We initially talked to journalists, researchers and politicians – among them Nobel Laureate Chris Pissarides, researchers who worked for the TUC and OECD and MP Jon Cruddass. From these conversations we learned of the need for people to turn their skills into flexible services (rather than a single job descriptions), and the importance of productivity for companies (and the economy in general).
Research has shown that office-based workers spend on average 1h20 of their 8h working day organising personal activities [relating to food, clothing, maintenance of cars and bicycles, …]. This not only costs an employer in London about £7,000 per employee per year, it also increases employer stress because they try to cram more activities into less time.
Giving these employees access to local skills and talents could relieve their stress, reduce the employer’s £7,000 annual productivity loss, but could also provide local people a pathway towards turning their talents into a financially rewarding activity. Inspired by a business model called “Corporate concierge service”, but with a strong local and ethical flavour, we started imagining Elephant Path as a platform that could offer people (small) jobs by linking local demand with local offer.