On blue-collar job apps, brokers still hold sway

The pandemic has thrust digitization on people and companies, and apps catering to blue and grey-collar workers have received backing to expand their footprint in the last six months

by Rashmi Menon
 Published in the Mint: 06 Oct 2020, 10:15 PM IST

"Most blue-collar workers are more comfortable with videos than texting so platforms allow users to upload a video resume. But that’s not enough. “These job apps assume the person can articulate competencies and skillsets, like a white-collar worker does. This is a challenge. In India, you can’t just be a job listings platform, you will need to do things like verify the jobs to create meaningful impact. So, the onus on these platforms is quite high," says Aditi Surie, consultant, Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS), who is researching the nature of employment in the platform economy in India."