Barcats celebrates a successful first year

Twelve months ago Barcats launched as an industry recruiter with a digital platform that allows venues to directly connect with quality staff.

One year on and with significant backing from across the industry Barcats has seen over 6000 venues and 17,000 staff register to use the site, connecting venues like Rockpool Dining Group, Solotel Group, Aus Venues, Rydges Hotel Group and FunLab with a wide range of quality hospitality workers.

CEO Jeff Williams told TheShout: “We’re getting some good momentum, with a lot to come. We are in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast and we recently launched into Auckland as well.”

In explaining how the service can help venues, he added: “We do everything from short-notice ‘we need someone tomorrow night’, all the way through to full-time kitchen hands, baristas, chefs and bartenders.

“We’ve also done night porters, duty managers, GMs, so we really do cover everything in hospitality except security.”

The Barcats platform allows staff to access jobs and venues can access those staff, with the capacity for both sides to be in contact with each other.

Lion holds a 15 per cent share in the business along with four private investors, but there is further significant industry support from companies such as Bacardi, Treasury Wine Estates, Brown-Forman and Clubs Plus Superannuation.

Williams added: “This is great for an organisation like Treasury for instance, because those 17,000 staff we have registered are the future ambassadors for their brands who will be working in different venues, so Treasury can look at how do they get their messaging across?

“Equally we’ve got some got some training around barista courses, cocktail courses and RSA etc, so we’re really trying to provide a one-stop shop for staff.”

The company has made partnership agreements with Bacardi and Brown-Forman, which will see those companies arranging events and training courses for staff registered with Barcats.

Full details on how the Barcats platform works and how venues can make the most of this service are available through the Barcats website.