</ Sumir Meghani /> instawork co-founder and CEO > Revving-up Reviews---< san francisco >
The flexible work marketplace Instawork had always used an algorithm to match gig workers with employers. But before last summer, the then eight-year-old company was relying on its staffers to identify when gig workers might be eligible for new kinds of jobs. “It wasn’t very efficient,” says co-founder and CEO Sumir Meghani, 42. Plus, matches would often end in unfilled and canceled shifts. So naturally, Meghani jumped at the chance to ease the process.
In May 2023, he and a team of four engineers developed a proprietary AI that scours a worker’s previous reviews on Instawork’s platform for relevant information. If a warehouse job requires someone to be able to lift 100 pounds, for example, the company’s tech can scan the feedback left by managers at similar gigs and surface only those workers who have shown competencies in heavy lifting. Since applying the AI layer, the roughly 450-person company has seen a 30 to 50 percent improvement in the quality of its matches, which is measured using factors like the number of completed shifts and the hiring business’ satisfaction.
“Given our scale, doing the matching by hand would be impossible,” says Meghani. “There’s no way a human could ever do that.” He adds that clients and workers themselves are pleased with the results, as they can access additional job placements.
“A lot of people are thinking about how AI will affect the lawyers, the engineers, the accountants,” says Meghani. “I’m thinking about how it can help a bartender make some extra money.” --/