Brenen Morse founded SameShift after years of working in restaurant operations and hiring hourly employees. One observation stood out: the first job is a big step, and people often feel more comfortable taking it alongside someone they already know.
The problem behind SameShift
A first job can mean learning a new schedule, meeting unfamiliar coworkers, and walking into an environment where everyone else already knows what to do. For students, that can make applying feel more daunting than it needs to.
Traditional hiring tools tend to treat every applicant as a completely separate individual. SameShift explores a different possibility: what if friends could express interest in the same job together, without eliminating the employer's ability to make independent decisions?
How Apply with Friends works
For applicants
Apply together—or solo
Students can look for part-time opportunities and choose to apply with friends as a crew, or apply on their own. The feature communicates that a group is interested in the same opportunity.
For employers
See who wants to work together
Businesses can consider applicants who already know each other. Employers maintain control of interviewing, hiring, scheduling, and employment decisions; applying together does not guarantee a group will be hired or scheduled together.
Who SameShift serves
SameShift is designed especially for high school and college students, first-time job seekers, and employers looking for hourly or part-time team members. The early focus includes restaurants and employers in Columbus, Ohio, and Knoxville, Tennessee; available opportunities depend on businesses posting jobs.
The platform is free for job seekers. Students do not need to have friends applying with them to use SameShift.
How the idea connects to Brenen's work
As president of Brenz Pizza Co., Brenen has worked directly with the challenges of finding, training, and retaining hourly team members. SameShift is a separate venture, built as a practical response to that experience—not a hiring guarantee or a substitute for employer judgment.
The larger goal is to make it easier for young people to take a first step toward working, learning, and growing.
Questions people often ask
Do I have to apply with friends?
No. Applicants can apply individually, too.
Will friends automatically get the same shift?
No. Employers control hiring and scheduling, and can make different decisions for different applicants.
Is SameShift free for students?
Yes. The platform is free for job seekers.
Where are the jobs?
SameShift can support employers in the United States, but available positions vary. Early efforts have included Columbus and Knoxville.