Connecting with employers to secure that much needed casual work over the bustling holiday period has just become a whole lot easier thanks to the team at Christmas Casuals.

The Christmas Casuals online platform, which launched earlier this month, plots job seekers geographically within proximity to employers with a vacant role to fill. Employers can log into the secure system to see who is looking for work and where those seeking jobs are located.

Christmas Casuals, a local start-up based in Southbank Victoria, developed the one-of-a-kind platform to help employers filter thousands of applications received for vacancies advertised between November and February.

Operating since late 2015, Christmas Casuals has so far had more than 50,000 users, including many of Australia’s largest retail and hospitality groups.

Chloe Steele, Recruiter at Brand Collective (https://www.brandcollective.com.au), parent to some of Australia's most popular brands including Superdry, Clarks and Hush Puppies, said the Christmas Casuals online platform allowed each of their stores to find local and available staff at the touch of a button.

"Christmas is our busiest time of year, and our workforce grows by approximately 250 staff over this period. The Christmas Casuals platform is a game changer - it allows us to quickly and easily find local retail workers, significantly reducing the time it takes for us to hire," she said.

"The platform makes our recruitment process more efficient, as we can log in at any time and find available candidates without spending time posting ads and screening resumes.  The applicant profiles and geographical targeting allows our managers to get to know local potential employees before they even walk in the door."

Christmas Casuals CEO, David Zanker, said the platform is really a social startup, and offers a one-stop-shop for employers and job seekers alike.

“Christmas Casuals has grown predominantly through our Facebook and Instagram pages. Since July we have had a reach on Facebook of over 4 million people,” he said.

“The platform allows job seekers to upload a professional profile picture, as well as specify their availability and career goals and select the industries and types of roles they’re keen to pursue.

“Employers can then access the profiles of those job seekers within a chosen proximity of their workplace and select a candidate that best matches the job description and requirements of the organisation.”

Mr Zanker said the platform was initially developed to solve an issue many employers faced in the lead-up to the Christmas holiday period – an overflow of job applications.

“Working with employers in the recruitment industry, we noticed a significant spike in the number of people applying for casual employment in the months between November and February.

“Employers were simply struggling to filter the applications and choose a suitable candidate quickly to relieve some of stresses of the pre-Christmas rush on their business.

“Most people have heard of Christmas Casuals, and now there is a website.”

The platform allows employers to not only find a suitable short-term employee, but also plan their workforce into the future. On completing their profile, job seekers are able to specify their career goals and objectives, and whether they are looking to secure permanent or casual employment ongoing.

Mr Zanker said the features of the platform were particularly important for new job seekers looking to get a foot in the door over the Christmas holiday period.

“We know from our own experiences, permanent workers and managers are often found where they have performed well in a casual role over Christmas. It’s an opportunity for job seekers to showcase their skills to potentially long-term employers.”

Employers and job seekers looking to take advantage of the Christmas Casuals platform this Christmas are encouraged to enquire at www.christmascasuals.com.au.

Media contact: Eric Sami, Manager – Industry Engagement, 03 9674 7179