FROM JUNE 2014’s RECRUITER MAGAZINE

A UK start-up is hoping that its product will ultimately make it easier for other start-ups and SMEs to hire graduates, as well as help tackle youth unemployment.

Aptood.com allows candidates to show their potential to future employers by giving them the chance to take psychometric tests and build a profile based on the results and other information upfront. 

Anil Bhima, business development director at Aptood, told Recruiter that it has taken a set of market-leading psychometric tests that helps candidates create a comprehensive profile, and built a web-based marketplace that matches them with employers and job opportunities. “You may have someone with a history degree and someone else with a business degree going for a business-oriented role, but it might be the history graduate who has the better leadership potential,” he said. “We are trying to provide an unbiased way of allowing a candidate to stand out.”

Candidates can sit the tests and create a profile for free, while employers pay a flat-fee of £600 only when they appoint a person. They can post a job, and specify and weight particular traits and skills. The website manages the various stages of the recruitment process, with automated features to help with tasks such as shortlisting and inviting for interview. 

Martin Gibson (pictured above), co-founder of Aptood, told Recruiter that he came up with the idea while travelling and meeting graduates who were taking a year off because they couldn’t find a job. He felt one solution would be to make it easier for smaller companies to recruit graduates. He believed that technology held the answer.

“If we gave candidates a way of bringing together all this information upfront and just taking the tests once, it removes administration for employers and the two can meet in the middle,” he said. “Individuals understand their strengths and weaknesses and what they can offer, and employers can search and find people who may not have been put forward as an applicant.” 

Initially, Aptood is focusing on the graduate market, but the model could be used in all areas of recruitment. In particular, Gibson hopes it will help reduce youth unemployment and open up opportunities for those without degrees. For example, a current role on Aptood requested just those with master’s degrees, however the system flagged up an individual who was a good fit but who had only A-levels. “There’s a million 16-24-year-olds who can’t find work, and 40% of businesses are defined as SMEs,” said Gibson. “There should be a synergy there.”

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