Kashif Aftab

Top 50 leaders shaping the gig economy
Kashif Aftab
CEO
Skillgigs

Welcome to SkillGigs, where the future of staffing unfolds. Tailored for travel nurses and software developers, our platform leads you to premier contract, travel nursing, and full-time job opportunities that align effortlessly with your professional goals and earning targets.

The Origin Story

Kashif Aftab is the founder and CEO of SkillGigs an e-commerce talent marketplace that connects skilled healthcare and technology job seekers with AI-matched work opportunities. Founded in 2017, SkillGigs aims to streamline the hiring process by removing traditional barriers and utilizing patented AI technology to match candidates with suitable job openings. The platform primarily focuses on helping travel nurses and software programmers find contract gigs across the country.

Aftab's motivation for starting SkillGigs was driven by his experience in the staffing industry and his desire to create a more intuitive and effective hiring process. He wanted to remove the complications of third-party recruiters, opaque job requirements, and slow technology processes. SkillGigs was founded to mitigate these traditional barriers and simplify hiring.

Aftab envisioned a platform that would empower both job seekers and employers by providing direct access to opportunities and candidates without the need for third-party recruiters. 

Fast forward seven years later and SkillGigs' AI-powered talent marketplace drives thousands of skills matches in high-demand fields such as healthcare and technology. The company has racked up accolades, with Aftab awarded Houston Business Journal's Most Admired CEO Award in 2023 and the company being named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

What Makes SkillGigs Unique

The SkillGigs marketplace specializes in connecting employers with professionals in high-demand fields like healthcare and technology. Flexibility and control are at the center of the platform as job seekers have tools to control their career choices, including where they work, how they work, and their compensation expectations.

SkillGigs further differentiates itself from other talent marketplaces in several key ways

  1. AI-powered matching: SkillGigs uses proprietary AI technology to match job seekers with suitable work opportunities, providing more accurate and efficient connections between talent and employers
  2. Direct sourcing model: The platform enables employers to directly source and engage with candidates, eliminating the need for traditional third-party recruiters. This results in higher response rates from candidates - over 60% on average compared to 2-5% on other platforms
  3. Bidding system: The platform incorporates a transparent bidding system where employers can submit compensation offers directly to candidates. This promotes a more democratic and fair negotiation process for both parties.

By combining these features, SkillGigs aims to create a more efficient and transparent talent marketplace compared with traditional staffing agencies or job boards. Additionally, SkillGigs keeps the entire hiring process within its ecosystem – from initial matching to interview scheduling, credentialing, and even off-billing after contract completion. This holistic approach uniquely offers users, both employers and job seekers, unparalleled access to all data pertaining projects, engagements, skills used, and compensation.

The Solution 

The SkillGigs platform is designed to streamline the hiring process for both job seekers and employers, making it easier to create listings, screen matches, and negotiate compensation. Its solutions for job seekers and employers are built on AI with consideration to leverage technology to improve each component of the hiring process. Below are just a few of the key features for the audiences they address

For job seekers

Patented 3D Resume technology: SkillGigs offers a unique "3D Resume" feature that provides a 360-degree view of a candidate's skills and expertise. This tool helps job seekers to showcase capabilities and improves the matching process.

Emphasis on personal branding: SkillGigs encourages professionals to develop their personal brand and offers free career resources to help them market themselves effectively.

Unique bidding system that allows for transparent and fair negotiations between job seekers and employers.

improved credentialing management, interview scheduling, and onboarding functions, along with a more intuitive user interface

For employers

Direct sourcing: Companies can access a pool of pre-screened talent without relying on third-party recruiters.

AI-matched profiles: The platform provides employers with AI-matched candidate profiles based on job requirements.

Scalability: As a tech-first company, SkillGigs allows employers to acquire skilled professionals without the need for recruiters, enabling linear scaling.

Overall, SkillGigs aims to create a more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly talent marketplace that benefits both job seekers and employers by leveraging technology to streamline the hiring process.

The direct sourcing model can lead to significant cost reductions in the hiring process as companies experience higher response rates with highly engaged candidates. This allows the platform to assist with simplifying all components of hiring process from interview scheduling to onboarding functions.

What is SkillGigs vision to transform the staffing industry

"This recognition validates our unwavering commitment to driving the future of hiring through our AI-based bidding and matching technology. Our revolutionary e-commerce marketplace platform, leveraging cutting-edge AI, empowers travel nurses and tech workers to secure contract or travel assignments quickly and easily. Our platform has spurred unprecedented growth in just three years, thanks to our relentless focus on delivering a seamless, intuitive, and intelligent end-to-end experience for our users."

We look forward to watching SkillGigs continue to lead with innovation in the recruiting space, gaining more recognition for delivering solutions that make hiring easy and more efficient.

More about SkillGigs

SkillGigs Named to 2023 Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companie

HOUSTON, Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SkillGigs, Inc., an ecommerce talent marketplace that pairs skilled healthcare and technology job seekers with AI-matched work opportunities, has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for the first time in the company's history, ranking at #1,405.  Notably, SkillGigs also earned a number of other distinctions: the company is #143 on the list from Texas– #28 in the Houston area–and  #196 out of all the software companies ranked.

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