OURJOURNEY
How We’re Building a Searchable Early-Careers Network
Background
Michael Palmiero
Founder/Director at Hiremetrix
I started my career in sales at three early-stage SaaS start-ups, including roles as the first go-to-market hire, before launching my own recruitment business. My experience on both sides of the hiring process showed me how hard it is to identify potential when candidates have limited experience.
​
Early-career hiring fails because, in a category with limited experience, CV scanners and searchable databases can’t effectively surface candidates, leaving companies buried in thousands of near-identical applications.
​
The problem isn’t solved by adding more disconnected filtering tools, after applications have already surged.
​
It requires a new discovery layer, one that assesses candidates early, makes them searchable, and improves the quality of the candidate pool from the start. Now it's possible for companies to find people for their abilities, strengths, and working preferences, not just past job titles.
Section 1:
product development
Building the platform
We’ve built a scalable, self-serve platform that:​
-
Hosts candidate profiles, including video introductions recorded directly within the app.
​
-
Includes a competency assessment measuring both working preferences and abilities, developed with a professional psychometric company.
​
-
Makes all profile data searchable — from traditional criteria to competency scores and personality traits.
​
-
Provides a job-board for candidates to apply and companies to post roles.
​
-
Facilitates network effects via shareable candidate URLs, allowing candidates to share their profiles externally.
​
-
Supports company accounts with collaboration features such as applicant tracking, playlists, anonymised shortlists for agencies, and notes/comments.
Section 2:
testing the platform
Validation & Candidate Insights
​
-
Onboarded 2,000+ candidates to validate platform functionality, including profile creation, testing, search, and video hosting. ​​
-
Collected feedback and observed candidate engagement to refine the platform experience.
Section 3:
Systems & Operations
Automated, candidate onboarding
-
Built an integrated automation system that tracks every stage of the candidate journey. From initial invite to full profile completion, and adjusts communication flows accordingly.
​
-
Email, SMS, and WhatsApp reminders shift dynamically based on candidate activity, reducing manual work and ensuring no one falls through the cracks.
​
-
Operational workflows are documented through step-by-step video training, enabling anyone to run the onboarding process with minimal ramp-up time.
​
-
The entire system is currently managed by one part-time team member, demonstrating the efficiency and scalability of the operational design.
Section 4:
Marketing
Candidate Marketing
-
Produced a candidate-facing video commercial and social media print ads.
-
Ran job adverts to test the sign-up automations and attract early users.
Video ad concept pt1:
​'One application, thousands of companies'
Platform sneak peak:
Video ad concept pt2:
'Connect the dots'
Explainer Animation:
Company Marketing [Linkedin Print ad 1]:
'Pick up the phone'
Company Marketing [Linkedin Print ad 2]:
'Pick up the phone'
Section 5:
Future Growth -
Candidate Network
Expanding the Candidate Base
-
Reduce job-board dependence by engaging colleges, universities, and using offline channels like flyers or business cards with scannable codes to make it easy for anyone to join.
-
Launch campus campaigns: flyers, barcodes, and events to drive registrations.
-
Form strategic partnerships with colleges and universities.
-
Invest in paid search, SEO, publications, and referral incentives to grow sign-ups.
Section 6:
Future Growth - Business Interest
Attracting Companies
-
Offer free job postings to build traction and demonstrate value.
-
Share anonymised candidate playlists to showcase platform capabilities.
-
Provide free email alerts when relevant candidates create profiles.
-
Target companies with large graduate intakes or apprenticeship schemes for early adoption.
-
Leverage video advertising in candidate introductions to generate sponsorship revenue.
-
Consider freemium-to-premium model once network scale is achieved.
Section 7:
Future Product Development
Building for Scale
-
Develop a mobile app for candidates.
-
Expand assessments for new industries.
-
Introduce gamification to increase profile completion and engagement.
-
Launch tiered company accounts: freemium, premium, and enterprise with advanced search, collaboration, and ATS integration.
Connect
Lets connect on Linkedin to discuss the Hiremetrix strategy and the opportunity it could provide.
Michael Palmiero
Founder/Director at Hiremetrix