In this exclusive interview, Matthias Hutterer, CTO of Jobiqo, provides profound insights into the future of job matching and discusses the crucial role of technology in this rapidly evolving field. Addressing the latest development of Public Employment Services in Austria on competency matching, he also critically examines this approach and supplements it with insights from recent innovations and years of research.

Interviewer: Matthias, the AMS recently announced a modernisation of their job placement through a so-called “competence matching.” How do you view this development?

Matthias Hutterer: Fundamentally, it’s an important step. AMS recognizes that focusing solely on job titles is not sufficient in today’s dynamic work environment. Considering competencies, interests, and skills is essential for more effective matchmaking between job seekers and companies.

Interviewer: Are there challenges with this pure skill-based matching approach?

Hutterer: Yes, certainly. One of the biggest challenges lies in the complexity and diversity of skills and the need to continuously update and interpret them. Technology must be flexible and adaptive to keep up with the constantly changing market demands.

Interviewer: How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) help overcome these limitations?

Hutterer: AI, particularly Generative AI and LLMs (Large Language Models like ChatGPT or BARD), offers the possibility to develop a deeper understanding of the nuances and complexity of job placement. It can help identify patterns and connections between various factors that may be missed by human intermediaries.

Interviewer: How does Jobiqo build on these technologies?

Hutterer: We are already able to use Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI to create a more comprehensive profile of each candidate. We consider not only their skills but also their career goals, interests, and cultural preferences. Especially the activities users perform on the platform give an implicit picture of their inclinations and can therefore be particularly helpful in generating job suggestions. All of this can help us go beyond traditional skill matching and offer a holistic and forward-looking placement service.

Interviewer: What role does bias detection play at Jobiqo?

Hutterer: Bias detection is a central element. We work closely with Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) and the Institute for Computational Intelligence to detect bias in data and optimise our algorithms to prevent bias in the results. Our goal is to create fair and inclusive job matching platforms that promote diversity and equal opportunities.

Interviewer: Finally, how do you see the future in the field of labour market placement, job boards, and matching?

Hutterer: The future lies in intelligent, adaptive, and comprehensive matching. AI and context data will play a crucial role in meeting the rapidly changing needs of the dynamic labour market. Our goal at Jobiqo is to be at the forefront of this innovation and make the job market more efficient, fairer, and more inclusive.

Matthias Hutterer is CTO at Jobiqo, a global technology company that has implemented over 200 job platforms as well as innovative solutions in the job market, matching, and programmatic advertising in the recruiting sector in 21 countries. Every year, more than 10 million applications are initiated worldwide via Jobiqo platforms, fostering connections between applicants and employers. Hutterer, who studied computer science and business informatics, has been a technology specialist in this field for over 18 years.

The annual Company Retreat has already become a tradition at Jobiqo. Not only to work, but also for team building activities and exercises, to have fun together, to celebrate our success stories and plan ahead.

Back in 2017, when the first joint cross-border event took place, we enjoyed the Portuguese sun. In the two following years we went to Mallorca. And in 2020 – the year we will hopefully not only remember because of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis – we chose Upper Austria.

Following all hygienic rules and equipped with some litres of disinfectant, we travelled to our workshop location together by bus on Wednesday morning, 16th September. Around noon we reached the Schleglberg Seminarhof in Rottenbach – our home for the next three days.

Business Strategy & Fighting the Werewolf

After check-in and lunch we went for a walk together, had a look at the wonderful countryside around us, enjoyed the temperatures well above 25 degrees Celsius. Also, more than a handful of colleagues had a refreshing jump into the near pond.

The day’s schedule also included an update on Jobiqo’s business strategy and the impressive successes of the past business year by CEO Martin Lenz. Followed by a discussion on individual ups and downs and our corporate values, day one finished into its most relaxing part: Dinner and drinks. We also learned a lot about our group dynamics with the role-play card game “Werewolf”.

New Projects

Thursday was shaped by various breakout sessions, reflections on new projects and new product features. Another highlight was our table tennis tournament, as well as the wine tasting in the evening that was prepared by our colleagues Antonia Hinterleitner and Julia Steiner.

Although at least for some of us the night’s rest did not begin until after midnight, a large part of the team arrived early for Friday’s morning sport: “Move’n’Stretch” was the motto, like we do it several times a week, even during regular office hours.

Leadership & High Potentials

Before heading back home later that day, we welcomed an external guest, Carina Strassmayr. As a coach and psychologist, she supports managers and high potentials in their everyday work. For the Jobiqo team, this first meeting was the starting signal for a longer collaboration planned for the upcoming months. We learned a lot about leadership and talked about our vision of “how to be led”.

All in all, those three days again brought us closer together as a team and were definitely another important step in Jobiqo’s development as a growing company.