NIcerr provides a way for marginalized communities to access the job market

Technology is changing the way people are able to access information but this isn’t always the case for marginalized communities who don't have access to job search resources.

When Robin Daultani first moved to Calgary in 2012, he was working for an oil and gas company. After about five years he pivoted into tech and had the opportunity to work with a fast growing company that specialized in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. This is when he fell in love with Calgary’s tech and innovation sector. 

Throughout his journey, he noticed that a lot of conversations surrounding technology revolved around productivity and automation. Very few people talked about how we could use technology to impact people. 

Growing up in India, he experienced first hand how not having access to technology can be a barrier and how there is so much opportunity for technology to create a positive impact and create a change in the world. In April 2019, he dove into his own startup and through the process he discovered Rainforest Alberta. 

He was inspired by the support, mentorship and give-back mentality of the community that helped him through his journey of creating Nicerr. 

Inspired by the Social Contract values of diversity and trust, Robin created Nicerr as a social enterprise to give back to the community. There are many companies that say they are an equal employer, but Robin found that that wasn’t the case if many people couldn’t access the job market. 

He learned that: 
70% of jobs are not posted online and are hired by referral 
30% of people are only applying for what they think could do versus what they can actually do

These statistics meant that diverse and marginalized communities who don’t have existing representation in the job market are not able to apply for more meaningful and progressive work. Nicerr is working to change this, with the goal of helping organizations and communities build a truly diverse and equal culture. 

He starts by building a culture of trust within Nicerr. It is one of the company's guiding principles to build trust within himself, with his clients and his employees. Robin empowers his employees to make decisions and he always takes a personalized, hands-on approach with his clients. 

Just like any startup - especially during a pandemic - Nicerr has pivoted to meet the evolving needs of their customers. Since the beginning Nicerr has always been a social enterprise. Since 2019, they have raised $6000 for charities. They have evolved from a platform that helped individuals with career and job advice to a new offering in 2021. The new platform allows individuals to receive career and job advice from industry professionals, build connections and find opportunities that many employers aren’t posting on job boards or sites. 

Nicerr enables individuals to have equal access to job opportunities, create a lasting network, and gain advice from experienced industry professionals. For the professionals, it offers a gamified approach to earn community badges for volunteering their time. 

Currently, Robin is collaborating with nonprofits and charities that work with diverse and marginalized communities like Iqaluit who don’t have access to opportunities, to make sure that everyone is able to find a career.  

There is so much work to be done, but Robin feels blessed that the technology sector has progressed so fast, especially in Calgary. Robin’s passionate drive, positive spirit, and love for creating social impact is changing the way companies hire and connect with diverse communities in and outside of Calgary. 

To learn more about Nicerr, check out their website, or follow them on LinkedIn, and Instagram.