Two recent graduates from Bournemouth University have developed a database and filtering platform that aims to make it much easier for employers to connect with new high-quality talent. 

Called Witlr, which derives from whittle, the platform is currently in beta and has built links with universities across the UK. Nick Guy, who co-founded the site with David Rubie-Todd, told Recruiter that the aim is to do for recruitment what Auto Trader and Rightmove have done for car and property search respectively. 

“Traditional recruiting methods can be time-consuming, especially for SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] where time is often scarce. We’ve developed Witlr so the database can be queried really simply,” said Guy, who has spoken to hundreds of employers in the course of his market research. “Employers seem to like the idea of having graduates in one place.”

Students and graduates fill out a profile form, which is broken down into different sections, making it easier for employers to search. Guy explained that search criteria can be as precise as asking for a French-speaking politics student with experience of a university student newspaper. Employers can also use the filtering system to set a minimum criterion such as only wanting to see graduates with a 2:1 degree. The database is free for employers to search and they pay £49 per person if they find one or more profiles they like (contact information isn’t visible when searching). To enable graduates to be proactive about their job search, the developers have also built in a job board on which employers can post vacancies for free. 

The website has already attracted funding from angel investor Adam Norris, formerly of Hargreaves Lansdown and now the founder and owner of Horatio Investments, who has committed £500k toward the project. Guy reports that the idea resonated with Norris because he always struggled to find the right students and graduates when recruiting. 

www.witlr.com