About Stephen Quinn

Can you tell us about your educational background?

I went to school in Blackrock College. I then did arts in UCD before going to Smurfit Business School where I studied business. I then went on to do a couple of other courses at night like advertising in DIT and digital marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute. I wasn’t great at study, I preferred the practical stuff! 

What did do you after college?

I did the usual thing and went travelling for a year. I spent three months in Manhattan and then went to Australia, where I worked in back office FX trading in Sydney for six months. When I came home I got a job in Davy, but I didn’t last long there: stockbroking wasn’t really for me nor me for it! I then moved into the world of advertising and digital, working with DDFH&B. 

What’s the background to setting up Jobbio?

To fix recruitment you have to approach it from both sides. I had a pal who was looking for a job and I couldn't believe the process he had to go through in this day and age. He was checking job boards daily, clicking on careers buttons on company websites hoping for live updates. Then he was emailing his CV into the black hole in all these companies and I just thought, this can’t be the future, there has got to be a better way. 

Meanwhile, my brother John was running the Champion Sports retail chain. They were getting 80,000 CVs a year and still paying recruitment fees, job board fees and wasting loads of time managing the process. We discussed how a platform could help both sides and Jobbio was born.

Can you explain what Jobbio is, how it’s different, and how it benefits potential employers and employees?

So Jobbio is an online and mobile marketplace that simplifies the job discovery and application process for both talent and brands. 

We give the brands the ability to present themselves in a much more engaging way to attract better talent, post job ads for free, manage the application process using the world’s first live applicant tracking platform and keep the talent pool in our live ecosystem. It saves companies time, money and helps them attract great people.

We give the talent the ability to showcase themselves and their skills in a unique way. They have the ability to stand out more. They can search and discover opportunities in our marketplace and apply instantly from desktop and mobile. And this is all done in total privacy. It makes the job hunt much more fluid.

How has Jobbio developed in the last 18 months or so?

We have grown fast. We have gone from one employee to 15. We are now in three countries and some of the fastest growing companies in the world are using our platform to hire great people. It has been exciting.

How do you see it developing over the next few years?

It is hard to know. I hope it continues to grow and grow fast. This is a globally scalable business and we intend to try and grow a global business from Ireland. I don’t see a reason we can’t do it so fingers crossed.

Describe your role

My title is CEO but I really have a hand in every aspect of the business. I am heavily involved in the design and tech development, sales, marketing and then all aspects of funding etc. The strategy and hiring are probably the most important things I do. I am enjoying it. I have learned more since I started Jobbio than I would have in a lifetime doing any of my previous jobs. 

How would you describe your leadership style?

Trusting! I hire great people who I can give responsibility to. I listen to them, we are always learning how to do things better. I try to lead by example and then challenge them to be the best at what they do. 

What is your philosophy in business and in life?

I have never met anyone who is successful who didn't work hard to get there. 

Who or what is your greatest influence?

That’s easy. My Mum, Evelyn. She was a brilliant lady – bright, determined, charming and beautiful. She lost her 13-year battle with cancer two years ago. She never let it define her. She worked really hard at everything she did, which was a lot! 

What are your main tips or advice for success?

I wouldn’t deem where we are as a success yet. We believe we have put ourselves in a position where we have a chance but we have a long, long way to go. 

What are your main interests outside of work?

I like hanging out with pals. Going for pints. Watching and playing sport. Going to the gym. I love Indian food. I like walking the dog (Coco), I find that relaxing. 

Do you have plans inside or outside Jobbio you’d like to share?

You learn very quickly that nothing goes to plan! We are going to go for it or go home. We definitely will not fail wondering. 

March 2015