Halifax-based EmployNXT, whose AI-driven technology aims to encourage equity in hiring, has been accepted into the esteemed Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub – three months before its product is launched.

Growing out of Saint Mary’s University’s Masters of Technology, Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, EmployNXT has a mission of helping women and members of the LGBTQ+ community find jobs. Its technology asks these jobseekers to submit their CVs and LinkedIn profiles, then it finds job opportunities that are well suited to them.

Joining the prestigious Microsoft Founders Hub will provide the two-woman team with access to Microsoft products, meaning the company’s contracted developers in India have access to the cutting-edge OpenAI software.

“Joining this elite community is not just an honor; it's a testament to EmployNXT's commitment to innovation, excellence, and the relentless pursuit of a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable workforce,” said Founder and CEO Shubhra Singh in a social media post on Friday.

“It means that EmployNXT is now equipped with even more resources, knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies to take our AI-driven hiring platform to new heights.”

In an interview, Singh explained that EmployNXT (pronounced ‘employ-next’) dates back to the pandemic, when a lot of her friends in her home country of India were losing their jobs – the vast majority of them female. To offer support, she developed a network called EmployNXT. Eventually, the network grew to 310 members.

In 2021, Singh came to Canada to attend the MTEI program at SMU and transitioned EmployNXT into a SaaS product that could help women find work and encourage greater equity in the workplace.

The product aims to combat biases in the hiring process – not just on the part of employers but on the part of jobseekers themselves.

“Research says women don’t apply for a job unless they see a 95 percent match with the job description,” said Singh, saying that reluctance to apply for jobs often precludes women from jobs for which they’re well suited. As she researched her market in the MTEI program, she realized that LGBTQ+ jobseekers often showed similar hesitancy, so the company will initially target women and the LGBTQ+ community.

Jobseekers using EmployNXT don’t have to go out looking for jobs. After submitting their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, the software scans all publicly posted job openings in Canada (the geographic range could be expanded later.). Every time it finds a 70 percent match, it sends the jobseeker an email notifying them of the opening.

“We don’t want anything from you except your CV and the LinkedIn profile and then the magic will happen,” said Singh. “We will tell you this is a job that matches for you. So it saves a lot of time for the jobseeker.”

She added it also saves time and money for employers. Eighty percent of employers want a more diversified workforce but tend to fall short of their targets for inclusive hiring. Employers that subscribe to EmployNXT will receive more applications from these groups and the efficiency of each recruiter improves by 60 percent, she said.

Singh plans to launch the Software-as-a-Service product in January, and has struck agreements with Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie universities so their students can use the product to look for jobs. She then wants to work with her new contacts in the Founders Hub to devise a strategy to raise capital.