Any businessperson will tell you that making the right hiring decisions is critical to success, which is why it may not be a surprise that it’s also big business.
Since the first public job search engine, Monster job board, went live in 1994, the industry has grown to include more than 100 job search sites in the United States alone. While the most popular websites like Indeed and LinkedIn aim to cover every industry, however, a new local company called Cantaloupe is focused exclusively on the hospitality industry and — in pure New Orleans spirit — is focused on doing things a little differently.
Created by Tulane University MBA students Joshua Anderson, Rich Simmerman and Connor Gleason, along with Southeastern Louisiana University student Lane Degenhardt, the Cantaloupe app stands apart with its unique interactive set-up, akin to well-known dating apps like Bumble and Tinder.
While still in its testing phase (the site will officially launch this summer), the concept has already proven itself an effective tool for job seekers and hiring managers. In April, Cantaloupe took home the $50,000 grand prize at the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup, a business plan competition for the state of Louisiana, hosted by the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
According to Anderson, Cantaloupe’s co-founder and CEO, the app eliminates the need for traditional résumés, job applications, and time-consuming paperwork and red tape for both applicants and hiring managers. Instead, it uses a predictive matchmaking application to streamline the process.
“Job providers list their jobs on the app by telling us a few details about the role and providing some photos to show off their business,” explained Anderson. “For a limited time, we’ll send a professional photographer to take pictures of our pilot partners if desired.”
For job seekers, Anderson said the process is just as simple.
“Just answer a few questions about yourself, and then apply to a position with a single swipe. No résumés required. People will match with jobs that are a good fit for them, based on factors like their experience, work environment preference, location and pay expectations.”
Cantaloupe’s focus is connecting the hospitality industry with enthusiastic employees and has already been tested with familiar local names like Hotel Monteleone, The Chloe, Cochon Butcher and Pêche.
For Anderson and the team, creating an exclusive platform for the hospitality and service industry jobs was the perfect fit.
“We’ve had people from other industries (including healthcare) reach out to us and ask if they could hire with us,” he said. “The reason why we’ve chosen to prioritize service and hospitality is mainly because the industry is simultaneously a massive one, a drastically underserved one, and one where New Orleans is a noteworthy hub.
“I’m a Louisiana native, along with most of the team,” added Anderson, “which means we have a deep appreciation of the hospitality culture that makes Louisiana unforgettable. It’s possible that in the future we’ll branch out.”
While hospitality is a leading job provider in the Greater New Orleans region, it also continues to grow both nationally and internationally post-pandemic. Hospitality encompasses many industries, the largest of which are accommodation and food and drink services. According to an April 2024 Statista report, in 2023, the global hospitality market reached over $4.7 trillion and was forecast to grow to around $5.5 trillion in 2024.” Globally, “The hospitality and travel industry accounts for one out of every 10 employment opportunities,” according to a March 2024 report by EHL Insights.
Challenges, however, include a shortage of skilled labor, and employee retention.
“As the accommodation and restaurant industry is creating jobs at the fastest rate of any sector in the economy according to the International Labor Organization, fueling this growth with the right skilled labor is yet another concern for owners,” noted the report, which added that “Attracting and retaining younger generations of hospitality professionals will require a lot of flexibility and attention from hoteliers in the future.”
This is where Cantaloupe and its “laser-focused” hospitality platform comes in, appealing to a broad range of hiring managers and employees of different ages and from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The app promises the ability to match, message, share references, schedule interviews and more, all in one place, something that will become an essential time-saving resource for hospitality employers.
The team is still perfecting the app, testing it locally but with an eye toward growing it regionally.
“We don’t currently have a set launch date,” said Anderson. “It will launch as soon as the key feature set is developed and well tested, and I don’t want to put an artificial deadline on this.”
Another question Anderson gets a lot is about the origin of the company’s quirky moniker.
“I think this is the bit where I’m expected to talk about how cantaloupe is deeply meaningful to me, or how my ancestors were melon farmers… but the truth is a lot less dramatic than that,” he said. “Everyone knows what a cantaloupe is, and it looks better on a sweatshirt than ‘Indeed.’”
Cantaloupe TryCantaloupe.com // @cantaloup.ai
