We Didn't Guess, We Asked: The Research That Built Vibbir

At Vibbir, we didn’t start with a solution looking for a problem. We started with a fundamental question: Why is hiring so broken? To find the answer, we didn’t rely on assumptions. We went directly to the source.

Our team conducted over 100 in-depth interviews with hiring managers, recruiters, and job seekers. We listened to their frustrations, mapped their journeys, and validated the pain points that plague the industry. This research is the bedrock of Vibbir, ensuring that every feature we build is designed to solve a real, documented problem.

Here’s a look at what we learned.

The Hiring Manager’s Dilemma: A Battle on Two Fronts

Hiring managers are caught in a constant struggle. They need to attract top talent while managing an overwhelming process. Our interviews revealed a consistent pattern of challenges:

The Agony of the Blank Page: “I had no idea what constituted a good job advertisement,” admits our own CEO, Gustav Gorecki, reflecting on his time as a hiring manager. This sentiment was echoed across the board. Managers find it incredibly difficult to write inspiring, inclusive, and effective job ads. They are often forced to be creative writers and marketers, roles for which they have little training or support.
The Unqualified Flood: The second major pain point is being overwhelmed by a flood of unqualified applicants. This forces managers to spend countless hours sifting through resumes that are a poor fit, draining time and resources that could be spent on engaging with top contenders.
The Inefficiency of It All: The result is a time-consuming and costly process that feels more like a lottery than a strategic function. We found that a typical job ad only performs effectively for about 2 days out of the 45-day period it’s paid for. Companies are paying for visibility that simply isn’t delivering value.

The Job Seeker’s Ordeal: Lost in a Sea of Irrelevance

The experience for candidates is just as flawed. Our research confirmed that the job search is often a demoralizing and inefficient journey.

A Sea of Noise: Job seekers told us they are drowning in a sea of irrelevant job suggestions. Our data indicates that over 80% of job recommendations on major platforms are a poor match. This noise makes it incredibly challenging to find inspiring and suitable opportunities.
The Black Box Application: The application process itself is an uphill battle. Candidates pour their energy into applications only to receive an automated rejection—or worse, no response at all. As Anna Blom Ria, Head of Development at Teft Rekruttering, notes, it’s time to move on from processes that feel “like a personal ad from 1973.”
The Anonymity Paradox: Anonymity during the initial screening can reduce bias, yet most platforms do the opposite, exposing details that can lead to unconscious discrimination based on name, age, or background.

Proving the Hypothesis: A Live-Fire Test

Armed with these insights, we ran an experiment. We created our own job ad using the principles of engagement and inspiration we had formulated. We posted it for a fictional role at a non-existent company with a below-market salary.

The result? Our ad outperformed the market standard by 3X.

This test proved what our interviews suggested: a well-crafted, inspiring, and engaging ad can cut through the noise and attract quality talent, even when other factors are less than ideal.

Building a Solution from Evidence

This research is more than just a backstory; it’s our blueprint. Every aspect of the Vibbir platform is a direct response to these findings:

Our AI Ad Creation Tool solves the “blank page” problem for hiring managers.
Our Semantic Matching Engine eliminates the 80% noise, delivering only relevant candidates and opportunities.
Our focus on anonymity, gamification, and transparency tackles the inequalities and poor experience faced by job seekers.

We aren’t just building another job board. We are building a new system, grounded in research and designed to restore efficiency, inspiration, and humanity to the hiring process.

Ready to experience a hiring platform built on insight, not intuition? [Explore Vibbir and see how our research-backed solutions can transform your hiring today.]