CV Databases Exposed: Are They Really Worth Your Time and Money?

<div class="grey-callout"><h2>Key Takeaways</h2><ul>
<li>CV databases: All contain outdated CVs, so ensure you search active applicants only.</li>
<li>Search tips: Use broad search terms and filter by location to enhance results.</li>
<li>Candidate engagement: Warm these passive applicants up with a text message, then follow up with a phone call and email.</li>
</ul></div>

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CV Databases Aren’t Right for Many Employers

A salesperson from a job site may want to upsell CV database access. Although CV databases have existed since the dawn of the internet, they may be unfamiliar to new hiring managers, so I’ll review them in some detail.

The CV of almost every applicant applying for a job advert is automatically added to that job site’s CV database. You can pay to search the database and review the CVs, then you can contact jobseekers that you think are relevant for your job vacancy. 

Notice that employers pay money to advertise jobs, and help to grow a CV database from which other employers and recruitment agencies can benefit! This is because “ownership” of the applicant remains with the job site rather than the employer.

Unless your organisation has an in-house recruiter or HR specialist with time available, I would not recommend searching CV databases to find applicants (even if given a free trial). Here’s why:

• Finding appropriate CVs can be a challenge: Using broad search queries can bring up a lot of CVs that take time to review.
• Databases contain old and irrelevant CVs: Contacting even a few unsuitable jobseekers can waste a lot of your time.
• CV databases are very competitive: Recruitment agencies constantly search CV databases and extract the valuable applicants.
• Contacting jobseekers is tricky: Contacting jobseekers can be a real challenge (when I ran a test in April 2024, only 8 out of 40 applicants responded). Even if you manage to speak with them, they have all the “bargaining power”: when an applicant applies to your advert, they must sell themselves; but when you approach them, you have to sell your organisation and role.

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Why Do CV Databases Contain Old CVs?

Under data protection legislation, you might expect that retaining old data would be unlawful. So why don’t some job sites clean up their data and comply more with the spirit of legislation? Mainly it is because reducing the number of CVs makes the database less marketable; job sites know that naive purchasers sometimes make decisions based on the quantity of CVs in a database, so there’s no incentive to reduce this number.

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A Simple Way to Search CV Databases

If you want to use a CV database, use these search techniques:

• Use broad keywords and phrases: I recommend using broad-generic keywords. For example, instead of “marketing executive”, search for “marketing”. You also need to consider misspellings! For example, I just searched for “Acountant” and got 200 more applicants! Although this generates more results that will take longer to review, it’s often less time-consuming than learning Boolean logic!
• Enter a location and search radius: When searching for candidates, you may enter a geographical location and a distance around that location. This has two limitations: applicants may live in an area but wish to relocate, and the radius is calculated as the crow flies and doesn’t consider commuting time.
• View active applicants only: I recommend refining your search to include only applicants who have been active in the last 60 days. This increases your chance of contacting applicants still looking for a job.

When reviewing search results, you’ll often see CVs with the contact details hidden, and reveal the details by clicking on them. Job sites do this to get a signal that you’re interested in a jobseeker and deriving value from the CV database. Downloading a CV is an even stronger signal that you may have found an applicant of interest.

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Note:</span> If you’re interested in learning a more thorough technique for searching CV databases, I have an article covering the basics of CV searching using Boolean logic.</span>

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Tip:</span> Some job sites will automatically suggest “relevant” jobseekers in their CV database when advertising a job. The algorithms aren’t remarkably accurate, but the suggestions may be worth reviewing. Usually, you can invite selected jobseekers to apply, though I find that I get better results by contacting applicants personally.<p></p>Oddly, jobseekers who have been invited to apply don’t always appear to have been shown the job and may have basic queries about it. Equally, you may have questions about the applicant because you may not see their full CV until they confirm an interest. There can be a bit of back and forth at first as everyone gathers the information they need.</span>

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Contact Applicants You Find in the Proper Manner

You need to be careful about how you approach applicants you find in a CV database:

1. Send a text message first: Many jobseekers won’t take unsolicited telephone calls; warming them up with a text improves your chances. Mentioning that you’re from an employer rather than a recruitment agency will help further.
2. Call the jobseeker: Remember that when you approach a jobseeker, they have all the power. Making an effort to call them demonstrates that you’re interested in them.
3. Follow up by text message and email: If you can’t get through, sending another text message increases response rates significantly.
4. Ask what they want rather than telling them about your job: If you start pitching a job vacancy, applicants often feel overwhelmed, say “yes” to be friendly, and ghost any further communication. A softer style is usually better, such as, “Hi {candidate’s name}. I found your CV on {job site}, and the reason for my call is that I’m recruiting for a job with my organisation. I wanted to see if you’re still looking for work and, if so, had the time to discuss where you see your future career going?... What would you improve about your current role?... What do you like about your current role?... What would you ideally like to do in the future?” Don’t try to push a square peg into a round hole – if they’re not a good fit, move on. You could even ask for referrals, “Who do you know that might be a good fit?”

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Warning:</span> Don’t be surprised if a jobseeker didn’t know their details were on a CV database as this isn’t always clear to them. They may misunderstand the situation, think you’re in control of the database and ask you to remove their details. Be prepared to explain that this isn’t your responsibility, and they must log in and remove their details.</span>

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Additional Resources

• Recruitment Book; The Secrets of Great Recruitment: How to Recruit Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; Navigating Job Sites Like a Pro: Strategies to Fill Your Vacancies Fast.
• Downloadable PDF guide; Efficient Strategies for Using CV Databases to Find Applicants.
• Article; Advertise a Job: How Choosing the Wrong Job Site Could Cost Your Thousands!
• Article; Choosing the Right Job Site to Advertise a Job: A Simple Guide for Employers.
• Article; Using a CV Database: Best Practices for Sifting Through CVs.
• Article; CV Database Techniques: Using Boolean Logic for Applicant Searches.
• Article; How AI is disrupting Job Boards, Recruitment & HR.
• Article; Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Job Sites for Advertising Jobs.
• Article; How to Advertise a Job - Best Way to Advertise Job Openings.
• Article; What is a Job Site and When Should an Employer Use Them?‍