AI-powered employability diagnostics
RootCause Careers uses AI-powered diagnostics to identify the underlying causes behind unsuccessful applications, recommend targeted corrective actions, and measure whether those changes improve your recruitment outcomes.
From trial-and-error job searching to evidence-based improvement.
Illustrative interface concept — the platform is in development.
The problem
Job seekers frequently receive rejection without meaningful feedback. They submit application after application without knowing whether the real issue is how they position themselves, a lack of measurable evidence, poor role targeting, a missing qualification or competency, or interview performance.
Conventional career advice often provides generic recommendations rather than identifying the most likely underlying constraint. RootCause Careers is designed to analyse the wider job-search journey and identify patterns that are difficult for individuals to see themselves.
Five root causes
The candidate may have the capability but is not communicating their value effectively.
Claims are made without sufficient measurable evidence of achievements or impact.
Applications are poorly aligned with experience, seniority, function or market conditions.
There may be a genuine credential, skill or competency gap.
The candidate may struggle to convert opportunities at interview stage.
About
RootCause Careers applies structured root-cause analysis principles to the employability and recruitment environment.
The concept originated from the founder's experience using root-cause investigation, risk management and corrective-action methodologies in QHSE environments, and applying those principles to the problem of unsuccessful job searches.
The platform is designed around the idea that repeated recruitment failure should be investigated systematically rather than treated with generic advice.
Founder
Founder, RootCause Careers Ltd
More than 10 years of QHSE experience spanning investigation, risk and improvement disciplines, with experience across organisations including Amazon, Flipkart/Walmart, CRC Evans and Anord Mardix.
This background informed the core RootCause philosophy: investigate the underlying cause, identify corrective action, and measure whether the intervention works.
Technical team
Chief Technology Officer
MSc in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Edge Hill University, UK. Technical experience across Python, SQL, machine learning, predictive modelling, data processing and business intelligence.
Platform
RootCause does not analyse a CV in isolation. It connects evidence from across the candidate's employment journey and looks for recurring patterns across nine modules.
Captures and connects CV versions, cover letters, job descriptions, applications, recruiter feedback, interview outcomes and employer responses through manual entry, browser extension and email integration — creating a structured, timestamped job-search history.
The core AI capability. Analyses CV evidence, job descriptions, application history, interview outcomes, employer responses and labour-market conditions against the five root-cause categories, producing explainable and testable diagnoses.
Compares candidate positioning against target roles and employer expectations, looking for missing achievements, weak evidence, keyword gaps, poor role alignment and incorrect seniority positioning.
Analyses application behaviour across many applications rather than a single one — role selection, industries, seniority, response rates and application volume — to identify recurring targeting problems.
Analyses interview feedback and outcomes for recurring problems in competency responses, communication, confidence, preparation and performance — distinguishing application-stage problems from interview-stage problems.
Generates a prioritised corrective-action plan: CV revisions, skill development, role-targeting changes, certifications, interview preparation and highlighting transferable skills. Diagnosis is only useful when it leads to action.
Encourages users to log applications, update outcomes, record interview feedback and complete recommended actions — maintaining the feedback loop and improving the quality of evidence collected.
Tracks applications, response rates, interviews, interview conversion, offers and improvement following recommended actions, so corrective actions can be measured rather than assumed.
Universities, careers services and recruitment organisations can access diagnostic summaries, identified barriers, action plans and candidate progress — helping advisers focus their time where personalised intervention matters most.
Example diagnostic
Every diagnosis contains a primary causal category, a confidence score, a plain-language rationale, supporting evidence and a recommended corrective action — so it can be understood, challenged and tested.
Primary root cause
Evidence
Confidence
0%
The candidate's CV describes responsibilities but does not provide enough measurable evidence of achievements or commercial impact.
Recommended corrective actions
Example diagnostic — illustrative only.
How it works
Collect CVs, applications, job descriptions, feedback and outcomes.
Connect and structure the evidence into a longitudinal view of the candidate's journey.
AI analyses application behaviour, role requirements, candidate evidence, interview outcomes and market conditions.
The diagnostic engine evaluates Positioning, Evidence, Targeting, Qualification and Delivery.
Provide a confidence score, supporting evidence and a plain-language rationale.
Generate prioritised actions designed to address the identified constraint.
Track whether response rates, interviews, conversion and other recruitment outcomes improve.
The closed loop
This closed-loop model is designed to let the system continuously improve its diagnostic capabilities as anonymised outcome data accumulates.
Institutional workflow
Built for universities, careers services, employability programmes, recruitment agencies and outplacement providers — improving adviser productivity and making candidate support scalable.
Market pricing
The platform is in development. The figures below are indicative market positioning rather than a live commercial offer.
£29one-off
A one-off root cause diagnostic with confidence score, supporting evidence and a prioritised action plan.
£19per month
Continuous diagnostics across your live job search, with outcome tracking as you apply changes.
£79per month
For candidates in complex transitions — sector changes, seniority shifts or long searches.
From £4,500per year
For university careers services and employability teams supporting cohorts at scale.
Customannual
For recruitment agencies, outplacement providers and national employability programmes.
Trust and data
Every diagnosis carries a confidence score, the supporting evidence and a plain-language rationale — no unexplained verdicts.
Job seekers decide what evidence they contribute and can review the record the diagnostic is built on.
Aggregate, anonymised outcome data is intended to improve diagnostic accuracy over time.
Diagnostics are designed to support adviser judgement, not replace it, with attention to bias in recommendations.
Request a pilot
Tell us about your organisation and we'll be in touch as pilot places open. This is a prototype: submissions are kept in this browser only and are never sent anywhere.
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FAQ
It analyses the evidence from a job search — CVs, applications, job descriptions, feedback and outcomes — to identify the most likely underlying reason applications are not converting, then recommends targeted corrective actions and measures whether outcomes improve.
A CV review looks at one document. RootCause examines the whole job-search journey and evaluates five interconnected causes — Positioning, Evidence, Targeting, Qualification and Delivery — so effort is spent on the constraint that actually matters.
Positioning (value is not communicated effectively), Evidence (claims lack measurable proof), Targeting (applications are misaligned with experience, seniority, function or market), Qualification (a genuine credential or competency gap), and Delivery (difficulty converting at interview).
Every diagnosis is accompanied by a confidence score and a plain-language rationale showing the evidence behind it, so the recommendation can be interrogated rather than taken on trust.
Individual job seekers and career changers, plus institutions — universities, careers services, employability programmes, recruitment agencies and outplacement providers supporting candidates at scale.
The platform is in development. Interfaces and figures shown on this site are illustrative concepts. You can register interest or request a pilot to be kept informed.
No. The platform is a diagnostic and improvement tool. It is designed to remove guesswork and focus effort on the most likely constraint, but recruitment outcomes depend on many factors including market conditions.