Platform links employees with short-term job sabbaticals

Based in Estonia, Jobbatical is a marketplace for connecting companies and employees with unique short-term working experiences.

Thanks to mobile and flexible working opportunities, jobs are eating into our leisure time more than ever before. According to a new startup called Jobbatical, this is leading to an increased number of people looking to take a career break to travel or take on a new challenge. Based in Estonia, the site is a marketplace for connecting companies and employees with unique short-term working experiences.

Most skilled job applicants are after a permanent position and the majority of companies are looking for someone to join their ranks indefinitely. Hoping to fill the gap for career break opportunities, Jobbatical is essentially a bulletin board site where employees can find openings around the world ranging from several months to a year.

Businesses looking to take advantage of global talent can post short-term opportunities onto the site. Current postings include a spokesperson for an animal charity in Africa, a gaming animation gig in Germany and a senior business analyst job that enables the successful applicant to travel while they work. The aim is to help businesses connect with talent from around the world that they otherwise wouldn't be able to hire on a permanent basis. After building up a relationship during the sabbatical, however, both parties may decide to continue working together or maintain a business partnership.

Much like Remote Year, the scheme we recently wrote about that's organizing round-the-world trips for remote workers, Jobbatical taps into the current taste for escaping the tedium of the office for a character-building experience outside of their day-to-day job. Are there other ways that businesses could boost their employees' skills and morale through job swaps or working holidays?