Employment startup WORK180 raises $1 million round led by Skip Capital to expand into US

Employment startup WORK180, which looks to connect women with roles at organisations that have a focus on gender equality, has raised $1 million in a Series A round led by Skip Capital to help pursue expansion in the US.

With participation from investors including the cofounders of Lux Group and the Startmate accelerator, the funding follows a $1 million round raised in April from the same group, at which point the startup rebranded from DCC Jobs and launched a push into the UK.

Kim Jackson, principal of Skip Capital, said the firm is excited about the startup’s expansion.

“WORK180 is about gender equality and has created an important product for today’s job market that employees and employers love,” she said.

Founded by Gemma Lloyd and Valeria Ignatieva as Diverse City Careers in 2015, the startup launched a jobs board that filters listings to accept only those that have policies or programs in place to support women, with DCC clients going through a screening process before they are accepted.

The screening process takes companies through 20 criteria, including pay equity, flexible working, women in leadership, and paid parental leave. This information is then included in listings, allowing candidates to see what is on offer at a company before applying.

According to Lloyd, co-CEO of WORK180, more than 80 percent of businesses that approach WORK180 but fail to meet its minimum benchmarks then work with them to improve their HR policies.

Among the company’s clients are Atlassian, Microsoft, Boeing, and Accenture.

Lloyd believes the platform is giving candidates more control.

“It’s also good for business. More and more companies are recognising that to attract and retain high quality candidates, they have to offer the right conditions and opportunities. We provide a platform for them to show exactly how they support employees,” she said.

The startup is confident about the opportunities in the US market, pointing to a 2016 survey from Glassdoor which found 67 percent of US employees were not likely likely to apply for a job at a company where men and women were paid unequally for the same work.

A 2016 survey of millennials from Deloitte, meanwhile, found 66 percent of millennials expected to leave their organisation by 2020.

“Parental leave is a real hot topic in the US. So too is equal pay, flexible working and career development. WORK180 ensures women everywhere are able to thrive in the right workplaces, and helps employers achieve success with the best possible employees,” Lloyd said.

“As our influence grows, we’re making real changes to the lives of not just women, but everyone who deserves better conditions.”

Image: Gemma Lloyd, Kim Jackson, Valeria Ignatieva. Source: Supplied.