Home Media Stories Mattheüs Nubé, co-founder Swipe4Work 'We make applying for a job more fun, faster and fairer'

Mattheüs Nubé, co-founder Swipe4Work 'We make applying for a job more fun, faster and fairer'

Just a little longer and no job seeker will be able to avoid Swipe4Work. At least, if we judge by the stormy growth of the job app from the Groningen startup of the same name. 'We keep working extremely hard to keep improving ourselves.'

What is happening here? Matthew Nubé could hardly believe his eyes. Just a few hours after going live last March, Swipe4Work 's job app had already been downloaded many hundreds of times. Of course, the co-founder of the Groningen startup knew the concept was right and the market need was great. But in rapid succession, proof was now being provided that the app, which helps job seekers find suitable job vacancies quickly and easily, is also catching on in practice.

That flying start did not go unnoticed. For now Swipe4Work is used by more than 13,000 (latent) job seekers and some 170 companies have connected to the app, including Belsimpel, Klippa and Enshore. An end to the rapid growth seems nowhere in sight.

Learn more about Swipe4Work

Anonymous and approachable

But what is the appeal of Swipe4Work? 'We make applying for jobs in a tight labor market more fun, faster and fairer,' says Matthew. 'For example, we have developed a matching algorithm that ensures that job seekers are matched to suitable job vacancies based on their skills, personality and interests. In short, preparing a resume and cover letter is not necessary. For Generation Y and Z, that's just not of our time. They want equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, age and ethnic or cultural background. Hence, in order to promote inclusion, Swipe4Work enables anonymous and low-threshold applications until the match.'

Entrepreneurship

Mattheüs grew up in Eenrum. In the weedy village on the Hogeland, he felt drawn to entrepreneurship early on. 'As far as I know, I wasn't specifically inspired by anything or anyone. Entrepreneurship was always intrinsically present. If we had been to an amusement park or Center Parcs as a family, for example, I would look for points of improvement afterwards and try to imagine how I would set up such a park myself.'

After high school, he chose to study Management, Economics and Law (Bedrijfskunde MER) at Hanze University Groningen, a fairly broad college education in terms of content. Mattheüs did his graduation internship at Athleteshop, a web store in sporting goods. Both parties liked it so much that he eventually became a permanent employee.

'I was responsible for HR, recruitment and some operational matters,' Matthew explains. 'When I started at Athleteshop in 2013, there were about ten of us and the company had about one million in sales. Five years later, more than 200 employees, including flex workers, provided sales that were heading toward 30 million. At the time, Athleteshop was one of the fastest growing e-commerce companies in the Netherlands. Due to the rapid growth, thin margins and lack of funding, the company unfortunately went bankrupt in 2018. I learned an awful lot in those years and experienced ups and downs. From scaling up and hiring people to firing people and telling employees that the company is ending. I am extremely grateful to former owners Ringer and Yuri for this learning experience.

Tribus Financial Services

It was also at Athleteshop where Matthew met his associates Lotte van der Kolk and Hans Wobbes. Hans worked at the online store as financial controller, while Lotte dealt with both finance and HR. Shortly after the bankruptcy, they decided to join forces and start their own company. Since then they have focused on financial and HR services for small and large companies under the name Tribus Financial Services.

Not without success, as fifteen employees now take care of the financial administration for some 400 companies. From picking up financial statements and tax returns to proactively providing tax advice. But Tribus Financial Services also helps clients with solving HR issues, such as payroll administration, contract management and issues relating to employee dismissal, evaluation and absenteeism.

Traditional

Matthew saw that the recruitment market had remained virtually unchanged for many years. 'Still recruitment agencies and job boards deal with candidates very traditionally,' he argued. 'Despite the fact that those same candidates are very scarce. That is why job boards are losing popularity. Job seekers can't see the wood for the trees on job boards and often find external recruiters irritating. We wanted to anticipate this. That is how the idea for Swipe4Work was born.'

Indeed, applying for a job through Swipe4Work is quick and easy. After downloading the app, a number of questions are asked. For example, where you live, how many hours you want to work, what your work experience and education level is, and what skills and interests you have. 'Based on that, we can automatically generate a resume,' Matthew explains. 'At the same time, we can use that data to show you jobs that best match your profile. If you swipe a job to the right you apply. The employer then gets a notification: there is a candidate. If the employer indicates an actual match, a pop-up appears in the window: do you want to schedule an interview right away or chat first for more information? Only after the actual match does the candidate become visible to the employer.'

Capital injection

App development was initially funded from Tribus Financial Services' equity. However, Swipe4Work grew so fast that last December a search for external funding was initiated. With success, as NOM and G-Force Capital proved eager to invest in the startup. Last October, the deal was officially completed. A milestone, as Matthew describes the capital injection. 'It enables us to accelerate growth plans, improve the product and boost Swipe4Work's brand awareness.'

No, the success does not surprise him. Simply because the job app is unique of its kind. But Matthew, who focuses entirely on Swipe4Work, also knows that the concept will undoubtedly be copied one day. "That's why we have to keep working extremely hard and keep trying to improve ourselves. For example, the app recently introduced a new functionality: video. By showing a short video alongside the job posting, candidates get a better understanding of the culture and core values of the company in question. Both job seekers and employers respond enthusiastically to this and it is another step towards being even more distinctive compared to job boards.'

All of the Netherlands

Until recently, Swipe4Work operated mainly in the northern Netherlands. Currently, however, the company is slowly scaling up to the Randstad. Indeed, in the Amsterdam region the first dozens of employers have already joined. 'We do this with the utmost care,' says Mattheüs. 'We mainly select employers that fit well with Generation Y and Z. With our matching algorithm, we want to present job seekers with suitable jobs and employers with the right candidates. Our goal, after we have conquered the Randstad, is to serve all of the Netherlands. Everyone looking for a new job will soon have to think only one thing: I'm going to download the app. At least then I can be sure that I will be in contact with companies and find suitable job vacancies in a fun, fast and honest way.'

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