Recruitment platform Huntr aims to enable increased transparency for job seekers

What is the core concept of Huntr?
Huntr connects companies with the right partners for hiring talent in developing countries. It allows job seekers, government or training organisations and employers to set up a profile and create a listing. The platform’s innovative technology automatically and instantly matches relevant recruiters with migrant workers and includes a curated community of the best-trained healthcare and blue-collar talent vetted by the government of the home country. This eliminates the time recruiters typically spend shortlisting applications from CVs and job boards. Our technology automatically recommends the best pre-vetted candidates based on the job post requirements.

What inspired you to start this app?
Our platform streamlines the process, making it easier for recruiters to shortlist candidates for their roles. This means more time for interviews, collaborating, and closing candidates resulting in better quality hires.  Huntr doesn’t only match candidates and recruiters; but once the candidate is hired, our platform helps in automating some of the workflows when it comes to onboarding and managing contracts. I came across the problem of hiring migrant workers when I was working for one of the largest manpower companies in the UAE. My job at that company exposed me to migrant workers who have fuelled my passion ever since to create this solution. I had initially pitched the idea to my managing director, who wanted it to be a part of the company solution, but later I decided to pursue the concept on my own.

Give us an overview of your business model and offerings.
We support recruiting talent compliantly with our in-house team of professionals and by partnering with governments and local training partners to ensure top-notch service to our clients when it comes to placements. The pricing of the placement fee and a monthly recurring fee for using our platform to streamline all the HR admin work is tailored to each client. The vision of Huntr is not only to take care of the company’s recruitment needs but also the employee experience and help them in their career growth.

How does Huntr use data and technology to pair workers in developing countries with better jobs?
We focus solely on migrant blue-collar and healthcare workers in the Middle East and use targeted data as a specialised job matching platform. This data enables recruiters to discover more about candidates with less input or screening. We use a wide range of data to better match candidates with recruiters. This means any specific requirements can be filtered through the platform to ensure the best possible matches are automatically made. The platform also eliminates any pre-conceptions through its automated screening process. It ensures that only the most essential factors are considered when screening candidates. Once we source the desired candidate in an international country through our partners, our software enables you to add the documents and contracts in compliance with the embassies of the hiring country located in the UAE. This removes the uncertainty in the hiring process for the foreign company and the candidate.

How does migration shape the industry structure and economic development of a country?
Migration has a profound impact on the lives of migrant households, but their societies are also shaped by the cumulative effects of labour mobility and remittances. According to the World Bank, an estimated 800 million people worldwide are directly supported by remittances from relatives and loved ones abroad. Remittances lift families out of poverty, improve health and nutrition conditions, increase education opportunities for children, improve housing and sanitation, promote entrepreneurship and reduce inequality.

What are your comments on the migrant workforce sector in the region?
The UAE has an estimated population of around 9.1 million, of which some 12 per cent are thought to be UAE nationals and approximately 8 million foreigners, primarily temporary contract workers. As a result of labour market dynamics and the mounting complexity of labour mobility, the UAE government, represented by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHR), has been keen to strengthen the governance of the labour market. In recent years, the UAE has taken steps to fight against human trafficking and reform labour migration governance. Huntr and our clients are deliberating an integrated cooperation framework that will produce decent work outcomes supporting government initiatives. These outcomes include how our clients recruit labour, improving labour dispute prevention and resolution mechanisms, creating local employment opportunities for those stuck in UAE without a job, and focusing on international countries affected by currency depreciation.