The start-up taking on a £29 billion sector that helps just 1% of companies

99 per cent of UK companies are SMEs. How many can afford a new small car when recruiting?

zorce.co.uk doesn't want to disrupt the recruitment sector, it wants to revolutionise it – by making it free. With the average cost of hiring a new employee at a staggering £5,311, it is no wonder that SMEs struggle to hire talent. It is so high because 35 per cent of all hires are via recruitment agencies, who charge 15–30 per cent of the jobseeker's salary. Now, after five years' development and 2 million lines of code, Zorce has automated the agency: think dating sites, sharing economy, online recommendations and a recruitment team mashed into one virtual place.

The platform is the brainchild of founder Ian Gibbons. 'I have previously worked in the recruitment sector, but for several years felt that the methodology, endless cold calls and huge fees have had their day. Yet, agencies still account for over a third of all hires. So I teamed up with some brilliant web guys who've helped put my ideas into code,' he says. 'Employers upload vacancies, which are automatically uploaded on the UK's number-one job board, find jobseekers directly from our database and use the recruitment life cycle technology and matching algorithms to connect with accurately matched jobseekers – for free. They can also upgrade for as little as £12 a month and save thousands – maybe more – through our job board partnerships and contractor management service.'

'But Zorce is not just about technology,' he adds. 'Look at Uber: their technology makes things easier, quicker and cheaper, yet it's still a taxi service. We're doing the same in recruitment, by creating a virtual recruiting service called Marketplace that charges employers just 2.5 per cent of salary on hire and engages with a growing community of search recruiters who have left the sector due to the harsh sales environment. When the jobseeker is hired, the employer pays Zorce and we forward 70 per cent of the fee to them. It's hassle-free for everyone as our software acts as the broker, a little like eBay'.