MANILA, Philippines — In the Philippines where communities are tightly knit, it’s no surprise that when it comes to job search, referrals from family or friends is the most favored method of most Filipinos.
In the July 2020 Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, 464 or more than a third of the surveyed 1,238 job seekers said that they approach their relatives or friends when looking for employment and other earning opportunities.
The Filipinos’ natural penchant for referrals is what prompted the founders of PasaJob to develop an app that makes this act of connecting easier and rewarding at the same time.
“We wanted to come up with a platform that not only harnesses the power of referrals, but also rewards Filipinos for actively referring or connecting people,” Kristen Mariano, PasaJob’s founder and CEO, said.
A referral-based reward system
PasaJob uses a system of long-chain referrals to reward individuals who are able to successfully connect employers to qualified candidates.
“In this process, employers can get connected to a wider pool of qualified candidates as jobs are passed on from one contact to another," Mariano said.
"On the other hand, referrers or individuals that led to that successful hire are rewarded with a percentage of the posting fee placed by employers. It’s a win-win situation for all.” she continued.
A job platform even for the employed
With this referral function in place, PasaJob can be used by any individual—even those who currently have jobs.
“We see this as an opportunity for any individual to help their friends and relatives who are looking for better opportunities. The reward is more than just monetary, it’s gaining a sense of community too,” Mariano said.
An app for Filipinos by Filipinos
Aside from utilizing technology in the behavior of referring contacts to jobs, PasaJob’s all-Filipino management team aims to build a platform that will empower local companies to provide jobs and more easily fill them.
The team includes former senator Bam Aquino who serves as director and board of advisors, Eddie Ybañez, chief technology officer, Atty. Jake Del Puerto, chief operations officer, Zean Villongco, chief design officer, Millie de Luna-Daluz, chief strategy officer, and Meryl Ligunas, chief marketing officer.
As the country faces one of its highest unemployment rates in recent times, PasaJob enters the market as an innovative tool to connect Filipinos to more earning opportunities.
Job seekers and interested referrers may download PasaJob via Google Play and the App Store, while employers may send an e-mail to info@pasajob.com for inquiries.