Callaghan Innovation is proud to sponsor once again the NZ Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year award. Ahead of the awards announcements on 28 May, we’re checking in with the five finalists – AgriSea, Jobloads, NZ Trade Group, MB Century and Weirdly – to find out how they’re making their mark as Māori innovators.
When entrepreneur Candice Pardy bought an orchard in Gisborne four years ago she experienced first-hand the difficulties growers face sourcing good, reliable labour.
But the experience also gave her insight into the pain points of horticultural workers – exploitative labour practices, for example, and lack of transport – that lay at the root of many labour supply problems.
“I could see people just weren’t being respected and treated right,” says the founder and CEO of Jobloads. “When I started digging into it, all people really wanted was to feel seen and valued.”
A belief that there’s dignity in every job is central to Jobloads – the digital hiring platform that Pardy and her team have developed to connect seasonal workers with horticultural employers.
Workers, or ‘Jobstars’, go through a screening process to join the platform, which includes identifying any barriers, such as a lack of transport, which might inhibit their ability to work, and offers support. It’s free for workers to join, and once they’re in the system, their information – such as contact and tax details – are logged, so they’re not constantly having to fill out new paperwork.
Jobloads also streamlines the hiring process, giving growers access to a pool of pre-screened, work-ready candidates.
The time has come
Labour supply is a major problem in the horticultural industry, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19.
“For years the industry has relied heavily on transitory labour, and there’s a huge shortage of workers right now because of travel restrictions and limited migration,”
- says Pardy.
“So for Jobloads it’s been great in terms of timing because we’re trying to lift up our local workforce to fill these roles, but there’s also a large offshore market we can enter due to a shortage of agricultural workers globally.”
A first, ‘lite’ iteration of Jobloads launched in NZ in January 2021, and exceeded its target to sign up 1,000 workers in its first 90 days by 50%. Many large corporate growers have now signed up to the platform, which has assigned more than a million hours of work.
Challenging journey
Jobloads has its origins at a Startup Weekend in Gisborne in 2019, where Pardy pitched the concept and ultimately won the competition.
Initially the app focused on connecting workers with transport options, but when COVID-19 hit (making a rideshare focus untenable due to social distancing), Pardy pivoted to develop a labour supply platform.
Pardy says being named a finalist in the Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau award, while currently raising $2 million in investment, led by Icehouse Ventures, has been welcome validation for the Jobloads team.
“I’ve been doing this for two years and it’s been a hard slog. As a Māori female founder, especially based in the regions, there are no role models. People didn’t see me as a founder of a tech company,” she says.
“But using technology to restore balance was always my goal. That really relates to our te ao Māori values – promoting things like mana, or dignity; and tika, or doing the correct thing – which are central to us as a Māori company.”
“I’m a businesswoman, and I’m here to make money, but I feel we can create impact and lift people up at the same time.”
