They don't have a resume yet. They have something better.
For candidates just starting out, there's no work history to screen, no references to call, no track record to evaluate. But there is potential — and Catalyzr is the only platform that measures it.
THE CHALLENGE
An entire generation is being screened out before they start.
AI was supposed to make hiring more efficient. For entry-level candidates, it made hiring nearly impossible. Algorithms trained on experience data have nothing to work with when a candidate has no experience. The result: a collapse in early-career opportunity that's reshaping the entire talent pipeline
73%
Decline in early-career hiring vs. 7% overall
67%
Drop in entry-level tech postings since 2020
1.1 years
Average Gen Z tenure at first job
33%
Of new hires decide to stay or leave in first 60 days
THE SOLUTION
When there's no resume to read, read potential instead.
Learning Agility
Measures how quickly candidates adapt to new situations
Cognitive Potential
Predictive assessment independent of prior experience
Retention Signal
Identifies who will stay through the critical first year
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps. No bias. No black boxes.
Invite Candidates
Send a branded assessment link. Candidates complete it in 25 minutes from any device. No prep, no trick questions, no advantage for candidates who can afford interview coaching.
Score & Rank
CQ scores every candidate against your custom success profile and returns a ranked shortlist with plain-language explanations. You see who has the highest potential for your specific role — not who had the best resume writer.
Hire with Confidence
Make offers backed by science. Every CQ score is adverse-impact validated and audit-ready. You can explain every recommendation to candidates, managers, and regulators.
WHY CQ WINS
Skills matching promised to fix entry-level hiring. It can't.
Skills-matching platforms assume candidates already have skills to match. Entry-level candidates don't. They have potential — and that requires a fundamentally different measurement.
Criteria | Skills Matching | Catalyzr CQ |
|---|---|---|
Transparency | ✕
Black-box algorithms — leading vendors facing bias lawsuits and FTC complaints | ✓
Explainable scoring with published audit methodology |
Resume gaming | ✕
72% of resumes are keyword-optimized — AI matches inflated resumes, not real ability | ✓
Measures cognitive potential directly — can't be gamed with Jobscan or ChatGPT |
Entry-level fit | ✕
Matches skills candidates don't have yet — useless for early-career hiring | ✓
Built to measure potential to learn, not keywords on a resume |
Bias & fairness | ✕
95% of leaders say AI produces biased results, yet 71% auto-reject without human review | ✓
Adverse-impact tested and audit-ready before deployment |
Regulatory risk | ✕
Retrofitting compliance as NYC Law 144 and EU AI Act penalties mount | ✓
Compliance built in from day one — not bolted on after a lawsuit |
What it measures | ✕
Keyword overlap between resume and job description | ✓
Learning agility, cognitive potential, and retention signal |
BUILT FOR
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Campus Recruiting
Replace GPA cutoffs with CQ scores. Find high-potential graduates from any university, any major.
Diversity Hiring
Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds are disproportionately screened out by keyword matching. CQ levels the playing field by measuring ability, not pedigree.
Internship Programs
Select interns who will convert to full-time hires. CQ predicts who will thrive, not just who interviews well.
Career Changers
Experienced professionals entering new fields have transferable potential that resumes don't capture. CQ sees it.