While on one side salaried jobs are being lost in huge numbers every month in India due to COVID-19, on another side the scope to land newer jobs are being increased with the help of tech!
On Wednesday, Google announced that they have expanded their jobs app in India known as Kormo Jobs.Â
Though the tech giant made it available in the country since last year under the brand Jobs as a Spot on Google Pay app, this is the first time it is being launched independently with a standalone app.
Kormo Jobs aims to offer a helping hand to millions in the country who want to get hired into entry-level roles. The app was first launched in the year 2018 in Bangladesh after which it recently expanded to Indonesia last year before landing in India.
According to Google, since making Jobs available as a Spot, they observed numerous companies including Dunzo and Zomato using the platform to post more than 2 million verified jobs and scout for young talent.
Currently, the standalone rebranded app, besides letting its users spot open calls for available jobs will also help them learn new skills and create a CV with ease. Bickey Russel who is the regional manager and operations lead for Kormo Jobs have said that the company will continue investing in better features for the app in future.
The launch of this particular app from Google couldn’t come at a more apt time. The pandemic has completely changed the jobs landscape with demand shifting to candidates who are equipped with digital skills and are ready to work remotely.
Therefore, at such a time, an app which facilitates learning newer skills and has important features such as remote interviews will go a long way in terms of being appreciated by the masses. However, there’s more to the intent of Alphabet-owned company behind launching this platform.
This particular move by Google outlines two very important points.
First, it shows the search giant’s increased interest in job-related queries. In 2017, Google launched a jobs search in the U.S after which it went on to expand in several international markets. It also rolled out a virtual visiting card feature in India last month.
Secondly, this move displays Google’s serious intent towards toppling the presence of Microsoft-owned LinkedIn from India which is the world’s second-largest internet market.
Google, which reaches about 400 million users in India, pushing into the category of job hunting definitely stands to hurt LinkedIn as they have only 62 million users in the country as of December 2019.
Nonetheless, at this point in time, any app or platform which can help people find jobs and give them a bigger edge will definitely be appreciated by tens of millions of Indians as mentioned earlier.
According to the data received from CMIE the nation is suffering from record-high unemployment figures amid this global pandemic. Thus, every effort counts even if they are shrouded with other long term goals. We will keep you updated on all future developments. Until then, stay tuned.
