AI on DirectlyApply. Past. Present. Future.

By Dylan Buckley

Introduction:

Since our founding in 2019, DirectlyApply has been dedicated to optimizing and enriching the connection between job seekers and employers. To date, we have facilitated millions of successful applications, achieving an impressive average click-to-ATS apply rate of over 30%, significantly surpassing the industry average which stands at less than 5%.

This level of performance, positively impacting both job seekers and employers, has been achieved by embedding innovation, adaptability, and continuous progress at the heart of our product & development team. Every day we ask how we can enhance the connection between job seekers and the jobs they actually want, and push ourselves to create technology that refines and perfects this relationship.

In October 2024 we introduced our next generation of job discovery to job seekers. We believe personalized, intelligent AI Talent Agents are the future of how job seekers interact not just with their immediate job search, but with their career over the long term.

As we start rolling out our future vision of job discovery, we thought it important to look back at the foundations we have built over a number of years, and how those advancements allow us to move forward at pace and deliver the future we envision.

2019 - 2022: Our Early Journeys into AI

DirectlyApply was founded on the realization that the job search industry had previously made minimal progress, particularly in areas like matching and engagement, and we saw a significant opportunity to improve these aspects. As we looked towards the coming decade, we knew that in order to make the advances the industry needed, we would first have to deliver significant groundwork in order to be able to drive progress. These core developments allowed DirectlyApply to rapidly introduce one of the highest performing job matching platforms to the market, dramatically improving outcomes for both job seekers and employers, and still remain the foundation on which our next generation experience is built on top of:

Classification

We developed multiple classifiers using a variety of techniques to categorize job inventory by sector, employer type, and a detailed skills matrix. This enabled us to achieve complex and accurate matching that goes beyond the limitations of traditional keyword-based methods. For example, we can now identify "software engineering roles within financial institutions that require technical expertise in Python along with leadership skills," and match candidates precisely to these criteria.

Feature Extractions

Extracting features from a job description serves two key purposes. First, it allows us to create a user-friendly interface that highlights the most relevant information for job seekers, eliminating the need to read through an entire job description. Second, it enables more detailed matching and ranking. We developed one of the most comprehensive feature extraction systems for jobs, covering both standard elements - such as job type, salary, location, benefits, and experience - and more specialized, yet equally important details for individual job seekers, such as visa requirements, specialized licenses, drug testing policies, and even pet-friendly workplaces.

Outcome Prediction

At any given time, millions of job opportunities are available, and even after refining results through an initial search, job seekers often still face more listings than they can realistically review in one session. To address this, we developed outcome prediction models that leverage multiple inputs - such as individual user interactions, patterns from similar job seekers, down-funnel ATS outcome data, and impression times - to predict the likelihood of a job seeker positively engaging with a specific job (e.g., applying). As a result, jobs that might traditionally rank lower in the list of matches, such as position 97 out of 150, are elevated to a higher position - like 11 - because our models predict a higher likelihood of user engagement.

Advanced Programmatic Bidding & Inventory Control

Job listings are often duplicated across various sources, leading to a poor experience for job seekers. Users frequently encounter multiple redirects, with websites attempting to capitalize on their clicks and collect personal information, making it difficult to complete the application process. At DirectlyApply, we believe that once a job seeker clicks "apply," they should either be able to apply directly through our platform (when integrated with easy-apply features) or be taken straight to the employer’s applicant tracking system to complete their application seamlessly.

We achieved this journey for job seekers by building a sophisticated inventory management and programmatic bidding system. Before jobs are indexed onto DirectlyApply they go through a number of automated checks to ensure fraudulent, incomplete or misleading posts are removed. Where duplication is detected we ensure the most reliable source is indexed. Additionally, as job seekers browse listings, we run multiple real-time processes behind the scenes to ensure that, when they click the "apply" button, we provide an application experience optimized to maximize the likelihood of a successful application..

These advancements represent the foundational AI features of DirectlyApply, forming the core platform that enables us to elevate the connection between job seekers and employers. By integrating these features and continuously listening to the needs of our users, we have been able to see the immediate positive impact we’ve made on their job search experience. As such we are incredibly proud to receive an average of 4.5 stars on Google.

2022 - Present: AI Driven Job Features

We now have the foundations to create the job search experience we imagined in 2019 - the ability to utilize technology to replicate the experience a job seeker receives from a staffing agent.

We are delivering this incredible experience through continued rapid development of our web platform, enhancing the products job seekers already know and understand (resume search, Threads, email job alerts, predictive search etc) and enhance the experience with the job seekers own AI Talent Agent being available both online and offline to assist them whenever required.

As of September 2024, job seekers have started seeing their AI Talent Agent in the bottom right corner of the screen while using DirectlyApply. Talent Agents are available to answer questions about a particular role, surface matches based on feedback, help with application processes, review resumes to ensure alignment with roles, even guide the job seeker through their job search process ensuring they are best set up for success.

Currently, job seekers are able to talk to their Talent Agent, either via voice or text, and receive detailed feedback to their questions and concerns. We’ve also introduced the option for users to personalize their AI Talent Agent by naming it and customizing its appearance, voice, and tone to suit their preferences. We believe this personalization is an important psychological step, helping job seekers recognize that their AI Talent Agent is uniquely tailored to them and is dedicated to acting in their best interest throughout their job search journey

The Talent Agent is currently able to assist job seekers across the following scenarios, with more use cases coming online over the coming months:

Refining Job Matching - Talent Agents are able to analyze the job seekers resume, work experience and skills to recommend the most relevant job opportunities.
Career Trajectory Analysis - Considers the job seekers career aspirations and provides opportunities that align with longer term goals.
Location, Salary & Filtered Preferences - Talent Agents are capable of recommending jobs based on user-defined criteria like location, salary range, and desired working conditions and adjusts their search criteria accordingly. When a job seeker requests refinement based on skills, eg: "I don't have experience with MATLAB, but I have lots of experience with SQL"
Resume Review & Enhancement - Analyzes the job seekers resume to provide feedback and suggests potential improvements to align with job descriptions.
Application Navigation - Assists job seekers in how to navigate and complete the application across a variety of ATS’s.
Alerts & Notifications - Notifies job seekers of new job postings, application deadlines, and updates from potential employers.
Actioning Feedback - Receive and act on feedback from job seekers, updating their search in real time and adjusting their search parameters to deliver relevant job search results.

Underpinning this experience is a range of new AI features we have developed and are continuing to evolve, built upon our existing platform.

Context-Driven Matching

We’ve developed a high intent-driven matching system. Our Talent Agent doesn’t just look for keywords or titles, it interprets context. This means we help people find jobs that align with their true career intentions, not just what’s immediately available. We leverage historical data, market trends, and individual preferences to deliver highly targeted job recommendations.

Responsive Feedback

Job seekers deserve to know why they match or don’t match with a position, and we aim to provide that transparency. Our Talent Agent listens, interprets, and delivers feedback that helps users understand their positioning in the job market. It’s not just about whether a resume fits; it’s about why it fits and what can be improved for future searches.

Ultra-Personalized Content

In addition to job recommendations, we’re offering personalized communications that are tailored to each user’s career goals. Whether it’s email updates or in-app notifications, the content is specific to the job seekers preferences and ambitions. We go beyond surface-level matching and provide insights on:

Why it matches: Detailed explanations of why a particular job is a good fit for the job seekers skills and experience.
Why it Doesn't Match: Constructive feedback on where the job seekers profile might need improvement to align with certain roles.
Pathways to Success: Suggestions for alternate, adjacent & complementary roles and industries the job seeker might not have considered, complete with rationale on why it could be a good fit.
Salary and Career Info: Data-driven insights about salaries, career growth opportunities, and market demand, giving job seekers a clear picture of the landscape and how they sit within it.

Ethical, Accountable & Transparent

The AI Talent Agent is designed not to deceive job seekers into believing they are interacting with a human, but rather to serve as a tool that enhances their job search experience. In this capacity, if we can for example, identify that a job seeker has inadvertently allowed AI to embellish their resume with inaccuracies to align with a job description, and we will therefore provide guidance to help them correct any discrepancies.

We recognize the potential risks of unintentionally introducing bias or other forms of opacity into the job seeker journey and consequently acknowledge that AI systems should complement, rather than replace, human responsibility and accountability.

2024 Onwards: Looking into the Future

Drawing on the insights we have gained over the past six years, our AI-powered Talent Agent is being developed to make decisions that are informed on a comprehensive understanding of the job seeker, within the context of their individual environment. Initial results show that this greater level of personalization significantly increases engagement levels.

This heightened level of engagement allows DirectlyApply to effectively compete with larger, volume-driven players in the job board industry. Research indicates that the average job board requires 20 job seekers to generate a completed application, whereas DirectlyApply only requires three to successfully deliver a completed application into the employer's ATS inbox. This approach not only enhances job seeker efficiency but also provides a high return on investment, contributing significantly to the platform's success.

Ultimately DirectlyApply is working towards the job seeker having the confidence to give the AI Talent Agent increased levels of autonomy to shape the broadest foundations of their job search.

As always If you want more information about DirectlyApply or our features feel free to reach out to Dylan or Will on Linkedin or email team@directlyapply.com