New online platform aims to increase job opportunities for people with disabilities

– Abodoo will make jobs market a “more level playing field” –

 

Abodoo – an online jobs platform for people who want a career from home –  aims to make the jobs market a “more level playing field” by increasing opportunities for people with disabilities, single parents, older people, and people living in remote areas.

 

The new platform was launched today (12.09.17), and matches people who want to work remotely with suitable roles.

 

Wexford couple Vanessa Tierney and Ben Wainwright developed the idea for Abodoo after moving back from the UK with their young family.

 

Commenting today, co-founder Ms. Tierney said: “Whether it’s people with disabilities; single parents with heightened family demands; or older people who are finding it difficult to access employment opportunities because of their age, Abodoo will make new career prospects more accessible by providing opportunities to work remotely.

 

“In effect, our platform makes the jobs market a more level playing field.  It opens up opportunities for people who are not able to commute for work, or who need to be at home because of parenting or caring commitments.  It also means that people living in more remote rural regions can work alongside team-members in urban areas – without having to leave home.”

 

According to Ms. Tierney, remote working has significant health benefits, with 82% of those who work from home reporting lower stress levels as a result.

 

“I’ve worked remotely for years, and love it,” Ms. Tierney said.  “In 2011, I ended up in hospital in the UK with a severe virus which took months to recover from.  I was unable to commute to the office, but I was still able to work from home.  That was my initial ‘light-bulb’ moment, when I began imagining the possibilities if people could access strong career opportunities through remote working.

 

“Instead of staring at your car’s dashboard for hours on a daily commute, by working remotely, you can spend that time with your family or keeping fit or doing the things you really enjoy in life.  Thanks to remote working, I can drop my children to school, and I’m only minutes away if they need me at any stage during the day.

 

“Remote working is also more cost efficient.  Remote workers save, on average, between €2,000 and €7,000 and hundreds of hours of travel time per year – just by removing their daily commute.

 

“I’ve been self-employed for a lot of my career, so I’ve had flexibility.  I know remote working hasn’t always been an option for people in other roles, but that’s now changing rapidly: 4.2 million people regularly work from home in the UK, and the percentage of businesses allowing staff to work remotely has climbed to 61 per cent.”

 

Abodoo was developed over the past 12 months, and is now accepting registrations from employers and people seeking to work from home.

 

The company has attracted support from the IDA and open eir, and plans to launch in the UK in the coming months, and to expand globally next year.

 

New Technologies

Abodoo’s founders say technological advancements have unlocked the potential for people to establish quality careers while working from home.

 

Orlagh Nevin, Director of Sales, Marketing and Service with open eir, was at today’s Abodoo launch.  “open eir has invested significantly in our nationwide fibre broadband rollout programme, which means that homes and businesses across Ireland can avail of speeds of up to 1,000Mb/s,” she said. “This kind of future-proofed infrastructure brings opportunities for everyone – from individuals to large enterprises – enabling education, business and social networking.

 

“We are delighted to support Abodoo and keen to help people take full advantage of the potential that our connectivity brings.  We fully support this kind of remote working initiative and encourage companies to take advantage of our technology, and to truly make use of the amazing skills of people across the island of Ireland. As Ireland’s largest telecommunications company, any business or initiative supporting this vision of working and living where you want is a company we want to support.”

 

How Abodoo works

Currently, remote working job opportunities are difficult to find on standard jobs boards, and are typically for temporary or contractor positions.  Abodoo is the only free-to-access, dedicated remote working website with intuitive matching technology for careers: the platform has been built with both the employer and employee in mind and uses algorithms to ensure both candidates and businesses only see the best results.

 

Abodoo has a wealth of features, including:

 

• Easy and intuitive profile creation and resume builder;
• Unique match results personalised for each candidate;
• Anonymity until you are selected by an employer, enabling candidates to apply in confidence;
• The option to save favourites and delete roles you don’t want to see again;
• A home broadband speed test; and
• Tips and information from recruitment experts.

 

Employers and those seeking remote-working careers can register now at www.abodoo.com.