Recruiting Firm Avenica Revolutionizes Hiring, Places 1,000 Job Seekers Sans Résumés
Minneapolis-based recruiting firm Avenica is challenging traditional hiring norms by successfully finding jobs for 1,000 job seekers each year without requiring a single résumé to be exchanged or employing recruiters. Avenica specializes in placing recent college graduates in entry-level, career-track positions across various industries such as insurance, financial services, logistics, supply chain, corporate real estate, and manufacturing.
Scott Dettman, the CEO of Avenica, firmly believes that résumés do not accurately predict an individual’s capabilities, and relying on them in the hiring process is essentially collective insanity. Instead, Avenica focuses on a supply-side approach that highlights candidates’ hidden superpowers and potential for future success. Rather than assessing candidates based on their job history, education, and majors, Avenica strives to understand their work styles and personal preferences, which Dettman views as the true indicators of their ability to excel in any role.
Avenica adopts a personalized approach to hiring, combining automation with one-on-one interactions. While the early stages of the process are automated, every candidate who completes these steps is met face-to-face by Dettman or another member of the team. These meetings go beyond traditional job interviews and resemble behavioral health intakes, drawing from expertise in social work and psychology. This personal approach enables Avenica to gather qualitative data that offers a comprehensive understanding of candidates’ motivations, strengths, and abilities.
Avenica’s application process begins with approximately 500 individuals per day starting the online application on the company’s website. These applicants are asked to perform work-like tasks such as watching a video and responding to it via email. This process allows candidates to showcase their ability to follow directions, be responsive, and effectively communicate. The aim is to demonstrate their suitability for entry-level positions that require general skills rather than specialized knowledge.
Avenica requests employers to trust its assessment of candidates’ potential, encouraging them to look beyond traditional interview settings. By doing so, Avenica caters to applicants who may struggle in certain interview environments or underestimate their abilities. For instance, an English major who claimed to lack math skills ultimately secured a job with a financial organization after Avenica discovered their five-year experience volunteering as a nonprofit theater company’s treasurer, thereby dispelling their mental block about handling numbers.
Approximately 92% of candidates recommended by Avenica secure job offers, often resulting in hiring managers expressing gratitude for a service they wish had existed when they were college graduates. Moreover, Avenica’s success has led to requests from hiring managers for Dettman to speak with their children about unlocking their potential. Additionally, several individuals placed by Avenica have returned to the firm when they transition into hiring positions themselves, seeking candidates for their companies.
Dettman is determined to expand Avenica’s reach further, with a goal of facilitating 50,000 hires annually by 2030. To achieve this, Avenica plans to bolster its sales and marketing efforts to attract more employers and expand its network. Leveraging marketing strategies and online targeting, Avenica successfully places dozens of individuals in jobs every week with only a small team. Their cost-effective approach allows them to charge significantly less than traditional recruiting firms, with employers paying between $4,000 to $7,000 per hired applicant.
Beyond its achievements in hiring, Avenica has also made significant strides in diversifying the workforce. Over the past 18 months, 67% of individuals hired through Avenica came from diverse backgrounds. By reducing existing barriers and assessing candidates’ potential without bias, Avenica has witnessed a remarkable influx of talented individuals entering the job market.
Scott Dettman’s journey from a disadvantaged background to running a successful recruiting firm has fueled his desire to help individuals realize their potential and challenge established hiring practices. Partnered with University Ventures, a New York-based fund, Dettman holds a minority ownership stake in Avenica.
As Avenica continues to pave the way for a new era of hiring, the firm remains committed to unlocking human potential and constantly improving its methods. By embracing unconventional approaches and championing the true value of candidates’ capabilities, Avenica is reshaping the landscape of recruitment and forging a path towards a more inclusive and effective hiring process.
