Startup Story
Companies know how tough it can be to find the right tech hire, those highly trained and experienced software engineers from the African continent who are a good fit for the job. CodeLn, co-founded by techpreneur Elohor Thomas, is there to help. This specialist software company helps companies seamlessly find, test, and hire the right skilled African tech talent at the right time.
LoA chatted to Elohor Thomas this month to find out more…
What does your company do?
It takes an average of 3 months for companies to fill up key tech roles. The process is hectic and time-consuming and if not properly done, Companies risk having a bad hire, loss of time, and productivity. The talent war is real, companies struggle with where to find quality tech talent and the challenge of long time-to-hire, this is where CodeLn comes in. CodeLn is a software company that helps companies seamlessly find, test, and hire skilled African tech talent i.e Software Engineers, UI/UX Designers, Data Scientists, etc. We have a technology that automates the entire tech recruitment process; recruiters can post jobs, get matched with candidates on the talent marketplace, manage applications using an integrated applicant tracking system and also test the coding skills of applicants using an in-built assessment platform. With CodeLn, your ideal dev is just a click away!
“CodeLn is a software company that helps companies seamlessly find, test, and hire skilled African tech talent i.e Software Engineers, UI/UX Designers, Data Scientists, etc.”
“It is our vision to become the global go-to marketplace for finding skilled African Programmers.”
What inspired you to start your company?
In 2016, I facilitated a tech training program organized by the government and a top tech company. The purpose of this program was to train graduates on software development during a 3-month intensive boot camp and match all of them with employment afterward. At the end of the boot camp, I can say we had over 70% success, we had candidates move from tech novice to full-stack engineers in the shortest time. Their drive was mostly their desire to learn and the promise of a job from the government. Sadly, only less than 3% of them were connected to jobs and it was mostly those who had connections in the government (“man-know-man” as it is commonly known). The candidates came back to me complaining bitterly that the government did not deliver on their promise to provide them jobs. I felt bad because there was nothing I could do to help them at the time. I started CodeLn because as an engineer, I know that learning to code can be quite a journey and I believe that anyone that succeeds should be rewarded with their dream job.
What makes your business, service or product special?
Well, I can keep going on and on and never stop. But in summary, the fact that our value is very crisp and we are addressing a niche market that we have the expertise to tackle sets us apart from other competitors. Yes, we offer value for money and quality verified programmers but it is really about our commitment to impact and solving the problem of both our users – programmers and recruiters. This has made us attractive to even notable clients and partners abroad, to mention a few, Wikipedia, Microsoft, IBM, Digital Ocean, Cloudinary, etc
Tell us a little about your team
CodeLn is a 50% female-founded team of 4 engineers from 3 African Countries. I must say that part of our strongest asset is our diversity, I am Nigerian, Philisiah and Dennis are Kenyans while Dexter is from Ivory Coast. We met in Ghana during an Accelerator Program and we started CodeLn after we realized that we had found a problem that we were passionate about and had the expertise to solve. The team has since grown to over 20 staff and volunteers. We have physical offices in Ghana and Nigeria and a database of over 9000 African tech talent.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I like to say I was born an entrepreneur, although both my parents had it in them so maybe I picked up that gene. I always had the zeal to do my own thing, I ran a business of my own for over 2 years in the university. After I graduated, I went into employment to learn how to run a business from others because I believe anyone that wants to lead must first learn to serve. I passed through a corporate firm, institutions, and startups. After that, I decided that I was ready to start my own. My co-founders and I kicked off CodeLn sometime in 2017.
“We have a technology that automates the entire tech recruitment process; recruiters can post jobs, get matched with candidates on the talent marketplace, manage applications using an integrated applicant tracking system and also test the coding skills of applicants using an in-built assessment platform.”
“With CodeLn, your ideal dev is just a click away!”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
It is our vision to become the global go-to marketplace for finding skilled African Programmers. I always say that there is only one global language and that is “programming language”. I believe that software engineers are not limited by borders and our engineers in African can compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world -engineers without borders. With the current COVID situation, companies are beginning to adopt a remote workforce and this allows our talent to access global opportunities. Overall, we aim to reduce the rate of unemployment of African youths by connecting them to both local and international job opportunities.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
I would say “direct impact”, running my own business gives me access to directly influence decisions and take risks that would lead to measurable impact. I did not get this during my time in employment. Because I understand the mission of my company and I am passionate about what I am doing, I am excited to stay up late till 3 a.m working on strategies to ensure that I get the right impact and result that the business needs.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
My advice will be “start already”. As they say, “not taking a risk is a risk on its own”. So take the risk of starting, learn, iterate and if it is not working, do not be afraid to pivot. Remember, a business only becomes what you want it to become with the right execution.
Contact or follow CodeLn
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | EMAIL elohorthomas1@gmail.com
More about the co-founder
Elohor Thomas has a background in engineering with over 9 years of work experience across sales, software development, and education. She is a Tech Entrepreneur with a mission of growing global businesses. She is a mentor and coach to tech enthusiasts; having trained over 500 people on Software Development, she is now focused on helping African Software Engineers find their dream jobs. As the CEO of CodeLn, she helps companies seamlessly hire skilled Software Engineers.
Why LoA loves it….
There is a new generation of tech talent in Africa just waiting to find the right job opportunity in order to fulfill their potential and make a contribution to the growth of the continent. But, without the right specialist support, finding that great job and career path can be tough. That’s where techpreneur Elohor Thomas and her co-founders come in, with their specialist software company helping companies to connect with the best skilled African tech talent, when they need it. This is an exciting company responding to growing needs in the marketplace, and definitely a tech mover and shaker in the making - one to watch! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa