Anyone who’s ever worked in Montreal’s restaurant industry knows that finding the right gig — or the right person to fill one — comes with plenty of hurdles.
A new locally-made app called Waldo is trying to fix that, and it’s already got more than 100 of the city’s best-known restaurants on board before its official public launch this summer.
Much like a dating app, job seekers can browse open positions at restaurants, cafés, bars and nightclubs, swipe on what interests them, connect directly with hiring managers, and go from first contact to first shift all within the app. For restaurant owners, the new service seems to be cutting down the time spent sorting through applications and gets them to the right candidate faster.
The app was created by the team behind local hotspots like NDG Luncheonette, Honey Martin, and Bar Loic.
“Hospitality hiring has always been one of the most chaotic parts of running a restaurant,” said co-founder Dillon Griffin. “We were tired of tools being designed by tech careerists for us. We thought it was time something was built by someone in this industry. Hospitality first, technology second.”
The list of restaurants signed up to the service already reads like a highlights reel of Montreal dining. Vin Mon Lapin, Joe Beef, Liverpool House, Vin Papillon, Elena, Le Violon, Garde-Manger, Nora Grey, Olive + Gourmando, Atwater Cocktail Club, Satay Brothers, and Café Olímpico are all on the platform, with dozens more.
A handful of spots have also made it their exclusive hiring platform.
“For people applying it’s effortless. They can browse jobs at their favourite spots in the city, follow particular places to be informed when a position is open, and get hired with ease,” Griffin explained. “We want everyone to get their dream role, at their dream place.”
And although the idea of a swipeable CV has the potential to pick up some serious steam in other fields, Waldo’s founder says the app is keeping things deliberately local (for now). The app is designed for independent, owner-operated spots instead of chains or large corporate groups.
Users can also follow specific restaurants to get notified when a position opens up, which is a handy feature if you’ve had your eye on a particular place for a while.
The app is available for download now on the App Store and Google Play.