Phillips Consulting Launches ShortlistNigeria.com-A Talent Pool Connecting Job Seekers with Employers in Nigeria

 

It is no longer news that the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is alarming, what interests me is to know the several initiatives being taken by private organizations to mitigate this hydra-headed problem of unemployment in our society.

And so at a well-attended press event in Lagos last week, Phillips Consulting Limited, a leading African based business management and HR consulting firm announced the formal launch of a new associate online company SHORTLIST Nigeria.

SHORTLIST is an online start-up that promises job seekers and recruiters an easier and simpler way to recruit. In partnership with Phillips Consulting, SHORTLIST has incorporated over 20 years of recruitment experience into an innovative online offering.

It is simply a talent pool where employers and candidates connect based on skill matches and opportunities. A job seeker in signing up with the platform creates a profile in which any employer can access and present them with job opportunities.

Mr. Foluso Phillips, Chairman, Phillips Consulting Limited and also the Chairman Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) while speaking at the launch in Lagos said “SHORTLIST is structured to connect Candidates and Employers directly with each other through this online ‘Talent Pool’ that is created directly by job seekers. Simplicity and ease of use was the guiding principle in designing the powerful shortlisting tools incorporated into the process. This is a fundamental feature that will appeal to users who are currently frustrated by the job-hunting process.”

He went further to say, “To be on a global platform where anyone can discover you is a wonderful opportunity for job seekers. To find the very people you need to fill your vacancies on this platform is even better. This is a major shift in today’s job hunting and recruitment paradigm”.

Job seekers can enroll with SHORTLIST free of charge, which initially enables them to create a unique online SHORTLIST -designed resume, which they can share with anyone outside the website. They then have an option to upgrade, through paid subscription service, to a premium platform accessible by employers, who can search the database for free.

Mrs. Tayo Leigh, the Managing Director of SHORTLIST, explained further, “In our economy today, there are unfortunately more job seekers than there are job positions and we had to remove any impediment to employers in accessing our platform to self-search for great candidates. Another way to look at it is that Candidates are really subscribing to a recruitment ‘Yellow Pages’, which is now made available to employers free of charge.”

According to them, the Initial surveys conducted, showed that candidates were prepared to pay far more than the current annual subscription fee of N3,000, reflecting the perceived value of the service.

Explaining some of the benefits of the platform, one major feature candidates will appreciate, is the avoidance of the need to upload their CV.

The SHORTLIST- generated resume created during the initial sign up, contains (through extensive surveys and research of major global corporates) all the information employers need in order to make their initial first level selection. SHORTLIST thus offers a platform to get headhunted, it avoids the need for job boards as it makes it possible for companies to identify, through this self -service offering, those with suitable profiles.

The platform also has a simple subscription structure, which means there are no hidden charges. The one-fee membership gives jobseekers equal prominence and opportunity in font of all employers.

For me the distinguishing advantage of SHORTLIST over other such job platforms is seen in the experience and connection of the initiators of SHORTLIST to bring all variety to SMEs through to the large corporate organisations. Recruitment firms, recruitment and HR managers, CEO’s of SMEs and many more recruiters, to one platform.

We hope this new Job Platform by Philips Consulting will contribute its quota in reducing unemployment in Nigeria.