ZipRecruiter Now Lets Job Seekers Jump to the Top of the Resume Pile

New product helps job seekers nearly double their chances of talking to an employer by moving their application to the front of the line

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZipRecruiter® (NYSE: ZIP), a leading online employment marketplace, unveiled Be Seen First today, a new product that helps job seekers break through the “application black hole” and get their job application to the top of the resume pile.

Job seekers can now add a short note to their application detailing why they’re excited about the role and why they’re a great fit to get moved to the top of the employer’s applicant list.

For millions of people, job searching feels like hitting “submit” and hoping for the best. You apply, you wait, and you’re left wondering if anyone ever saw your name. The reality is that hiring has become increasingly automated, and many employers are inundated with hundreds of applicants for open positions, which means great candidates are often buried from the start.

Be Seen First is designed to change that.

“Something as simple as telling a veterinary clinic, ‘I’ve been in pet care for 5+ years, and I’m the person who remembers every dog’s favorite scratch spot. I'm local and could get started right away!’ can make all the difference,” said Megan Allen, Chief Product Officer at ZipRecruiter. “Those few words put your best foot forward and help an employer instantly see who you are. Be Seen First gives job seekers a way to rise to the top instead of starting at the bottom of the pile.”

Some of the most important things about a candidate—communication, effort, enthusiasm—are hard to show in a traditional application. Be Seen First gives job seekers a way to bring those qualities to life. People who use Be Seen First are nearly 2x more likely to start a conversation with an employer¹, turning one-way applications into real conversations and opportunities.

For employers, Be Seen First helps cut through overwhelming application volume by prioritizing candidates who are not only qualified but genuinely interested in the role. A dedicated dashboard shows these high-intent applicants first, helping recruiters screen and hire faster. Employers hear directly from candidates, in their own words, why they’re excited about the role, adding valuable context beyond a resume.

“In a sea of applications, a short, optional note becomes a powerful signal of intent, communication skills, and fit,” said Scott Steinberg, VP of Job Seeker Product at ZipRecruiter. “Hiring teams want to move quickly from scanning applications to having real conversations, and they’re eager to prioritize candidates who take extra effort to show their enthusiasm.”

How Be Seen First Works:

• Eligible jobs will now display a purple Be Seen First badge
• After applying to one of these jobs, job seekers can tell the employer why they're interested
• Applications with these personalized messages are then boosted to the top of the employer’s list

Be Seen First is now available on tens of thousands of job listings across ZipRecruiter. For more details on how this changes the game for job seekers, read our blog post. To learn more about the new product, visit ZipRecruiter.com/be-seen-first.

About ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter® (NYSE: ZIP) is a leading online employment marketplace that actively connects people to their next great opportunity. ZipRecruiter’s powerful matching technology improves the job search experience for job seekers and helps businesses of all sizes find and hire the right candidates quickly. ZipRecruiter has been the #1 rated job search app on iOS & Android for the past nine years² and is rated the #1 job site by G2.³ For more information, visit www.ziprecruiter.com.

¹ZipRecruiter internal data from 09-29-2025 to 11-17-2025
²Based on job seeker app ratings, during the period of January 2017 to January 2026 from AppFollow for ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, and Monster.
³Based on G2 satisfaction ratings in N. America as of January 12, 2026.