Sit Back, Relax, and Let Robot Recruit Find You a Tech Job

Kira M. Newman July 21, 2011 Tweet

Machines and technology are often seen as the enemies of real human connection, but the Denver-based job site Robot Recruit is trying to prove otherwise.

A quirky combination of automation and personalization, Robot Recruit matches tech and startup jobs to candidates using an algorithm that learns over time. Job seekers simply post a resume and basic information, and companies browse matched candidates and request interviews.

Robot Recruit was cofounded in March 2011 by Nate Artz, an MIT graduate and former OMGPOP developer, and Ellen Cline, whose background is in chemistry and marketing. Like most of us, Artz suffered through the job-application process; he “painfully” searched job boards and even hired a recruiter, who pushed him to take interviews that he wasn’t excited about.

Robot Recruit streamlines this process by automatically submitting your resume for relevant jobs. Employers can expect to spend less time and less money on recruiting—Robot Recruit only charges them to access contact information once candidates accept an interview.

“This is a perfect problem for computers. Computers can match and search hundreds of thousands of jobs much better than I ever could,” says Artz, who worked in MIT’s Media Lab on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Along with a faster and simpler application process, Robot Recruit is aiming to make it more personalized. Because companies don’t have to juggle emails coming in from dozens of job listings, more managers—rather than HR staff, who are less familiar with technical jobs—can quickly review resumes and choose whom to interview. The result, hopefully, is a better match for both sides.

“I think it should be more of a dating process,” says Artz, who hopes to allow companies to post photos and videos and give feedback to candidates. “I’m really interested in helping people find a great fit.”

Currently in beta, Robot Recruit may add job listings, although Artz wants to differentiate it from job boards like Monster. They’ll also have to compete with LinkedIn, which now has beta job recommendations. To see if they have what it takes, stop by our Tech Cocktail birthday bash this Thursday in Chicago.