The Jobs Platform Where CVs Don’t Matter And Cover Letters Are A Thing Of The Past: Meet Futureful

A jobs platform that puts values in, and takes bias out – where CVs don’t matter but personal passions do. One where compatibility is just as important as capability.

It sounds like a unicorn in a recruitment environment that is too often dry, dull and draconian. But Futureful founder Izzy Fenwick has harnessed the magic of human-centric candidate matching and flipped recruitment on its spirally horn.

Izzy says that in traditional recruitment – that is, when an organisation and job candidate connect solely over a role - they set up a transaction that is concentrated entirely on the job and its salary. But when the two connect over shared values, transparent needs and required skills instead, the relationship is more meaningful, leading to increased retention, job satisfaction, productivity and engagement.

So that is exactly what Futureful is focussed on.

Futureful allows organisations to celebrate the holistic value they offer their employees – everything from demonstrated eco credentials, to rainbow-friendly policies, from hybrid working and nine-day fortnights to dog-friendly offices. That way, candidates know upfront what the business stands for rather than finding out their requirements are not likely to be met in the last few minutes of a job interview, or worse, six months into a new position.

And it is this hyper-personalised approach to job-seeking that is exactly what our modern workforce expects, according to Izzy.

“Traditional job ads were designed during the second Industrial Revolution, more than 100 years ago, and they haven’t changed much since then,” Izzy says. “But the model has. The majority of our current workforce are Gen X (in their 40s and 50s) down to Gen Z (in their 20s) and are more deeply interested in forging meaningful connections, not just firing off a standard CV and cover letter and playing the waiting game.”

And right now, in a jobs market flooded with candidates, says Izzy, “it’s more important than ever for amazing companies and candidates to filter based on values, and find a perfect fit.”

Another issue with old-fashioned job ads is that they capture a tiny percentage of the total potential candidate pool. That’s because they only connect with active jobseekers who happen to see an ad at the right time, and within the correct window to apply for the job.

Futureful uses talent pools instead of job ads. Candidates join the pool of their dream company, giving that company access to off-the-market talent who would leave their current role for the right opportunity, within the right organisation. No CVs, no cover letters – just skills, attributes and values perfectly matched with the employers’.

“Our research shows that almost half of those aged 20-40 in employment in New Zealand have turned down a job because it doesn’t align with their values,” says Izzy, the daughter of environmentalist Sir Rob Fenwick, who died in 2020. “Only one in 10 surveyed said they didn’t care about the values of the business they worked for. Which means organisations in New Zealand really need to up their game if they hope to attract our country’s epic talent.”

Already, Deloitte, Chapman Tripp, Silver Fern Farms and Zespri have signed on to recruit the next wave of passionately purposeful talent through the platform. And Izzy says she’s fielding many more enquiries from large and small employers who understand the kaupapa, and see enormous benefit in creating authentic connections with potential candidates through talent pools they can access when the time is right.

Futureful is the answer for both employers and employees because, as the name suggests, “it’s the future,” says Izzy, who has spent much of the four years since her visionary father passed away consulting in the sustainability space. “We take the guesswork out – you’re never going to turn up to a job interview only to find that the company doesn’t pay what you want, share your environmental, social or inclusivity values, or prioritise employee wellbeing.

“Futureful is a radical way to look at recruitment, and we can’t wait to see talented Kiwis use their power for good, encouraging business to prioritise people and the planet.”

https://futureful.co/

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