Leicestershire-based jobs board secures £25,000 funding to launch candidate-first platform
No Nonsense Jobs, a newly launched jobs board based in Leicestershire, has secured £25,000 in funding from First Enterprise under the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme. The funding has been used to develop the platform’s website and integrate supporting systems.
The business works with recruiters and direct employers to write more succinct, relevant, and informative job adverts to help garner more suitable responses from the best candidates.
Kirsten-Reece Tarpey, the founder, was alarmed at how little information is available in job adverts while searching for a new role, so she set out to try and improve the job market dynamics. Over 1.6 million people are currently unemployed in the UK, with particularly high rates among young people aged 16 – 24, and there are more than 9 million people economically inactive in the 16 – 64 bracket.
No Nonsense Jobs has features that alleviate some of the most common frustrations that candidates have voiced during their job-seeking journey. Designed to be candidate-centric, the jobs board provides additional information from the company, mandatory salary transparency, visibility of the progress in the job application, and much more.
The funding from First Enterprise was used entirely for the development of the website, which has been designed to work harmoniously alongside other software systems such as a customer’s CRM or accountancy.
First Enterprise provides business loans ranging from £500 – £250,000, which are funded through several regional funds, for start-ups and SMEs that are unable to borrow from traditional high-street lenders. The not-for-profit organisation reinvests any surplus into loan funds to further support economic growth and job creation in the local communities.
Kirsten-Reece Tarpey, founder of No Nonsense Jobs, comments: “There are a lot of challenges with running a business, and my experience with First Enterprise was better than I could have hoped for. Taking the decision to apply for a loan in the first place was a big enough step, so writing a detailed business plan felt really daunting. Applying through the Start Up Loans programme felt right and easier than applying through a high street bank, knowing that there was support and guidance on offer too.
“I’d really like to acknowledge my investment manager, Lottie Naylor, who was supportive, responsive and helpful; she was lovely and had answers to all my questions and worries throughout. Being able to tell our developers that they could kick off the project and that our business was going to become a reality was just the best thing!”
Lottie Naylor, investment manager at First Enterprise, comments: “Kirsten’s vision behind a better job-seeking experience for candidates and employers alike was truly awe inspiring. Her passion behind the project made it an absolute pleasure to work with her on the application. I can see this job board business going far and making a difference for many job seekers out there. I wish Kirsten the best of luck and continued growth and success!”
Louise McCoy, managing director, Start Up Loans Products, British Business Bank, added: “The vision of No Nonsense Jobs to help improve the candidate and employer hiring experience is a fantastic one. Helping more people get into work and employers to find the best candidates has long term benefits for the economy, so it’s great to know Start Up Loans has helped No Nonsense Jobs develop their website.”