Barrel of Jobs, the online job board that pays users to refer their friends to jobs, has announced a partnership with Microsoft SMB (Small and Medium Business).
According to Julie Kantor, Barrel’s Chief Strategy Officer, the companies are working together to give small businesses a hiring advantage. Prospective clients can visit either site and receive a free trial of Office 365, Microsoft's cloud-based Office system, and a free job posting on Barrel of Jobs.
Kantor is thrilled with the partnership. She calls Microsoft SMB’s Cindy Bates a "rockstar," and says that the partnership has allowed Barrel to reach out to 250,000 businesses. “We’ve shifted to a self-serve model,” where clients post their own jobs, Kantor states. A trial of that partnership in late November and early December translated into 1,000 job listings, 54,000 page views, and 500 job applications submitted.
"At Barrel of Jobs, you only pay for your ad if you get a hire," Kantor says. "It’s free to post."
Barrel’s business model is incentivizing the casual job browser: While you might not want a specific job listed on Barrel’s site, if you know someone who does, you get rewarded.
"When you are a part of the referral chain, you get paid," Kantor explains. Users can also choose to donate their payment to nonprofits helping Americans find work.
Kantor says Barrel also has nonfinancial incentives for sharing jobs. Barrel has an existing partnership with
Nakedwines.com. Users who frequently share jobs with their contacts on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn can win NakedWines gift cards.
When Barrel of Jobs officially launched in October 2012, it garnered a lot of attention. The startup, founded by Kantor and Christopher Hertz, recently placed in two pitch competitions. It took fifth place at Distilled Intelligence 2.0 and third place at DC Work Pitch Jam.