Supp, a technology platform for hospitality shift workers has seen a 20-fold increase in shifts over the last eight months as venues and operators look to bounce back from COVID-19, while also dealing with staff shortages.
Supp’s mobile app helps venues by matching their shift vacancies with the right workers in real-time, from an on-demand pool of hospitality professionals and also handles payments and admin.
Currently, over 15,000 hospitality professionals are using Supp to access shifts at over 1500 of Melbourne and Sydney’s leading venues.
Supp’s CEO Jordan Murray said the pandemic has created a surge in demand for the app, with venue owners struggling to meet labour demands particularly with borders closed to international travellers.
“Supp plays a critical role in ensuring the industry can access the staff they desperately need to bounce back to pre-COVID levels” he said.
“Through Supp, casual workers who were first to lose their jobs at the height of the pandemic can easily return to the workforce by knowing when and where the jobs are, how much they pay and what the venue is like to work for (evidenced by ratings left by other workers).”
Murray added: “Hospitality has gone through a conceptual leap over the last year, with businesses forced to adapt to a new way of staffing and look for creative ways to remain operational. Supp is one of the new ways venues and workers future proof themselves against unexpected shocks.
“With Supp, a laid off hospitality worker can now go from unemployed to receiving income in their bank account within two days, and potentially receive an offer of regular employment in the process. Our platform is an effective way for people to use their skills to reach their financial goals.”
With shifts on Supp, managers post a vacancy with details of the location, transparently displayed pay rates and hours required. Suitable workers are then matched with the opportunity in real-time using the Supp app and an omni-channel notification system.
Supp is aiming to raise $1m to develop growth and optimisation features, and continue their expansion in Australia, through an equity crowdfunding campaign on Birchal.
