OROOK: Recruitment of Professionals in the Construction Sector

The Innovation Fund recognized the potential and importance of digitalization in the construction industry and supported the solution of the OROOK company, which is aimed at this sector. EU funds through the Mini Grants Program are provided for the development of a specialized online platform for employment in the construction industry, which aims to improve recruitment efficiency and solve the problem of limited information about job supply and demand in this field.

This innovative solution offers significant benefits by reducing recruitment costs by up to 80% and shortening the process duration by over 90%. Through an interactive ranking system, the platform allows companies to hire architects, civil engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and other experts more quickly while providing professionals in these fields with up-to-date information about the market.

The OROOK platform acts as a bridge between companies and highly qualified experts in the construction sector, facilitating short-term project collaborations or employment opportunities. “We have been involved in the construction industry for a long time and were aware of the problems and the need for digital solutions. It was necessary to bring various elements together to create this product and solution”, explains Miljan Mikić, founder of the OROOK company.

One of the key elements in this process was the support of the Innovation Fund which not only provided grants for the development of this unique platform but also had a significant impact on its success.

A transformative experience

Cooperation with the IF was a turning point for OROOK, because they learned many useful lessons from the unsuccessful first attempt to obtain funds from the Fund. More importantly, all the recommendations and feedback received during the selection process were carefully analyzed and applied in the second round of applications, which resulted in their positioning among the beneficiaries of the Fund’s resources. Precise and detailed feedback from experts of the IF Expert Committee helped them not only to meet the competition criteria but also to significantly improve their product.

Thanks to the support of the Fund, the OROOK team designed new procedures that enabled them to manage activities with quality, and they redirected the saved time to the further development of the best possible solution. In addition, the training organized by the Fund allowed them to adequately prepare for the coordination and administration of the project, which can be demanding, but also provides a high level of support from the Fund.

Professionalization and internationalization of the platform

Using the financial support of the European Union, OROOK improved its digital solution with additional functionalities. The platform now supports employee career development, OROOK education, and tender services. The new version of the OROOK website and mobile application provides opportunities to enter the markets of Croatia and Austria. This expansion into new markets marks an important step toward the internationalization of the platform, which has the potential to extend its services beyond national borders, facilitating collaboration and connecting professionals in the construction industry across the region and even further.