Marvin OnumonuSam Brown and Nick Holroyd-Doveton have raised £800,000 to develop their new platform, Candid Hospitality.
The funding came from Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) – Mercia Equity Finance, managed by Mercia Ventures and part of the NPIF II, Haatch and an angel investor.
Hull-based Candid Hospitality was set up with help from leading hospitality operators and suppliers.
The platform lets candidates create an anonymous profile and see job opportunities, while employers can search for candidates based on skills and values instead of CVs.
Operators and suppliers pay a flat monthly fee to recruit for any level, from front of house to boardroom.
Holroyd-Doveton said: “Having spent years in hospitality, both Sam and I know the challenges of recruitment.
“Candidates are often afraid to look for a better job in case their current boss finds out, while employers spend huge sums on new hires only to find they are the wrong fit.
“We felt the process must be ripe for change.”
Holroyd-Doveton added: “Using our industry contacts, we spoke to 60 operators and over 100 candidates and developed Candid based on their feedback.
“It uses the 3Cs – culture, competencies and compensation – which are key to successful hires.
“The anonymity protects candidates and removes subconscious bias, and enables employers to access ‘passive hires’ who may not be active job seekers but may be interested if the right role came along.”
Will Schaffer, investment director at Mercia Ventures, said: “Having worked with Sam previously during his time at Airship, we are pleased to back him and Nick in their latest venture.
“Candid offers an innovative solution to the challenges of hospitality recruitment and has gained rapid traction.
“The funding will enable the team to build on its initial success and to drive further growth.”
Lizzy Upton, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, said: “The hospitality sector plays a vital role in the UK economy and is an industry built on people.
“Candid Hospitality is showing how innovative businesses in Yorkshire are using technology to tackle longstanding challenges and unlock new opportunities for growth.
“Through NPIF II, we’re proud to support these businesses and ambitious founders like Sam and Nick as they innovate and help strengthen one of the UK’s most important sectors.”
Jonathan Keeling, partner at Haatch, said: “We’ve backed over 150 startups at Haatch, and it’s rare to see this level of product–market fit so early on.
“Sam and Nick are proven founders with deep hospitality experience, and Candid is already delivering results for some of the UK’s most respected operators.
“We believe this business can redefine how hospitality recruitment is done, putting culture and competence at the heart of hiring.”
