The recruitment process has been frequently critiqued for its lack of efficiency and transparency. Applicants invest significant time crafting applications and sending cover letters, only to vanish into what often seems like a mystery. The introduction of generative AI has complicated matters further, with companies increasingly depending on AI-driven screening tools to handle a staggering volume of applications.

Fika Jobs, a startup based in Stockholm, believes there is a more effective method. The firm is creating a video-centric recruitment platform that merges AI interview agents with brief video profiles, producing a hybrid experience akin to LinkedIn and TikTok. Rather than focusing solely on CVs, applicants partake in AI-driven interviews intended to highlight their character and communication abilities.

On Tuesday, Fika Jobs revealed a pre-seed round of $4 million, aimed at furthering platform development, expanding the team, and gearing up for a broader rollout later this year.

For those seeking employment, the journey begins with linking a LinkedIn profile. The AI at Fika assesses the applicant’s history and formulates tailored interview questions. Candidates then engage in an approximately 10-minute video interview with the AI agent, currently utilizing Google’s Gemini systems.

Following the interview, Fika automatically converts answers into brief video snippets and compiles them into a profile. Instead of applying individually to each vacant position, candidates maintain an up-to-date profile that hiring managers can discover and revisit as new roles emerge.

The concept originated from co-founders and siblings Jakob Dubois (CEO) and Alexander Dubois (CTO) during their time developing their former startup.

“While we were creating [social app] Gaff, we dedicated a significant amount of time to recruitment and nearly overlooked a candidate due to his unimpressive resume,” Jakob Dubois shared with TechCrunch. “We ultimately had a conversation with him, and within minutes, his determination, enthusiasm, and ambition were clear. Precisely the type of individual we sought to employ.”

This encounter led the founders to believe that certain attributes valued by employers are hard to represent on paper.

In contrast to most rivals (including Alex, Maki, and Mercor) that concentrate on aiding employers in sourcing, screening, and matching candidates efficiently through AI, Fika is constructing a platform where candidates have video-centric profiles, and employers can explore a pool of individuals who have already been interviewed and assessed by AI.

If proven successful, Fika Jobs could assist employers in evaluating communication skills and cultural integration early in the recruitment process, supplementing conventional CV and application critiques. This methodology may prove particularly beneficial for early-career candidates and those from non-traditional backgrounds, whose potential may not be evident from a resume alone.

However, video profiles also carry legitimate bias risks that should be taken into account. When employers are able to observe a candidate’s race, age, gender, appearance, and accent prior to assessing their qualifications, it opens the door to discrimination that a resume, despite its shortcomings, somewhat conceals. There’s a reason some companies have shifted to blind resume reviews.

The platform intends to provide early access to candidates this week, with a broader public introduction anticipated this autumn. Initially, the focus will be on Sweden before expanding globally. Fika currently operates with a small team but expects to grow to around 10 employees by year’s end.

The founders report that over 100 companies are waiting, although they declined to disclose which ones. They mentioned that more than 50 companies have trialed the platform, including Plenty Labs, SICS.ai, Kognity, and Rebtel.

The platform remains free for job seekers. Employers incur no costs upfront; however, Fika takes 10% of a candidate’s first-year salary upon a successful placement. (The company points out that this is less than the typical 20% to 30% fees imposed by traditional recruiters and headhunters.)

The funding round was led by Luminar Ventures, with contributions from Alliance VC and the co-founders of King, Sebastian Knutsson and Riccardo Zacconi, known for developing the popular mobile game Candy Crush.