Online platform that empowers women
The lack of participation of women in the workforce is something which negatively impacts the economy. Yusra Aziz Eliyas feels that this is a shame. ‘I want women to have it all and there’s no reason that they can’t’, she says, highlighting the fact that women need more opportunities to develop their potential. Bearing all this in mind, Yusra started ‘Podi Jobs’ – a platform for freelancers and employers who want to hire them. She felt that there could be more done for people who had the potential to do good work but lacked the means to find a solid full time job.
Yusra started as out as a business consultant in the IT sector. However, after getting married and having children, she decided to do something different because of the long hours working full time demands. Having been unsuccessful in finding a job she liked that also suited her requirement, she found many jobs listed in foreign websites for freelancing. After speaking to a few of her friends who were mothers, she realized that there were qualified mothers who were just sitting at home – something which she felt was a waste of their potential. Podi Jobs started off as means by which she could help such women but has now become a platform that anyone can use. She says that absolutely anyone from anywhere can sign up. Podi Jobs has Indians, Vietnamese, Saudi Arabians and British nationals all signing up and she also stresses on the fact that there is no age limit for the work offered through the platform.
Yusra says that in starting Podi Jobs, she wanted to be accessible to users. She also wanted to push the boundaries of what could be done. After intensive research indicated that people didn’t log into the website or didn’t want the hassle of logging in, she decided to operate entirely on email and google drive. Citing the fact that venture capital and funding causes issues in start-up companies, she says that she decided to think outside the box to meet all these demands.Therefore, Podi Jobs uses no advertising and operates on a relatively low budget.
The Podi Jobs service is divided into four. There are the Podi Jobs, which are general jobs, the Podi Tasks – tasks which require a set service at a set price, the Podi Service – large projects where Yusra takes responsibility to see the entire project through, and finally the Podi Hires – where employers are charged a 15% commission only the first time they hire someone for a specific task and Podi Jobs gives them replacements free of commission if the first hire doesn’t work. She feels that Podi Jobs is both efficient and safe because employers only pay for the work that is done, while they also refund employers and sort out disputes among employees and freelancers (since the payments run through their platform, Podi Jobs is able to ensure that everything is above board). In addition, to this safeguard, the platform vets the employers. If the employers don’t prove that they’re genuine, Podi Jobs does not take them onboard. The freelancers all have a folder on google docs which is secured so that prospective employers who express interest can view them and see if they are interested but their work cannot be plagiarized. They also charge their commission from the employee so that the freelancers are paid as reasonably as possible.
Yusra says that people who have a budget can work around it with Podi Jobs - they have people who are starting up as designers and are willing to design logos at Rs. 5,000 – 6,000. She also gives remote workers access to good jobs so that they have access to better opportunities.‘Sri Lankans are so good at what they do that they need to be more global,”she says, stating that she is opening many opportunities for deserving people. The platform has helped people in need whom she has come across or looked for in order to help. Ten percent of each commission earned through a Podi Jobs hire goes to people in need – so that Yusra can help those whom she assesses as individuals who need extra financial support.
“I want people to try this venture of mine before dismissing it,” she says, while also stressing that there are so many unconventional jobs available which get highlighted through podi jobs – be it fashion advisers to people who can advise someone what shirt goes with what tie to a person who can advise a lady who likes gardening how to place her pots. There are also small tasks such as doing groceries/ delivering your girlfriend/ boyfriend a gift which are done through the platform. Yusra feels that her platform will be more accessible once it is trilingual – which she feels will be completed within three years.
Log onto Podi Jobs at podijobs.lk