Looking for work is no easy task. Some platforms require cover letters and resumes, and others, videos. There’s the problem of ghost jobs, not to mention ghosting post-application or even post-interview. And how do you apply stealthily for jobs in a sector where everyone knows everyone? 

French-founded startup Candix has found a way. It has developed a platform where, instead of actively applying, qualified candidates are discovered by potential employers.

I spoke to founder Theo Avoyne to find out more. 

He detailed:

“Candix is a platform that targets people who currently have a job but might be open to switching companies or starting a new career.

It helps people avoid the uncomfortable situation of managing both their transition and their manager.”

Your boss won’t know you’re job hunting

Candix prioritises job seeker confidentiality by implementing multiple security measures. Companies must sign NDAs to access the talent pool, and access is limited to one point of contact per company.

This enables job seekers to explore future opportunities without risking their current positions, as profiles are hidden from current and previous employers. 

Users can specify their ideal job criteria, filtering out irrelevant offers and ensuring they’re only approached with suitable positions.

Most people adding their profiles to the platform are seeking more ownership, career advancement, or a higher salary.

“They know they are in market demand and that other people are getting paid way better for the same role, so they are curious. They want to find out what’s possible. 

It’s a lot easier to create a profile on Candix and to ask for that salary than to negotiate with a manager.” 

Further, the platform is completely free for job seekers.

Capitalising on the AI talent war

According to Avoyne, startups were trying to poach talent from big tech a few years ago, “but now they’re also poaching talent from each other.”

While expanding, the platform is currently focused on the AI talent war, specifically targeting AI and machine learning practitioners as well as software engineers.

“We’re taking advantage of the competition for AI talent, so intense that we’ve grown from 0 to six figures in ARR in just 3 months, growing 100% month-over-month.”

Startups up the ante with higher salaries to attract top talent

Avoyne observes a steady increase in salaries on Candix, which aligns with broader market trends. Traditionally, startups have prioritised equity over substantial cash compensation. 

“However, to compete with major tech companies offering significant salaries to AI and senior software engineers, startups are now compelled to adjust their compensation packages. We’re seeing salaries of €150,000 to €200,000, which is a departure from historical norms in Europe.”

“Recent astronomical fundraises for AI companies are also contributing to inflated salaries, at the expense of startups that might not have raised as much.”

The average salary requested on Candix in October in Paris was €109,000, with a steady monthly increase over the past six months, averaging 2.5 per cent.

Recruitment is expensive for any competitive startup, with a single role costing as much as €20,000–30,000 through conventional platforms and agencies.

According to Avoyne, Candix utilises a network of external recruiters to onboard candidates:

“The typical life of a recruiter is that you have a role to fill, so you source 50 people. 

You talk with 30 of them and interview maybe 20. In the end, only one person gets hired.

That means 49 people have been in your process for nothing. It’s a lost pipeline. So basically, we incentivize recruiters to invite discarded yet competitive candidates to Candix.”

Europeans flocking to US tech jobs

In the last two years, the number of Europeans who have emigrated to the US for AI roles has increased by over 300 per cent. 

The proportion of French talent on Candix open to relocation is now 42 per cent, up 39 per cent from six months ago. Among this group, the top target countries are the US (68 per cent), Switzerland (36 per cent), and the UK (27 per cent). 

Avoyne also stresses that while the company is focused on attracting currently employed people to new roles, they don’t prevent the unemployed from signing up. 

“While the total number of people signing up on Candix is globally diverse, the most relevant metric is the number of candidates who actively match our target audience and company needs. 

We carefully curate our candidate pool to ensure they align with the specific requirements of our partner companies.”

The company prioritises active candidates. Those who haven’t updated their profiles or indicated their job-seeking status are removed. This ensures that companies receive timely responses from qualified candidates.

“Our active candidate pool typically ranges from 300 to 600 individuals on a 30-day rolling basis. 

This rigorous curation process, though operationally demanding, provides a significant advantage for our partner companies.

They benefit from a response rate far above industry standards.”

In October, Candix announced a €185,000 funding raise to test the US market following its successful launch in France.