The majority of companies now make use of social media and online resources such as LinkedIn to source new employees. At the same time, less than 50 percent of homes in Louisiana have high speed internet, putting jobseekers without access at a significant disadvantage. Hoping to rectify this, Werkly is a marketplace for freelancers which wants to expand its platform to integrate SMS texting, enabling those without internet access to apply for short term work and accept job offers via their mobile.

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Werkly is a community marketplace which launched at the end of 2014 and currently has over 3000 members. The startup is now crowdfunding on Indiegogo to finance the SMS development and connect Facebook’s API to their platform. Werkly is a peer-to-peer system, connecting employers in need of temporary labour — whether it be a babysitter, a gardener or helping hand at a party — with local freelancers. Currently, potential workers simply sign up online by creating a profile and detailing their skills, average hourly rate and selecting all the jobs they would be willing to do. Werkly then contacts them when they have a relevant request and the user simply accepts and begins their post. Werkly takes a USD 2 fee every time it matches a worker with a post.

If successful, the SMS integration will help to bring hiring equality to the freelance workforce. Are there other services which could be adapted to enable those without internet access to use them?