CV databases: an introduction What is a CV database? What part does it play in online recruitment? How do you choose a good CV database? In this article we introduce the CV database and look at how to utilise one as part of an online recruitment campaign.

What is a CV database? 

A CV database is simply a collection of online CVs which job sites, job boards and CV databases hold for their users. Online CVs are similar to the traditional paper CVs and resumes. They outline the candidate's career history, skill set, education etc. More importantly for us, however, is that candidates also allow their online CVs to be viewed by potential employers. This ability to view candidate CVs is what we look at in this article.

The details of CV databases

Rather like job sites and job boards, CV databases come in various flavours: generalist and specialist, agency and direct, text and now video. What you choose will depend on your needs but, just like choosing job sites, a CV database is only as good as the candidates it can supply.

Virtually all CV databases shout about the number of CVs they hold, but establishing how many of these CVs will be relevant is far from easy. We found very little information available on the make up of these CVs. Unlike job boards, CV databases are neither audited nor is the breakdown of the CVs independently verified. In choosing a CV database, there is nothing for it but to get on the phone and ask for the information. For your convenience, we provide a listing of CV database suppliers in our Recruitment Services area.

Using CV databases to recruit.

Using CV databases is pretty straightforward. You search for suitable CVs by inputting your requirements such as job function, industry sector, salary, location etc. The CV database search engine then finds the CVs that match your requirements and brings them back to you. Quite a number of CV databases also allow you to set up alerts so that, as a candidate uploads a CV that matches your requirements, you are notified.

Like any search engine, there are things to be aware of when using CV databases. If you are looking for an Accountant, for example, you would use “accountant” as your keyword. The CV of a finance assistant might say "reported to the company accountant" and, because it contains your keyword, it will be brought back in the results even though it's not what you are looking for.

To address this problem, many CV database suppliers offer snappy technology or artificial intelligence tools to help you get more relevant CVs. But you can do your bit to avoid this problem by being as specific as possible in your search.

CV databases: how much does it cost?

CV databases generally charge by "views" or "downloads." That is, when you search for CVs the contact details of the candidate are removed or blacked out. If you like the look of a CV and want to "view" or "download" the contact information you have to purchase it. You can be charged a one-off fee for (say) 100 views of CVs you like; or you might have to sign up to a monthly contract (not to be recommended if you only have one or two jobs.) The price, therefore, really does depend on what you want to do, and can be anything from a hundred pounds or euros to thousands.

In our review of popular CV databases, we found that the most popular pricing offered was for ongoing monthly contracts. This would indicate that CV databases are still largely aimed at high volume recruiters like recruitment consultants and large employers. And obviously, it's a product that makes much more sense for recruiters with ongoing requirements than for small companies with one-off requirements. That being said, it was encouraging to see that many job sites and job boards are beginning to offer CV databases as an inexpensive bolt-on to their standard job posting product.

CV databases: some things to watch for.

Are the CVs up-to-date? This is a common criticism of CV databases. A candidate may have submitted a CV many many months ago and subsequently got a job, but their CV remains in the database. The CV is effectively out-of-date and, therefore, largely useless. Many CV databases are purged of old CVs, but many are not. This is something you should really check with each CV database you look at.

CV databases are a record of the past. A CV outlines what a candidate has done rather than what they want to do. Recruitment consultants might be able to read between the lines and understand what a CV is actually saying and what a candidate might be good for but, for those with limited experience of recruiting, reading CVs can be difficult.

CV databases: final thoughts

CV databases offer employers another valuable recruitment channel. In choosing a CV database, however, it is important to establish the relevance of their candidate database for your job. And are those candidate details up-to-date? Millions of excellent CVs belonging to people who are happy in their new jobs are useless to you. And is it cost effective? There is little point in signing up to a three month contract for access to a CV database, if you only expect to make only one hire this year.

We would encourage you to talk to a number of different job sites, job boards and CV databases to get an idea of what's available before you spend your money. That way, you'll feel more confident in choosing the right CV database for your vacancy.

Article updated: September 2007

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