For U.K. 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 platforms for searching for resumes are completely free.
If you are looking for free online CV search platforms in the UK that cater to employers, for you to streamline your hiring process and start bringing in great people for interviews, you are in luck because we have found the best in the country.
In this article, we will show you the best free online resume databases––what they have to offer, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
The Benefits of Using Online CV Search Platforms
A CV search platform is an online database that houses resumes from job seekers across various industries and locations. Good databases allow employers to search and filter these resumes to find the most qualified people and reach out to them to learn more about how they might fit within the role.
There are several advantages to using resume 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 jobseekers 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.
The 10 Best Free Online CV Search Platforms for Employers in the U.K.
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 quality job candidates in the U.K. It is a cost-effective CV database and recruitment platform that automates the 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 GrabJobs’ CV search platform. There is a Starter model, a Growth model, a Business model, and a Corporate model––the prices of which can all be requested. There is a 14-day free trial available––no credit card is required.
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: 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.
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 jobseekers 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: Originally founded in 2010 in the U.S., and operating in the U.K. since 2014, Wellfound is a global CV search platform that lets employers post jobs and search CVs. There is a range of tools and features that simplify the hiring process, including advanced search filters, candidate messaging tools, and an applicant tracking function.
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.
Overall: This award-winning search platform and database houses millions of unique CVs from qualified candidates. First incorporated in 2003, CV-Library is one of the first job posting sites in the U.K.
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.
Overall: Founded in 1997, Jobvertise is a job board and search database that caters to North American and U.K. users looking to host free and paid job posting plans across every industry.
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.
Overall: Since 2007, this FREE online database, based in Florida, distributes resumes all over its global network of employers and candidates. PostJobFree is a popular database option for employers in the U.K. who favor simplicity and prefer to get talented jobseekers hired quickly and easily.
The cost: PostJobFree offers both FREE and premium services (which includes advertising job postings on other job boards); Premium Membership costs are broken down as follows: $29/month: 2 jobs promoted + 30 resume contacts; $59/month: 6 jobs promoted + 100 resume contacts; $99/month: 15 jobs promoted + 200 resume contacts, and so on.
The benefits: No fuss, no muss. PostJobFree is a very basic program that gets results without a lot of the flash and supporting sourcing tools––although it does offer assistance for Premium subscribers. For employers, simply post a job ad and qualified candidates will reach out.
The drawbacks: It features a very basic user interface that does not seem to have been updated in years––likely since it’s founding back in 2007. If you don’t care about UX/UI or seamless functionality, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Overall: Founded in 2007, this free online job posting site and CV search platform are designed to help employers connect with new employees. Using Hound, employers can post their open positions on multiple job sites. Users then browse an unlimited number of CVs and pay for only the ones they wish to download.
The cost: Hound’s basic plan is completely free. But they also have a Recruit plan (US $199 per month); a Professional plan (US $499 per month); a Partner plan (US $699 per month); and a Master plan (US $1249 per month)
The benefits: Hound offers a host of convenient tools and services for even basic plan users, including sharing posts with other job boards and over 500 other sites (including social media), candidate management tools, and job posting tips. The site is ad-free and comes with a free trial + a basic plan that is free for up to 20 job posts.
The drawbacks: Pricing is only available in U.S. funds, and there is no dedicated U.K.-based customer service, which can be challenging because memberships can only be canceled over the phone.
Overall: This educational resource hub and teaching job board allows businesses and recruiters to post their job vacancies within an expansive, categorized job search page. Learn4Good advertises listings in over 20 countries and receives over 10 million unique site visits each year.
The cost: There are both FREE and paid options for U.K. employers using Learn4Good––the Basic plan, the Professional plan, and the Ultra plan.
The benefits: All Learn4Good job posts are advertised for 6 months, and there is a FREE renewable 20-credit job listing function. There is a dedicated U.K.-based section that focuses on jobs within public schools, private schools, and universities.
The drawbacks: Despite the large database of users across multiple regions, this site is only designed for employers looking to hire within the education industry. Pricing is only available in U.S. dollars.
Overall: With its award-winning platform, Apply4U saves employers time and effort by sharing dedicated job posts and granting access to a network of CVs from relevant talent.
The cost: There are both FREE and paid options for Apply4U employers––there is an Essential plan, a Standard plan, an Enhanced plan, and a Premium plan––all with varying degrees of access to helpful job posting tools and products.
The benefits: Billed as the fastest application process on any U.K. job site, Apply4U simplifies the hiring procedure for both candidate and employer. There is a mobile app component for added convenience.
The drawbacks: The costs associated with the paid subscription plans can be high, and there isn’t much difference between each tier.
The 10 Best Free Online CV Search Platforms for Employers in the U.K.
There you have it! The best free online CV search platforms in the U.K. As a business owner looking to hire quality job candidates, now that you know the best places to search––including the perks of using search platforms online, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each––you should be fully equipped to expedite your sourcing and hiring process. Not in the U.K.? Visit GrabJobs and check out online CV search platforms available in your country.
