• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWMost Powerful Women

This Female-Led Startup Says It Knows How to Take the Bias Out of Hiring

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 17, 2016, 12:03 PM ET
Courtesy of Pymetrics

Unless you’ve never heard of BuzzFeed, chances are you’ve taken a personality test (or ten) at some point in your life. There’s something deeply satisfying about answering a few questions and being told that Chandler is the Friends character you most resemble or that if you were a pizza, you would be pepperoni.

Still, those aren’t exactly life-changing insights. But what if there were a quiz that could help set you—à la the Hogwarts sorting hat—on the career path that best suits your personality and abilities?

That’s the idea behind Pymetrics, a startup founded by two neuroscientists. Employers use the company’s technology to “quiz” candidates and employees to help identify their strengths (and weak spots) and match them with certain types of jobs. Or, as Frida Polli, the company’s co-founder and CEO, described it in an exclusive interview with Fortune: “We set about making a platform that improved the quality of data that people are using when making hiring decisions.”

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

On Wednesday, the three-year-old company announced a Series A funding round of $6.13 million from notable venture capital firms Khosla Ventures and woman-focused BBG Ventures, among others.

The company, which currently has 20 employees, is already serving a number of global Fortune 500 employers, says Polli. The goal of this new round is to expand Pymetrics’ headcount and improve its ability to serve its clients, for which it provides three types of services:

  1. Predictive hiring: Helping them sort through existing applicant pools
  2. Internal mobility: Identifying employees within their ranks who would be well-suited for certain positions
  3. Sourcing platform: Widening their talent search

 

Pymetrics’ services begin with its assessment tool, which is essentially a series of games that job applicants (or employees) play. These games—which are based on scientific research—identify players’ cognitive traits, such as attention duration and flexibility in multitasking, as well as emotional and social traits (e.g. levels of trust and altruism preferences).

For applicants, the platform offers insight into the kinds of careers that fit their character profiles. On the company side, Pymetrics works to create profiles for specific roles or of high-performing employees, and then connects the business with candidates who match the profiles that it’s looking for.

“There are two real issues here that every company faces,” says BBG Ventures president and managing partner Susan Lyne. “It’s not just about recruiting people, but it’s also about retention. If you can get someone into a job that they’re well-suited for you’re more likely to retain them for longer.”

As an added bonus, the technology claims to eliminate unconscious bias in the hiring process from both the company’s and the applicant’s side. For example, says Polli, “We find that as many women as men fit the profile for finance careers.”

Barb Marder, a senior partner in HR consulting firm Mercer’s talent business, says that diversity is becoming increasingly important to her clients. “It works like a blind audition because you see the results first,” she says. Mercer is an investor, client, and partner of Pymetrics, offering many of its clients a sales employee-focused platform powered by the startup, under the name Mercer Match.

Pymetrics is one of a number of startups trying to disrupt the typically slow-moving space of recruitment technology. “It’s a big market that hasn’t really been impacted by new technology,” says Lyne. “Most companies are still operating under a 1.0 tech platform.”

IBM’s Kenexa and Hogan Assessments are among Pymetrics older, more established competitors, while the field of startups in the space is growing rapidly and includes players like hiring platforms Unitive and WayUp, and millennial career site The Muse.

Interestingly, like Pymetrics, these other new entrants are female-led, something that Lyne says is not surprising to her as an investor. “We see over and over again female entrepreneurs who are consumer problem solvers,” she says. “They go after work life, home life, leisure, and say, ‘I can make this better, faster.'”

Here’s hoping that finding the right job can one day be as quick and easy as a BuzzFeed quiz.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Women are way less likely than men to self-promote at work
—3 big ideas from Fortune’s next generation of powerful women
—A masterclass in negotiating your salary
—Can virtual reality teach executives what it feels like to be excluded?
—5 tips for women who want a corporate board seat
Keep up with the world’s most powerful women with The Broadsheet newsletter.

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

fudd
CommentarySports
Azzi Fudd: how I learned to use NIL for transformation, not just transactions
By Azzi FuddApril 15, 2026
12 hours ago
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
SuccessBillionaires
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she’s just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Emma BurleighApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Two women on a rooftop taking photos of cans of soda
C-SuiteFood and drink
This TikTok sensation sold her startup for $2 billion. Now Pepsi is letting ‘Poppi be Poppi’
By Eva RoytburgApril 12, 2026
3 days ago
takaichi
Arts & EntertainmentJapan
Japan’s Prime Minister welcomes Deep Purple, capping 50-year love affair with heavy metal: ‘You’re my god’
By Mari Yamaguchi and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
5 days ago
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 10, 2026
6 days ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gained and lost power this week, March 28–April 3, 2026
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gained and lost power this week, March 28–April 3, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
12 days ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
Environment
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
By Fortune EditorsApril 15, 2026
8 hours ago
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
Success
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
Commentary
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
2 days ago
Palantir CEO says working at his $316 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff’
Success
Palantir CEO says working at his $316 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff’
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Warren Buffett’s first tax return showed $7 owed to the IRS. The then paperboy and former Berkshire Hathaway CEO is now worth $143 billion
Success
Warren Buffett’s first tax return showed $7 owed to the IRS. The then paperboy and former Berkshire Hathaway CEO is now worth $143 billion
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Online response to the attack on Sam Altman's house shows a generational divide
Cybersecurity
Online response to the attack on Sam Altman's house shows a generational divide
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.