Do you have experience in the hospitality industry?
Are you tired of grinding your gears in a full-time role, missing out on what life has to offer?
If so, you’re probably interested in part-time flexible work.
​But is it possible to find flex work in the hospitality industry?
Thanks to the staffing platform Jitjatjo, it is.
Flex by Jitjatjo is built to provide workers flexible work and instant pay, placing them into roles based on their experiences and preferences.
In this Jitjatjo review, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about the app.
We’ll start by covering what it is and how it works.
Then, we’ll dive into how to get registered with Jitjatjo.
By the end of this article, you should have a firm understanding of whether this platform is right for you and, if it is, how to start working jobs and making money.
What Is Jitjatjo?
Jitjatjo is a staffing agency that caters to those working in the hospitality and service industries.
This can include:
- Bartenders
- Caterers
- Servers
- Bussers
- Dishwashers
According to the company website, the Jitjatjo team wants to help you reach your potential and gain control of your time, and will do everything they can to support you on your quest to do so.
Right now, the app is only available in two major United States cities: Chicago and New York City.
The company originally began in NYC, formed by co-founders Tim Chatfield and Ron McCullouch.
Jitjatjo expanded into Chicago in December 2018.
The duo formed Jitjatjo because of human resource deficiencies in food service and hospitality businesses.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the turnover rate in the hotel and motel industry is 73.8%.
The National Restaurant Association pegs it at 74.9%.
Jitjatjo provides these industries with a contingent labor platform.
Businesses can book temporary staffing at the last-minute, with as little as one hour’s notice before the required start time.
Jitjatjo recently raised $11 million in Series A funding and is looking to continue its expansion.
Jitjatjo says it has had a 350% increase in job postings since launching.
Customers to date have included:
- Acme
- Barclay’s Center
- Mulberry & Vine
- Columbia University
- Gabriel Kreuther
Let’s take a deeper look at how this staffing marketplace works.
How Does Jitjatjo Work?
Jitjitjo works by connecting talented employees with businesses that need their services in real-time.
You begin by setting up an account and applying to work for the company.
If your application is accepted, you’ll sit down for an interview.
If the interview goes well, you’ll be added to the pool of current employees.
From there, you manage your schedule from your smartphone.
You can set your schedule to make yourself available as much or as little as you’d like.
When a job becomes available to you, you’ll receive a notification.
Jitjatjo works because it solves one of the biggest problems in the hospitality and service industry, last-minute call-outs.
Companies can fill an open shift with a qualified worker in a matter of minutes.
Businesses can also staff events up to two months in advance.
So, say a restaurant is catering a huge event.
They can use Jitjatjo to fill their extra need for workers without having to worry about interviewing and onboarding employees for a single event.
The Jitjatjo app also allows businesses to communicate with workers via a live chat feature.
The app seeks to make things as easy as possible for everyone involved.
Lastly, Jitjatjo does not broadcast jobs to its entire workforce.
Otherwise, the job would go to the person who claims it fastest.
Instead, the app matches workers to jobs, sending the job posting only to those who are a perfect fit.
Although others may receive a job invite, the number of people receiving the opportunity is significantly less than if the entire talent pool was to see it.
How Much Can You Make Working for Jitjatjo?
Pay varies on Jitjatjo depending on the type of job that you work.
Typically, jobs range between $10 and $30 per hour.
The company’s website says that you can earn “up to $30 per hour.”
There are no jobs that will exceed this figure.
Jitjatjo is unique because the company hires you as a part-time employee.
This is noticeably different than some other flex-work agencies, which hire you as a contractor.
As an independent contractor, you’re required to pay self-employment taxes.
Because Jitjatjo hires you as a part-time employee, you’ll receive a W2.
The company pays a portion of your Social Security and Medicare taxes you’re a W2 employee.
This means that you’ll only have to pay the standard employee rate of 7.65% of your earnings, as opposed to the independent contractor rate of 15.3%.
So, let’s say that you earn $30 per hour as an independent contractor and you work a five hour day, earning $150 in gross income.
You’ll need to pay 15.3% in Social Security and Medicare taxes, which breaks down to $22.95.
Your net pay is $127.05, not including the federal and state income taxes you’ll pay.
If you made the same amount of money working for Jitjatjo, you’d only pay $11.48 in Social Security and Medicare taxes, meaning your net pay is $138.52 before income taxes.
Essentially, you earn an extra 7.65% per hour working as a part-time worker as opposed to a freelancer.
It’s worth noting that Jitatjo also pays for the employer-funded portion of Social Security and Medicare.
That’s about the extent of your employee perks.
Because you’ll work part-time, you won’t receive access to a company-sponsored health insurance plan, retirement benefits, or other perks typically offered to full-time employees.
Jitjatjo also stands out because you receive payments instantly.
This is in stark contrast to other companies, which typically take at least one business day to process payments.
You can receive instant payment on Jitjatjo through the use of debit cards, credit cards, or ACH payments.
Jitjatjo currently works with 60% of credit card companies.
If your credit or debit card company has yet to partner with Jitjatjo, you’ll need to receive your money through an ACH payment, which sends the funds directly to your bank account via wire transfer.
After the company wires your money, you can expect to receive it within 48 hours.
How to Get Started Using Jitjatjo
​If you’re ready to join the Jitjatjo talent force, you’ll need to start by downloading the app to your smartphone.
You can get the app from the App Store if you have an iPhone or the Google Play store if you have an Android.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, follow the prompts to register.
The onboarding process is straightforward.
You can sign relevant contracts and paperwork electronically on your phone, and you don’t need to worry about printing anything.
During the registration process, you can specify the type of work you want.
For instance, if you have experience in corporate hospitality and want to continue working in this field, this is your opportunity to make that known.
Once you complete your registration, Jitjatjo will conduct a background check.
Assuming the background check doesn’t raise any red flags, you’ll proceed to a face-to-face interview with the company.
Jitjatjo prides itself on hiring great talent, which is one of the reasons why the onboarding process is a bit more rigorous than with other staffing agencies.
If all goes well with the interview, you’ll be able to start booking shifts.
You can either book extra shifts or complete a schedule indicating your day-to-day availability.
Jitjatjo will then start automatically assigning you shifts that it thinks you’re a good fit for.
The company will never send you a shift if you’ve blocked out that time in your schedule.
Factors that go into shift assignment include your:
- Work preferences and experience
- Ratings from past jobs
- Assessed skills
- Availability
The company continually works to hone in on its gig matching program.
You can rate jobs after the fact to indicate whether you thought they were a good fit.
You can also block future jobs if you had an unpleasant experience.
All feedback the company receives is anonymous.
Is Jitjatjo Right for You?
If you have experience in the hospitality industry, then Jitjatjo is a great company to work for.
Because you can update your availability and take shifts whenever it’s most convenient for you, it’s a viable option whether you’re looking for a full or part-time role.
The most obvious downside to Jitjatjo, however, is that it only exists in limited markets.
Using the platform is no problem if you live in New York or Chicago, but you won’t have access otherwise.
