There’s a lot of talk and media coverage about the startup scene in the Detroit area – but how do you get a job actually working in it?
A new Detroit-based company is looking to close that hiring gap. It’s called Re:Purpose, and it was founded by Ryan Landau. That’s Re:Purpose as in regard to, like in an email subject line.
He saw a gap where people interested in being in Detroit and working in Detroit are having trouble finding jobs with companies that fit them. Not just with experience, but also with company culture.
They have more than 100 organizations working with them and using their platform that not only takes into account the stuff everyone talks about like years of experience or skill sets, but indicators in regard to culture for both the employer and the employee are also baked into the special sauce.
“For me, and the community that we’re working with, I think culture fit is the most important. So, as we’ve seen, people are not taking the highest paying job out there these days. They’re looking for what inspires them, and to steal the words of Simon Sinek, people are focused on the why opposed to the what,” said Landau. “So, people don’t really care about the physical thing that you’re selling, or what your app does, or what your marketplace is doing. People want to know why you’re doing it. What inspires you to do that.”
According to Landau, the typical company looking to hire on their platform ranges between about 20 employees, and the biggest company on our platform has about 500 employees. They’re all technology and startup companies, and 99% of the companies on the platform have raised about a million dollars more with venture funding.
But why start this in Detroit?
“I would say, let’s call it five or six years, there has been this whole movement focused around the rebirth of Detroit. It’s definitely happening, but there might be a bit of a disconnect,” said Landau. “People are thinking ‘how do I become a part of that?’, but before they do anything, they need to find a good job.”
Unlike some of the companies he serves, as the nature of startup companies can be very fast-rising and sometimes have a hard landing, Landau is looking at this as a long game play.
His long term plans include expanding to different cities, but for now, Re:Purpose is looking to get very good in their own backyard: Metro Detroit and the Ann Arbor area.
“(I’m) looking at how do we build a company from the marathon standpoint, and thinking about, not (just) how do we just make a really quick dive over the next couple of years, but how is this company here in 10 years from now?” said Landau.
Ryan also has some tips for prospective job seekers.
“The successes that we see, is really when people are authentic, and are just real and themselves. I see where people are not successful, (that’s) when they’re using really big words that don’t make sense, or where they’re trying to be someone else. What we like to say is, if you’re you, and you’re your authentic you, usually you’re going to not only just be successful on our platform, but you’re going to be successful in life.”
Re:Purpose has launched and is currently up and running. You can find it here.