Are you looking to employ individuals for new positions at your business? Would you like some assistance in posting and recruiting for your new position? The JobsNOW! Wage Subsidy Program, run by the San Francisco Human Services Agency, might have the answer to your hiring needs.
The JobsNOW! program placed over 19,000 job seekers to jobs and assisted over 600 employers throughout the Bay Area. JobsNOW! offers Bay Area businesses wage reimbursement for all new eligible hires through their program. It is a great incentive for businesses who are looking to expand their workforce. Nomiku, an SFMade business member, is one of the top partners of the JobsNOW! program. Nomiku benefited from this program, hired several employees and made an impact in our community! Nomiku is a San Francisco-based company that makes Sous-Vide cooking machines. This Sous-Vide cooking machine clips onto a pot of water and turns it into a temperature controlled water bath, perfect for cooking foods such as meats, veggies, fish and most importantly, desserts! 
SFMade had the chance to interview the hiring manager, Dan Cherry, and the individuals hired through JobsNOW!, and ask about their experience with the program. SFMade: From a business perspective, what was your experience like using the JobsNOW! program? Dan: For us, hiring is one of the most difficult things that we have to do. The JobsNOW! program made that process a lot easier and more manageable. Our business accounts’ representative was really helpful in guiding us through the process and helped us find the right candidate for the positions we had. SFMade: Can you describe what the process looked like for the job seeker? Nomiku Employee: JobsNOW! gave us an opportunity to choose from a wide variety of job openings, and connected us with employers that matched our interest and work experience. We were also given the opportunity to attend trainings, skill-building workshops, and helped us prepare for interviews to maximize our job search prospects. Every Thursday, we attend the weekly hiring event and met a variety of employers for a one-on-one interview. SFMade: What was being part of the hiring event like from an employer’s perspective? Dan: It was actually very nice. The best part of the event was meeting the individual in person. That really helped me determine whether or not the candidate would be a good fit for Nomiku. SFMade: Why did you choose to interview with Nomiku and not another business? Nomiku Staff: The work seemed interesting and it also paid very well compared to the other jobs on the list. (laughter) It was nice to know that it was a small team and that there was the potential to grow with the company as well. 
SFMade: What has been the best part of working at Nomiku? Nomiku Staff: For me it was a great cultural fit. I was looking to join a team that seemed like family and for me Nomiku fit that description. The schedule was also very flexible as well and allowed me to drop off and pick up my kid from school. SFMade: What is one thing that you have noticed is different about working at Nomiku, than your previous jobs? Nomiku Staff: Everyone here at Nomiku is very flexible and understanding. They are willing to work with you and invest in you as an individual. — Nomiku has taken advantage of the resources that JobsNOW! provides to local San Francisco businesses and you can too! If you are interested in taking part or learning more about the JobsNOW! Program, please contact 1-877-JOB1-NOW – 1(877) 562-1669 or email Claire Michaels and/or Valli Lakshmanan at xxxxxx@sfmade.org or xxxxxx@sfmade.org. | 
