Firstbird

Firstbird, now operating as Firstbird, a Radancy Company, was established in Vienna, Austria, in 2013 by Arnim Wahls, Matthias Wolf, and Daniel Winter. The founding was driven by CEO Arnim Wahls' firsthand experience in recruiting, where he identified the challenges and pressures of sourcing qualified talent, leading him to focus on the efficiency of personal referrals. His co-founder background includes over 15 years in human resources and talent management.

The company operates in the HR technology market, providing a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform designed to digitize and manage employee referral programs. Its business model is centered on subscriptions to this platform, which serves enterprise-level clients globally, including notable names like Deloitte, McDonald's, and Arvato Bertelsmann. The firm's core service is to transform a client's workforce into brand ambassadors, thereby making referrals a primary and successful recruiting channel. Firstbird reports that clients can find up to 50% of new hires through their platform, while reducing time-to-hire by 30% and cost-per-hire by 40%.

The Firstbird platform empowers a company's employees to act as 'Talent Scouts' by simplifying the process of sharing job postings across their personal networks. Key features include automated notifications to keep employees informed about open positions and the status of their referrals. To incentivize participation, the system incorporates a multi-faceted reward system with points, interactive leaderboards, and a configurable reward store. The platform is accessible via a mobile app, ensuring all employees, including those without a dedicated computer workstation, can participate. Furthermore, it is designed for seamless integration with major applicant tracking systems such as SAP, SmartRecruiters, and Workday. In January 2022, Firstbird was acquired by Radancy, a U.S.-based talent technology company, a strategic move aimed at global expansion, particularly into the U.S. market. Following the acquisition, the company continues to be led by Arnim Wahls from its Vienna headquarters.

Keywords: employee referrals, talent acquisition, recruiting software, HR technology, SaaS, recruitment marketing, applicant tracking system, employer branding, candidate sourcing, referral management, hiring platform, human resources, corporate recruiting, social recruiting, talent management, Radancy, Vienna, Arnim Wahls, Matthias Wolf, Daniel Winter