This startup is betting job seekers will pay to land a job
Refer is a "reverse recruiter" where job seekers, not employers, pay if they land a role.The startup's AI agent introduces candidates and employers only after both sides express interest.Refer recently raised a previously unannounced $7.5 million seed round.Hansheng Liu's first attempt to find a job through the startup Refer didn't work out.It was this past fall, and the recent computer science grad from the University of Illinois said he hadn't done enough to beef up his résumé. Liu then spent part of the winter building a website and a backend server so he could gain more experience.That's when he went back to Refer, a so-called reverse recruiter for tech workers, where job seekers, not employers, pay a fee when they land a role.Refer uses an AI agent to identify potential matches and introduce candidates to hiring managers and recruiters.
Reported by 1 outlet — Business Insider. See all sources ↓
Refer is a "reverse recruiter" where job seekers, not employers, pay if they land a role.The startup's AI agent introduces candidates and employers only after both sides express interest.Refer recently raised a previously unannounced $7.5 million seed round.Hansheng Liu's first attempt to find a job through the startup Refer didn't work out.It was this past fall, and the recent computer science grad from the University of Illinois said he hadn't done enough to beef up his résumé. Liu then spent part of the winter building a website and a backend server so he could gain more experience.That's when he went back to Refer, a so-called reverse recruiter for tech workers, where job seekers, not employers, pay a fee when they land a role.Refer uses an AI agent to identify potential matches and introduce candidates to hiring managers and recruiters. If you get a job, you're charged 20% of your first month's salary.The second time he tried Refer, Liu said his more robust résumé did the trick. He requested introductions to about a half-dozen companies, resulting, Liu said, in four interviews.One of them was with a Bay Area firm that eventually hired him.
Read the full report at Business Insider ↗
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- What's the story?
- Refer is a "reverse recruiter" where job seekers, not employers, pay if they land a role.The startup's AI agent introduces candidates and employers only after both sides express interest.Refer recently raised a previously unannounced $7.5 million seed round.Hansheng Liu's first attempt to find a job through the startup Refer didn't work out.It was this past fall, and the recent computer science grad from the University of Illinois said he hadn't done enough to beef up his résumé. Liu then spent part of the winter building a website and a backend server so he could gain more experience.That's when he went back to Refer, a so-called reverse recruiter for tech workers, where job seekers, not employers, pay a fee when they land a role.Refer uses an AI agent to identify potential matches and introduce candidates to hiring managers and recruiters.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 9m ago.
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This startup is betting job seekers will pay to land a job
Sources1TypeCoverageBusiness Insider