Our Values
Making a Difference
Why we get up in the morning
We have had that feeling at some point in our lives, that really sinking feeling when the new gas bill has just arrived and it’s a lot more than you expected, at the same time your daughter has just told you her shoes are getting tight and she needs a new pair. That feeling of being torn into a million different pieces as your living costs seem to be rocketing up but not your income.
We have shared the frustrations of scouring the job boards to find those few extra hours of work a week that would make all the difference, but can find nothing that will still enable you to drop off and pick up your daughter from school.
We have shared the bizarre ritual of the job centre signing on, desperately wanting work but knowing your attempts are in vain as finding an employer that will fit around your caring commitments is as likely as finding the Loch Ness monster.
Through chance and good fortune, we discovered that for every person who wants to work certain hours there is an employer who wants those hours filled; so why aren’t these groups connecting?
The issue isn’t that there is no demand for this type of working by both individuals and businesses but the antiquated, backward and expensive recruitment industry are not able to cost effectively tailor and find work for individuals who need specific working patterns and so ignore a large population of the potential UK workforce.
We use technology to empower, people, providing people the opportunities they are currently denied. We get out of our beds every day knowing our platform, our technology and our principles can help lift people out of poverty, worklessness and hopelessness.
What are we trying to do?
We know the British population is hard working and given the opportunity will jump at the chance to earn additional income. But we also know that people have complex and multi-layered lives, with many people unwilling or unable to sacrifice their family life or other commitments for work.
Our sole mission is to connect those who want to work with the businesses/organisations who need extra staff. However, our focus is on what has been deemed as “lower skilled” work and for people who want flexible working patterns.
We have made this our focus as there is a plethora of companies/organisations helping skilled individuals find work, as the traditional model of recruitment makes this financially lucrative as they attract higher wages leaving the vast number of lower skilled individuals overlooked by the technocratic elite.
Understanding the substantial value of a working parent, or someone who is currently underemployed is the key to our mission. Often some of the most experienced, dedicated, hardworking and best workers in the country are side lined due to their limited working availability.
So, our mission is simple, we use technology to help people work the hours they want, whether it is one hour on a Tuesday or all week long. This provides businesses a substantial, excellent previously untapped workforce and individuals the opportunity to work more, to the mutual benefit of both parties
We keep technology simple and easy to use, we do not use iconography or complicated designs as we want our grandparents and yours to be able to use the platform (if they want to do so). But; most importantly we ensure our technology is there to help people and not to exploit them.
What makes us tick?
A win for Labour xchange is:
- An extra £50 in someone’s pocket from a few hours work that they picked up on our platform
- A job offer for a great worker following a booking
- An individual gaining experience and skills from work/and or training on Labour Xchange
- A local business that has been able to complete an order as they found help on Labour xchange
- A business that is now at 100% capacity as they managed to recruit following a work trial through our platform
- A business that has been able to fulfil an additional order with temporary extra worker/s
Our goals and aims are simple, more work and more money for more people and we have four core principles to guide us to our goals
- The vast majority of people are hardworking and will jump at the chance to earn more
- The vast majority or businesses want to do the right thing
- All work no matter what skill level is important and the work of a picker in a warehouse is no less valuable than that of a graphic designer
- Technology should be simple and empowering, never exploitative.
We are always looking to work with people and organisations who share our goals and social mission, however we are an organisation of action believing in action not just talk.
Who are We?
We started out in the recruitment and technology industry, looking to change how recruitment worked for people and how it failed to link good candidates to the right jobs and even how some candidates were even missed.
We also knew of businesses who would not engage with the traditional recruitment industry due to costs, timescales and results.
Meet The Team
Only a true oddity could come up with Labour Xchange, people who are routed in the real world but have business and technology experience.
So, meet the eccentric and oddities that are the Labour Xchange founders and leaders who are challenging current norms, we are looking for people to challenge us so we do a better job and grow Labour Xchange into the way all people should find work.
Jonathan Key
To describe Jonathan in one phrase it would be “a terrible employee” Although Jonathan has experience in senior financial management, HR and is a serial entrepreneur it is fair to say he makes a really bad employee as he is rebellious, single minded and refuses to accept the status quo.
Paul Spillman
Like Jonathan, I too was not the best employee but did gain experience in how technology does not work well for the individual but allowed businesses to exploit them instead under the guise they are happy and want to work like this.
This experience made me do two things, start up my own business and then use that as a way to look at how technology can be developed to help the individual, not exploit them, but also create a business that challenges current thinking and turn words/discussions into actions.
Jayne Hickman
Jayne is new to the Labour Xchange team but brings with here a wealth of experience from working in the care sector, especially around the needs, requirements and wishes of what people looking for jobs require.
Jayne has seen many people exploited by technology in the name of work, especially around pay, lack of opportunity and barriers to entry.
Matt Pawson
Matt, since leaving college has worked in software development designing and developing platforms for markets spaces in HR, Travel and Asset Tracking. His core skills are based on the development of .Net based platforms with restful API’s that can connect to all manner of interfaces from Apps through to system integrations.
Working within these system highlighted the need to get technology working for the individual not to exploit them, which is core to what labour Xchange is trying to do.
David Dennis
David has had roles to CEO level in blue chip companies such as News Corporation and was based in Asia for over 15 years with News Corporation´s Pay TV arm, Star TV as Senior Vice President and then CEO, working in China and across the whole of Asia rolling out their multiple Pay TV channels, negotiating with all governmental and corporate leaders in each Country.
Like the rest of the team its a belief that its time to get technology working for people, not looking at how it can be used to exploit and make money out of an individual.