MARA transforms hiring by converting open job descriptions into real, time-boxed challenges that candidates solve instead of submitting résumés. Hiring teams evaluate applicants based on comparable, concrete work products against public criteria, eliminating résumé bias and reducing screening rounds. The platform replaces traditional ATS keyword filtering with direct evidence of ability, accelerating time-to-hire.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional hiring relies on résumé screening, which has become increasingly ineffective as application volumes surge—3× more applications per role than in 2021—and over 97% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software that filters candidates before human review. This process buries qualified talent under keyword noise, extends average time-to-hire to 44 days, and fails to predict on-the-job performance.
Solution
MARA turns every open role into a real, time-boxed challenge: candidates receive the same brief, a clear deliverable, and a fixed deadline, then submit actual work instead of a résumé. Hiring teams evaluate submissions against public, standardized criteria, making candidates directly comparable and removing bias based on experience or education. The platform replaces multiple screening rounds with a single evidence-based assessment, so the first interview starts from demonstrated ability rather than self-reported qualifications. This approach accelerates hiring decisions and gives candidates equal footing regardless of background.
Target Audience
Primary customers are hiring managers and talent acquisition teams at companies of all sizes who want to move beyond résumé screening and make evidence-based hiring decisions.
Features
- Challenge-based hiring workflow: post a real problem, set a deliverable and deadline, and receive completed work as the application
- Public evaluation criteria that standardize scoring across all candidates for apples-to-apples comparison
- Solo or small-team challenge formats to assess both individual skill and collaboration ability
- No filters for years of experience or university name, opening roles to non-traditional candidates
- Built to integrate with existing hiring pipelines, replacing initial screening rounds with one concrete assessment