STARTUP WATCH: Big Data addresses recruitment pains

Photo used for representative purpose only

With a vision to make online recruitment a science rather than a routine activity undertaken by employers and job seekers, Ahmad Khamis and Iyad Abu Hweij launched Bloovo.com.

They built a strong infrastructural foundation to embed matching algorithms that would put the right candidates in the right jobs without any effort by job seekers or employers shortlisting applicants.

"We wanted to create a software that can help both of them to find each other smoothly and effectively," says Khamis, co-founder and CEO.
The idea came as a result of frustration felt by job seekers when searching for jobs and not getting any response from employers.
"We created a system that tells them if they match or not to set their expectation right, and we offered job seekers not only matching results, but also provided them with value-added insights such as probabilities of success and applicant analysis so they are aware of their chances," Khamis explains.
"Even from employers' side, once professionals start applying for open jobs, the system will rank them scientifically so that employers only spend time on the recruitment finalisation, thanks to the power of matching algorithms that we have developed," he adds.

Bloovo has built a trusted name in the UAE recruitment market and deals with more than 3,000 employers.

"Initially, as a startup, we focused on building strong software foundations, and we moved to allowing our clients to use the system for a trial period to experience the advantages we have over the competition in terms of technology adoption in recruitment. We received great feedback and continued the development of more features. For example, today, employers and candidates can have a virtual online interview through Bloovo's system and there is a unique applicant tracking system that makes employers manage their recruitment activities effectively with a great user experience. Following the early success that we achieved, we expanded to Kuwait in 2017 and to Riyadh in the last quarter of 2018," Khamis elaborates.

Bloovo started its operations in 2015 with a soft launch of the website in November 2015, after which the official launch was in January 2016. The innovative online recruitment platform is currently focusing on the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman.

"In the next two years, we will focus on strengthening our presence by offering more innovative solutions and making a great impact in these markets before we move on to our international expansion strategy. We aim to be the first Arab-born online recruitment company to be operational globally in Europe and the US," he says.

Khamis claims that Bloovo uses sophisticated matching algorithms, hiring probabilities algorithms and sophisticated applicant benchmarking analysis and very advanced dashboards to help job seekers find the perfect job.

"From the employers' side, we are unique in providing them with branding opportunities to showcase their culture, teams and the office atmosphere in order to attract the right talent. In addition, on the offering side, we provide employers with a very advanced applicant tracking system, virtual online interviewing, matching technology, dashboards driven by data-science, and many more advanced features," he claims.


Bloovo completed its first round of funding in July 2017 with a $3 million round with new investors joining such as Noble Partners, ProCapita HR Advisory, Al Serkal and Al Shafar family offices from the UAE, Mohamad Moosa Abdulrahman investment office from Oman and many other strategic shareholders. Bloovo also attracted the Saudi-based HR behemoth, Maharah Human Resources Company, to be one of the strategic shareholders that helped it expand in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Ammar Al Khushashi, co-founder and managing partner of Noble Partners, which is a niche regional private equity manager, said: "Being one of the early shareholders and supporters of Bloovo, we believe that synergies would be created between both Maharah and Bloovo to build a full-fledged HR powerhouse in the Mena region. We are confident that this strategic partnership with Maharah will accelerate the growth of Bloovo to become a vital player in the regional recruitment industry, positioning it at the forefront of HR technology. We remain committed to the growth of Bloovo internationally and further to take it public on one of the international markets in line with its vision."

- riaz@khaleejtimes.com