It’s a problem every restaurant manager faces at some point in his or her career: A server calls in unexpectedly, shifting focus from running a business to finding coverage on short notice.
After experiencing countless scenarios like this one, Ron McCulloch set out to start Jitjatjo, a temporary staffing app that provides restaurants, bars, venues and caterers coverage for last-minute sick days and unexpected crowds.
Nicknamed the “Uber for the hospitality industry,” Jitjatjo actually stands for “Just in time, just a temp, for the average Joe.” It connects restaurant managers with the best available employees on-demand. Clients are updated in real-time on the location of their talent, and are able to communicate with them before and after they arrive on-site. The app performs background checks on their employees, and users on both ends are asked to rate each other after a shift.
Sound familiar?
“It’s great to draw comparisons to Uber in the gig and marketplace economy — we both use a ‘pull’ method and make it extremely simple to place a booking,” said McCulloch. “This concept was unchartered territory for the hospitality and recruiting industry.”
Last-minute staffing aside, the app lets managers find staff for a shift up to two months in advance, and handles a slew of HR responsibilities, like performing interviews and performance reviews, gathering tax forms and managing timekeeping and payroll. And the benefits aren’t exclusive to employers — restaurant workers can find a lot of value in the service as well.
“We’re very proud of the robust features we offer that are designed to set both the client and talent up for success,” said McCulloch. “Our platform really empowers the worker, providing them the opportunity to effectively select when and where they want to work, all while minimizing the amount of ‘work’ they need to do in order to secure gigs.”
Servers just need to complete the Jitjatjo onboarding process, and from there they can log on to share their availability, pick up shifts and get paid instantly. If they receive a high rating from a venue, they’ll have first dibs at all shifts that venue needs to fill in the future.
“Whether it was hiring full-time staffers or bringing on temps to replace last-minute call-outs, my hospitality experience was filled with resource challenges,” said McCulloch. “That’s how the idea for Jitjatjo was born.”
Photos via Facebook.
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