JobShakers—a local startup whose app helps employees recommend friends and family for job openings—has secured a $265,000 seed investment via the Mid-America Angels Investment Network.

All told, JobShakers has raised $465,000. The app, which will work on both Apple and Android smartphones, is designed to help employers find skilled hourly workers, especially in construction and health care.

“Having completed several months of beta testing with major Kansas City employers, our system is positioned for market rollout,” said Kevin Fryer, JobShakers’ CEO. “With this funding, we will expand our customer support capacity and our sales team.”

JobShakers’ solution should make it easier for employers to recruit and place job applicants.

“HR departments have traditionally struggled to maximize referrals because of inefficient manual referral systems,” said Keith Weidenkeller, a former executive with AMC Theatres and a JobShakers adviser. “JobShakers has developed an elegant new technology that makes referrals easy and fast.”

“We’re proud to be among the first in Kansas City to recognize the promise of this exciting new technology,” said George Hansen, executive director of the Mid-America Angels Investment Network and CEO of the Enterprise Center in Johnson County.