Register for free and continue reading
Join our growing army of changemakers and get unlimited access to our premium content
A Japanese recruiting firm has set up a system that uses blockchain to help companies authenticate and hire remote IT workers
Spotted: One thing that has come out loud and clear during the COVID-19 pandemic is that, for many types of jobs, employees can be located anywhere in the world. This could end up solving a lot of problems, including labour shortages in some countries. Now, NEC has partnered with Persol Career Co to develop a platform to help companies seeking to hire foreign IT engineers.
The platform is based on the concept of self-sovereign identity, where individual identity holders can, “fully create and control their credentials, including how their personal data is shared and used”. It uses “All-or-Nothing Transformation” technology, developed by NEC, as well as blockchain, to allow job seekers to digitally and remotely authenticate their experience, skills and achievements, and to securely manage their personal data, as well as control access control to the data and prevent falsification of information.
IT engineers looking to join the system will first take an online test to verify their skills. The resulting skill certificate can be viewed by companies that have been given permission to access it. This eliminates the need for taking a new skill test for each potential employer.
Mr. Teruyuki Nakajima, General Manager, Corporate Business Incubation Division, NEC Corporation, said, “I’m very pleased that NEC will start a new direct recruiting initiative that utilises its own blockchain technology. Through these initiatives, we hope that opportunities to find employment online will be provided to everyone fairly, and that a world where diverse work styles and lifestyles will be realised.”
The novel coronavirus pandemic has added new urgency to the need for flexible working. As a result, we have seen a number of innovations that aim to make hiring and working remotely more seamless. These have included a modular home office that gives a professional appearance and a turnkey service for setting up remote working.
Explore more: Work & Lifestyle Innovations | COVID-19 Innovations