Flexible job app NOWJOBS eyes unicorn growth after launching in France

If the future of work is all about hyper flexibility — then NOWJOBS might be in for hyper growth. After huge successes on the Belgian and Dutch markets, the flexible job app has now been launched in France. “Our mission is to become an HR-tech unicorn. France should be able to double our Belgian success in half the time”, says Frédéric Pattyn, NOWJOBS Co-Founder and International Product Manager.

Jasper Spanjaart on June 22, 2021 Average reading time: 4 min
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Flexible job app NOWJOBS eyes unicorn growth after launching in France

2017 marked the year NOWJOBS was launched in Ghent, the largest city of the East Flanders province in Belgium. The project was initiated by Belgian-based fast-growing multinational House of HR, known for several hugely successful European sister companies, such as Covebo and Abylsen. With its brand-new application, they built a platform to be able to serve both job seekers and organisations who needed workers now.

In just a few years, the app was able to match a whopping 251.000 temporary job seekers with a grand total of 10.000 companies.

NOWJOBS proved to be particularly fruitful for those in the catering, event and retail industries — whose livelihoods often depend on the ability to scale quickly, based on demand. After two years the app proved to be hugely popular among Belgian users. In just a few years, the app was able to match a whopping 251.000 temporary job seekers with a grand total of 10.000 companies.

It is a revolutionary system ensuring the job application process is swift, easy and transparent.

On the organisational side, the app works as a 24/7 one-stop-shop, wherein they solve all paperwork and payment. On the job seeking side, people are able to create a profile, and apply for jobs solely digitally — without any type of job interview. Job seekers are able to choose where and when they want to work — and in an attempt to be fully transparent, are able to see what their net income would be. It is a revolutionary system ensuring the job application process is swift, easy and transparent.

Taking Europe by storm

After serving thousands of organisations and job seekers successfully — NOWJOBS opened up for business in the Netherlands toward the business end of 2019. Now, just five years after its launch, the company will attempt to match both job seekers and companies in yet another European company. As of June 2021, NOWJOBS is officially available for both companies and candidates in France.

France is already outpacing Belgium and the Netherlands in the first month of candidate acquisition, customer activation and revenue.”

NOWJOBS is steadily increasing its grip on the European quick job market. “France, with an interim market of 26 billion, should be able to double the success of Belgium in half the time”, says Frédéric Pattyn, NOWJOBS’ Co-Founder and International Product Manager. “It is already outpacing Belgium and the Netherlands in the first month of candidate acquisition, customer activation and revenue. The Belgian launch has been a huge commercial success in terms of user adoption, technological innovation and shattering commercial milestones before COVID hit.”

Turning COVID-19 into a motivator

Frédéric Pattyn

Of course, with the coronavirus pandemic, many sectors were forced to shut down their recruitment practices completely. Retail, hospitality and event sectors had to close their doors — and as a result, their candidate-intake. “When they closed their doors, it essentially meant NOWJOBS had to close its doors”, Pattyn says. “This turn of events got us back in touch with our fighting mentality which we felt during the early start-up days.”

“We kept believing in our vision of growth — we kept working on getting the platform ready for the launch of NOWJOBS in France.”

“We had to force ourselves to overcome hurdles by finding creative solutions and new opportunities”, Pattyn continues. “It meant coming together as a team and tackling new markets such as e-commerce (packaging) and logistics (bikes and drivers). That’s how we were able to sustain the COVID-19-related lockdown pressures. And at the same time, we kept believing in our vision of growth — we kept working on getting the platform ready for the launch of NOWJOBS in France.”

“We fully bounced back from a 90% revenue decline. That in itself is a remarkable achievement and a great show of team resilience.”

With more countries lifting restrictions, NOWJOBS is steadily seeing its loyal customers return to the platforms — while many new ones join in too. “They are mainly turning to the application to find new flexible staff for the upcoming summer holiday”, Pattyn says. “To make sure they make the most out of it. In all, we fully bounced back from a 90% revenue decline. That in itself is a remarkable achievement and a great show of team resilience.”

‘We want to be a unicorn’

As far as NOWJOBS’ end-goal goes, Pattyn pulls no punches. “Our mission is to become an HR-tech unicorn”, he says. “After being founded from within the ninth ranked HR company in Europe, House of HR, we took the opportunity and ran with it. With the amazing support of Rika Coppens, its CEO, we can keep dreaming and building our platform across Europe towards our shared mission. With the incredible people working at NOWJOBS, and growing bigger and stronger every day, I have no doubt we’ll achieve this milestone.”

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Jasper Spanjaart

Jasper Spanjaart

Editor-in-Chief and Writer at ToTalent.eu
Editor-in-Chief and writer for European Total Talent Acquisition platform ToTalent.eu.
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