JIIME, the online recruitment platform that helps restaurants and hotels, by Jérémie Blondeau (EDHEC BBA 2021)

Tell us about yourself ?

My name is  Jérémie Blondeau, I’m a fourth-year student on the EDHEC BBA programme. I have just chosen to specialise in the International Business Track with a minor in entrepreneurship for two reasons. First of all, I wanted to take classes in English to develop fluency, and second I wanted to return to the Anglo-Saxon work methodology that I experienced during my academic exchange in Amsterdam. Entrepreneurship is really what drives me, which is why I chose this minor. I’m curious and dynamic and eager to contribute to this rapidly changing world. Digitalisation is a contemporary issue that is unavoidable, and so I chose to focus on this area and help the hotel and restaurant sector navigate its way through this transformation as effectively as possible.

How your project came about ?

The “Jiime” project came about after I had had the opportunity to talk to various hotel and catering professionals and others looking for work in that sector. That made me realise the scale of the challenges to overcome when it comes to recruiting in the sector, and I would like to emphasise the impact digitalisation can have on these professions.

Tell us about your company 

Our platform is called  Jiime 

“My perfect job at the right time”. It’s a platform that puts businesses from the hotel and restaurant sector in contact with dynamic and motivated candidates. Our aim is to help restaurant and hotel owners to cope with the volatility of expenses by making it extremely easy for them to find candidates with key skills, prioritising an approach that targets specific skillsets.

I’m working on this project all on my own but I have great support from several people in the hotel and restaurant sector. Our solution is innovative and original. There are already a few recruitment platforms that specialise in these areas, but the way we operate is completely different. On Jiime you won’t find any job offers as such, instead we work by directly sourcing the right candidate for the restaurant owner! What’s more, our integrated skills-matching capacity is also innovative and allows users to conduct more precise searches based on key skills.

Jiime’s target is twofold:

First, restaurant and hotel owners looking for staff. Second, serious and skilled candidates looking to gain experience in the sector. I have worked with UX specialists to ensure our users can register in no more than 5 minutes and find the job / Jiimer that’s right for them!

What’s your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?

So far it’s very positive. I love working on this project. The multidisciplinary dimension (communication, sales, marketing) which I must embrace is fascinating because it allows me to improve in all these different areas. I’m really proud to have developed this platform and secured various partnerships and to be able to support the digital transformation in the hotel and restaurant sector.

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?

What I would say to young entrepreneurs is never give up. There are difficult times but you need to persevere because the good times are even more intense. The second piece of advice I have for young entrepreneurs is to cultivate their network, to learn how to get to know new people and be curious. I’ve learned that in entrepreneurship you have to talk to a lot of different people and nurture your own network to multiply the opportunities available!

What’s next for your business?

The platform has only been active for a month, so I would say the next phase is to make sure a reliable and regular service stays up and running for our partners. As I speak, Jiime is present in three main locations: Alpes-Maritimes, Rhône and the Paris region. Our aim now is to develop the platform across the national territory and in the longer term internationally.

What are your expectations from the community of alumni?

The EDHEC Alumni community is an invaluable asset for entrepreneurs. I would like to take this rare opportunity to help the platform develop.

I would like to thank EDHEC Alumni for allowing me to present my platform. Jiime is an innovative project and a personal adventure that is out of the ordinary and one I hope the EDHEC community can support. So visit www.jiime.fr for more information and catch us on social media @jiime_officiel  !