For business owners looking to fill a job––and fast, the best solution is often just a few clicks away. Searching for qualified job candidates online is a smooth, effective process that typically yields much better results than traditional newspaper ads or job centers. Best of all, some of the best hiring platforms are completely free.
If you are looking for CV databases in the UK to streamline your hiring process and bring in great people for interviews, you are in luck because we have found the best in the country!
In this article, we will reveal the best free CV databases––what they have to offer, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
How to Find Free CV Databases in the UK
Why Employers Should Use CV Databases
As a business owner, finding qualified job candidates to fill your vacancies can be a challenge. Oftentimes, it’s not as simple as just uploading a job posting or advertising within your social network of colleagues. You need specific tools and findings to help streamline the sourcing process. And that’s why many business owners would benefit from using online resume databases.
A resume database is an online platform that houses CVs from job seekers across various industries and locations. Good databases allow employers to search and filter CVs to find the most qualified people and reach out to them to learn more about how they might fit within the role.
The Benefits of Using CV Databases
There are several advantages to using online CV databases. The biggest advantage is the size and caliber of talent on offer. Unlike traditional job advertising, online platforms offer the highest volume of potential candidates at your disposal. All of these job seekers exist in one dedicated space, so you are always getting the most diverse group of talent.
Another advantage is the amount of time and money you can save by using advanced search features to narrow down your results so that you are not sifting through thousands (or, depending on the database, millions!) of resumes.
One of the most unique advantages to using a resume database is that, as an employer, you can even reach out to passive candidates who may not have applied for your post, but, upon review of their experiences, training, and qualifications, you might decide that YOU want THEM. And this is your opportunity to connect with them and offer value propositions and incentives, thus further eliminating unnecessary search times.
Qualities to Look For in a Great Employee
When using an online database, it can be tricky to gauge a job candidate’s personality traits until you’ve connected face-to-face. While browsing through CVs, look for the following job qualities within their experiences that will likely demonstrate what your potential employee can bring to your company:
- Strong communication
- Leadership skills
- Conflict management abilities
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving skills
- Confidence
- Interpersonal skills
- Dedication
Tips for Using Online CV Databases
The best tip for using online CV databases is to find the one that works best for you and your particular business––no two databases are alike and many feature bells and whistles that you might not find relevant. Once you’ve selected a database and uploaded your job posting, or engaged with candidates that you like, the next step is opening the lines of communication.
Engage with your potential hires: research their backgrounds, achievements, milestones, goals (long and short-term), and, ultimately, what they hope to get out of their job search. Once you’ve established a connection, and you think that they are the right one for the role, start some effective sourcing:
- Communicate to the candidate that you have thoroughly researched their background (this demonstrates to the candidate that you care)
- Use an approachable tone that reflects the culture of your business––don’t approach using corporate-speak
- Demonstrate intrigue and enthusiasm while encouraging them to ask questions and offer feedback
- Don’t assert any pressure or give ultimatums if making a job offer––let them take it away and consider all options
- Insist that you are available to answer any follow-up questions once the first connection has ended
The 6 Best Free CV Databases in the UK
There are plenty of resources available across the continent for helping qualified (and even beginner) jobseekers find employment in the U.K. Whatever your level of education, skills, training, or availability, there is a job site to help place you where you need to be.
Overall: GrabJobs is the best option for hiring jobseekers in the U.K. It is a cost-effective CV database and recruitment solution that automates sourcing, screening, and interviewing of candidates (over 5 million online). GrabJobs features over 5,000 companies; auto-generated job seeker profiles mean that users can begin applying for new jobs in under a minute, making it great for employers looking to hire quickly and easily.
The cost: There are both FREE and paid options for employers––using the GrabJobs’ recruitment platform, the CV search mode offers 3 different price formats: £$29 weekly plan, which allows you to download 10 CVs; the £99 fortnightly plan, which gives you 50 CV downloads; and the £189 monthly plan that features 100 CV downloads––all plans include unlimited searches and unlimited CV previews.
The benefits: Seamless platform navigation; exceptional customer service; useful features, including instant chat interview, email updates, and job candidate recommendations. Tracking job applicants is incredibly easy and the quality and relevance of job candidates available are premium.
The drawbacks: The costs associated with paid subscription model can be high, but a generous 14-day free trial offer is available.
Overall: Another popular global (and free) job search site, Indeed not only places qualified candidates in roles suited to their skills and experience––but also provide crucial tools for job seekers like salary guides and company reviews. Simply upload your resume to Indeed’s platform and companies reach out to you, making the stress of finding work that much simpler.
The cost: There are both FREE and paid options for Indeed employers––posting a job is FREE and it will always appear in general search results. Products like Mobile Recruiting, Indeed Resume, and Featured Employer are available for additional fees.
The benefits: Given the size and scope of Indeed’s global reach and presence, employers looking to fill one-off jobs often receive a great number of candidates. The job posting feature is easy and seamless, and many of the free tools are a great advantage to first-time posters.
The drawbacks: One of the consistent drawbacks to using Indeed for hiring is that the candidate pool is so heavy that oftentimes talent is too saturated and not always suited to the relevant position. Value is another key issue as many have felt that the resume search option is not a worthwhile investment.
Overall: One of the planet’s most popular job search engines for job seekers and employers alike, LinkedIn is a ubiquitous tool for finding full and part-time employees based on trusted connections. It also features numerous tools and subscription-based add-ons that make hiring so simple. As a LinkedIn user, you can either advertise a vacancy with your company for free in your newsfeed or pay to have it reach more users.
The cost: There are several cost options available with LinkedIn, the most basic model being completely free. However, the Premium Essentials, Recruiter Lite, and Premium Pro options come with monthly and annual fees.
The benefits: It is, without question, the largest professional network database. LinkedIn shares targeted job postings with relevant job candidates; it uses showcase pages to promote employers and their businesses; LinkedIn Business pages help employers improve their SEO rankings.
The drawbacks: The fee structure of the additional features can be cost-prohibitive; the basic (free) version of LinkedIn limits some of the platform’s other features and does not often support others, often limiting its reliability. And licenses for the platform can get quite expensive.
The cost: There are both FREE and paid options for employers using Wellfound in the U.K. While the most basic plan costs nothing––and comes with many valuable tools––there is a Recruit Pro plan for US $249 per month, and a Recruit Team plan (pricing available upon request).
The benefits: Wellfound employers looking to hire can connect with qualified candidates within the platform’s network of over 8 million users. There are unlimited free and paid global job posting plans––due to the wide availability of candidates from around the world, it’s perfect for U.K.-based companies looking to hire remote workers.
The drawbacks: There is a strong emphasis on remote and tech-based industries; prices are only available in U.S. funds; there is no social media promotion.
The cost: There are both FREE and paid options for CV-Library employers––while posting a job comes with associated costs, there is a dedicated free trial. Posting a single job costs £75 + VAT; 2 jobs cost £129 + VAT. Additional features are available for additional costs (available upon request).
The benefits: Job posts are automatically shared with over 800 other job sites, including social media; employers have the option of adding screening questions and arranging video interviews with preferred applicants in real time. Paid members receive monthly reports, sharing the success of their job ads.
The drawbacks: Standard job posts are only available for 28 days, as opposed to the usual 30-day calendar month.
The cost: While there is a dedicated FREE plan, employers using Jobvertise can choose from different monthly plans: Starter, Standard, and Pro––each have their own benefits for long-time use. If you are only posting for one job, the free plan should suffice.
The benefits: Jobvertise offers international CVs for employers looking to hire remotely; employers can view CVs posted within 30 days while receiving resume alerts filtered by category, industry, and title. Featured jobs are promoted and are the first posts seen by candidates.
The drawbacks: Pricing is only available in U.S. funds, and there is no dedicated U.K.-based customer service.
Closing Thoughts on How to Find Free CV Databases in the UK
There you have it! The best CV databases in the UK. As a business owner looking to hire quality job candidates, now that you know the best places to search––including the perks of using databases, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each––you should be fully equipped to expedite your sourcing and hiring process. Not in the UK? Visit GrabJobs and check out online resume database search options in your country.
