Skills-Test Hiring Portal
SMB employers drowning in AI-generated resumes will pay a flat per-hire fee to see candidates ranked by a real, paid work sample instead of a cover letter.
The demand driver (AI application flood) is well documented and undeniable, but the solution space is already occupied by funded players (Vervoe, CodeSignal, HireVue) -- the opening is a narrower, cheaper, SMB-friendly wedge into non-technical roles those platforms underserve, not a green field.
The hit-rate of recruiter outreach converting to interviews dropped from ~40% in 2022 to 12% in 2026, and 78% of job seekers now use AI in applications -- the resume as a screening signal is functionally broken for high-volume roles. Vervoe's entry pricing starts around $79-$399/month and CodeSignal targets enterprise engineering hiring with custom pricing, both leaving a gap for SMB employers hiring for sales, support, or ops roles who need something cheaper and simpler than an enterprise assessment suite but more signal than a resume. Median cost-per-hire for non-executive roles hit $1,300 in 2026, so a flat per-hire fee well under that is an easy budget line for a small employer to justify.
Hiring activity dips in summer and late December, picks up in Jan-Mar and Sept-Oct hiring cycles.
Suits you if
- ✓You can design credible, role-specific work samples across multiple job categories
- ✓You're comfortable doing direct B2B sales to SMB hiring managers/founders early on
- ✓You can manage a grading workflow (contractor graders or AI-assisted scoring with human review)
Skip it if
- ✕You're only targeting technical/engineering roles -- CodeSignal, HackerRank, and others already own that lane
- ✕You want zero ongoing involvement -- grading quality and rubric upkeep require real ongoing attention
- ✕You can't front candidate stipend costs before employer payment arrives
| Units | Revenue range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $1,495–$1,495 | Gross revenue before candidate stipends and grading costs |
| 20 | $5,980–$5,980 | Gross revenue at early-traction volume |
| 40 | $11,960–$11,960 | Requires subscription pricing shift to sustain grading capacity at this volume |
Skills: Job design and rubric-writing for non-technical roles, direct B2B sales to SMB hiring managers, basic product/no-code build skills, and enough process discipline to keep grading fair and fast under volume.
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