What’s the story behind Gaia?

We’re on a mission to take the stress and complexity out of modern hiring - and bring clarity to an industry flooded with noise.

Our experience runs deep

We’ve been working in social and search-based recruitment since 2017, long before it became standard practice. You may have known us as Socially Recruited.

In 2024, we brought together two complementary forces. We acquired soccialy, specialists in education recruitment marketing, to expand our market reach. That same year, we rebranded as Gaia — a name that reflects our evolution into an all-in-one recruitment marketing solution.

Together, we’ve built Gaia to combine targeting, creative, and data into one seamless experience. We’re not a tool, and we’re not an agency. We’re the strategy and execution layer modern hiring teams need to succeed.

Photo of the founders

Where it all began

When we started in 2017, most employers weren’t even thinking about using social media for recruitment. There was no targeting, no strategy, and definitely no tracking.

Our Co-Founders, Ben Keighley and Gareth Thyer-Jones, saw an opportunity to do better for both candidates and hiring teams. So they built it.
What started as a bold idea is now a recruitment marketing engine that runs campaigns across 11+ social and search platforms, strengthens employer brand, and cuts recruitment costs.

We’re fixing these
‍big recruitment problems

Simplifying job
applications

Our mission is to make it as easy to apply for a job, as it is to buy on Amazon. Candidates apply quickly and easily, giving employers a wide range of diverse candidates for future growth.

Modernising
recruitment methods

Employers are using outdated methods. Candidates are in short supply. Candidate experience is poor.

Easier talent attraction

We exist to fix this. To bring on a new era in recruitment. Making talent attraction easier. Making jobs accessible for all.
With GaiaComplete, we’ve built a recruitment marketing team
in your pocket that brings together everything hiring teams need.
‍
From running expert-led campaigns with GaiaAttract, to branded landing pages with GaiaPages, and automated candidate engagement through GaiaChat - it’s all fully integrated, fully optimised, and built for results.
Explore GaiaComplete →

The power of social recruitment

After years of demonstrating how effective social media recruitment can be, its impact is clear. The numbers don't lie.

4.3 million

Candidates started an application via our ads in 2024

150% growth

Year on growth

50+ people

Incredible people working on our mission

8 applications/min

Candidates apply for a job through us every minute!

Fixing a fragmented ecosystem

Hiring has become chaotic. Job boards flood inboxes with irrelevant applicants. Recruitment agencies recycle the same pool of candidates, at a premium. And candidates are left frustrated by outdated processes.
Gaia sits in the middle, cutting through the noise.We target the right candidates across social, search, and niche channels.We optimise campaigns in real time.And we give you full visibility into what’s working, where, and why.

Our commitment

We’re here to simplify hiring, not just for employers, but for candidates too.

Whether you’re in the public sector, private sector, or a recruitment agency, we’ll help you attract better-fit talent, reduce spend, and move faster, without the guesswork.

Meet our founders

Photo of Gareth Thyer-Jones

Gareth Thyer-Jones

Gareth's first job was at a local turkey farm, where he performed various tasks that motivated him to explore other career opportunities. Outside of work, Gareth values spending time with family and enjoys early Sunday morning mountain biking as a form of escapism and mental reset for the week ahead.
Photo of Ben Keighley

Ben Keighley

At the age of five, Ben's first job was assembling pizza boxes for his dad's pizza shop, marking an early introduction to hard work. In his personal time, Ben prioritises family and finds peace in running. He is currently training for an ultramarathon, using long runs to relax and clear his mind.

Our Commitment

At Gaia, we are committed to simplify recruitment for the public sector, private sector, and recruitment agencies through innovative search and social recruitment strategies. Our collaborative efforts and shared vision for the future position us to deliver exceptional value to our clients, ensuring they receive the best candidates with the minimum cost and effort.
Gaia team winning award

Our results and clients

speak for themselves

“We have been able to reach people who would not have come across us. It’s just opened up a whole world of candidates!”
Sri
HR & Recruitment Partner
“It fit with our values and thus to be different and stand out in the marketplace.”
James O'Loughlin
Head of Talent Aquisiton at Moore Barlow
“Gaia targeted the candidates for us and we actually got 3 more candidates than we needed so we did actually make those positions and took them onboard.”
Kirstin Crabbe
Head of Resourcing at Sustrans
“Gave us really detailed insights to help us decide what’s the best approach to meeting our needs.”
Louise Coulbeck
Head of Talent Acquisition
“We were able to do campaigns for specific roles and specific locations and also the fact that we were able to get the name out there.”
Diane Sokolyk
HR Consultant
“Gaia understood what we were looking for, target that candidate market based on what we were trying to achieve for each campaign ”
Catherine Crowley
Head of People’s Operations at Travel Lodge
“A lot of data and statistics around the types of reach that our adverts are having in terms of both area and gender, ethnicity and to be able to kind of target our efforts to those harder to reach places.”
Hayley Shaw
Head of HROD at City of Bristol College
“...and what I'd say the key is that people listen and respond to our needs and when we need need them to respond to...”
Nick Hurn
Chief Executive Officer at BWCET
“A really flexible organisation that allows us to work in partnership with them to get our recruitment strategy and messages right.”
David Fisher
Headteacher at Kings Langley School