin of labor in america, the place jobs are both part-time or full-time. Working 40 set hours per week is tough for folks like caregivers, however part-time jobs don’t have the identical advantages or career-advancing potential. Handoff, one of many startups in TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield 200, needs to make an idea known as job sharing, by which two folks cut up the duties and pay of a full-time place however get the identical advantages, extra widespread.
Founder and CEO LaToria Pierce began engaged on Handoff whereas she was collaborating in Ideas42 Enterprise Studio. Pierce was requested to construct from lived expertise and challenges. She took inspiration from her mom, who was a single guardian, and got down to make an answer that was inclusive of single mothers. She spent a 12 months speaking to moms within the workforce and employers.
“What I found is that there was this mismatch and the ‘why’ hit me—how come we aren’t seeing working moms at sure organizations in sure roles? The 40 hour per week expertise is a barrier for a lot of dad and mom and caregivers,” stated Pierce. “They obtained the abilities, they’ve obtained the tenure they usually’ve obtained the tenacity, however time might be a problem.”
A part of Handoff’s software program for facilitating job shares
Job sharing is already generally utilized in many European nations, and Handoff’s mission is to scale it in america, too, by serving to employers create a basis to start out providing job-sharing roles. Its minimal viable product is a job-sharing enablement device that makes certain a job-sharing relationship is manageable and that work is cut up equally between the 2 folks in it. When Handoff launched its first pilot program, “expertise began displaying up in droves,” stated Pierce. So the startup arrange a expertise connection portal for them, that fast-tracks employers to certified, pre-vetted expertise.
Job sharing will help variety, fairness and inclusion by getting extra ladies, ladies of coloration and caregivers into the workforce, stated Pierce. Handoff’s expertise pool has a variety {of professional} and academic backgrounds, together with folks with a highschool diploma and ten plus years of expertise, individuals who have MBAs, and individuals who have labored within the public or public sectors. 98% of the individuals who come via Handoff’s portal are caregivers, and 75% are folks of coloration.
Organizations are searching for folks to fill enterprise administration, govt and admin assistants, human assets and advertising roles. Pierce says these areas are Handoff’s candy spots as a result of employers see excessive turnover and must fill a number of positions, however are struggling to rent certified workers. It additionally just lately kicked off a pilot program with group care houses, a lot of which already use a job-sharing system, to check Handoff’s software program for worker coordination.
Handoff’s go-to-market plan consists of working with employer companions (it’s presently utilized by organizations like inventory media service Storyblocks). It’s now elevating its pre-seed fund and focusing on $500,000 to $1 million. The upper quantity would give Handoff an prolonged runway of 18 months.
