Jobs networking app ApplyKart is helping Gen Z, older people and migrants find work

A new digital jobs networking app targeting Gen Z, migrants and older job hunters is hoping to boost employment for blue- and grey-collared workers.

ApplyKart is the brainchild of Melbourne-based entrepreneur Bharati Babbar. She set out to match job seekers with new employers within 48 hours, through an end-to-end hiring system.

“Younger and older people, and migrants, often struggle most to find work in Australia, due to language barriers and confusing application processes, limited professional networks, and difficulty showcasing their skills,” Babbar said. 

“ApplyKart helps them every step of the way. For example, instead of students creating resumes from scratch, AppyKart asks them to answer simple questions based on their individual skill set and qualifications, which creates a condensed visual visiting card to act like their resume.”

The social networking platform features non-mainstream employment roles. 

“Some of the best jobs found by our clients are from Facebook. That is because 70% of jobs are found from word of mouth and social networks, and people are reluctant to pay hundreds of dollars to advertise for casual or part time work,” Babbar said.

She developed ApplyKart after seeing he gap in the market for people seeking more flexible work arrangements, as well as addressing the fact that they also face more barriers to employment than most,

“Not everyone is a while-collar worker, looking for white-collar type jobs,” Babbar said.

“ApplyKart has been created to specifically help this growing cohort of jobseekers, who are often finding themselves thrust into the Australian employment market for the first time, or after a long time out of work. They often just need a leg up, and a helping hand, to get them started.  That is what the ApplyKart Network offers, to help boost their work prospects.

“I have found while these groups are willing to work hard, they want to do it in a smarter way, with more around the clock work, work from home options, or freelance work. We are particularly keen to find more jobs, to better suit different cultures and generations.”

Bharati Babbar is a first-generation migrant from India, who’s experienced the problem first-hand, despite her impressive credentials, which include a decade in the corporate sector, such as marketing manager for Citibank in India. It took her almost 6 months to find a job, when she moved to Australia seven years ago. Since then she’s been part of the SBE Australia program,  which supports female entrepreneurs.

Looking back on those earlier days, Babbar can see she made some basic mistakes – from “doing my CV all wrong” and lacking a local network to help guide he.

“That experience motivated me to create ApplyKart, so I could help others in a similar position. ApplyKart is like a Facebook but for jobs,” Babbar said.

“It helps to upskill candidates looking for work to make them more ‘hire-able’, and in jobs that are a good fit for them.  From the creation of the CV and applications letter, offering an extensive database of suitable jobs to browse through, right through to connecting candidates with the right employers. 

The digital platform is a one-stop-shop for businesses struggling to find workers in areas of skills shortages and unskilled labour jobs, and also for workers who struggle to find jobs that suit them. 

The Wash Car Wash, in Malvern, Victoria, is among ApplyKart’s early adopters. Manager Dimitra Anastasiadis said she jumped on board the innovation, to help re-invigorate her business after the pandemic

“It had been an ongoing struggle to recruit dynamic and available staff who want to work, and for many years we grappled with a staffing crisis that was suffocating the lifeblood out of our business. It seemed no one wanted to work,” she said.

“Applykart offered us a new way to recruit and has been a real saviour. We have been able to recruit a couple of fantastic workers straight away, thanks to the platform’s ingenious matchmaking.”

Since launching just last month, the app has attracted more than 3000 active users and over 5000 job postings to view on both the app and website. There are more than 6000 ApplyKart followers on its social media platforms including 3000 members on Telegram.

Bharati Babbar set her sights on going global, with ambitions to enable hiring from anywhere in the world within two hours, with her sights on her birthplace.

“Our main focus is students and migrants across the globe. By 2050 the expected migrant population will reach one billion and student population in countries like India has huge demand,” she said.

“India has now crossed one billion in population size and surpassed China. We aim to capitalise on that market.”