Automating Candidate Shortlisting in Recruitment
The Problem
A growing regional recruitment agency faced a critical bottleneck: manual candidate shortlisting. Consultants were spending up to 10 hours each week sifting through CVs, duplicating efforts across multiple roles and missing opportunities to place candidates faster. As the market heated up post‑pandemic, response times became a key differentiator - yet the agency’s existing workflows simply couldn’t keep pace.
Leadership recognised the need for automation but were wary of off‑the‑shelf AI tools. They feared introducing bias, breaching compliance or wasting budget on technology that wouldn’t integrate with their CRM. They also lacked clarity on where AI could genuinely add value versus where human oversight remained essential.
The Solution
AI Expert started with a Readiness Assessment to analyse data quality, system compatibility and user adoption challenges. This revealed opportunities to automate shortlisting without compromising compliance. We then ran a focused AI Workshop to map the recruitment workflow and address leadership concerns about bias and transparency.
From there, we developed a phased AI Roadmap. The first phase integrated an AI-driven candidate matching tool into their existing CRM, trained to surface high‑potential candidates based on role criteria. We provided team training, ensuring recruiters trusted and understood the AI’s recommendations.
The Success
The impact was immediate. Candidate screening time dropped by 70%, freeing recruiters to spend more time building client and candidate relationships. Time‑to‑placement improved by 50%, directly boosting revenue and client satisfaction scores.
Beyond operational gains, the project delivered clarity: leadership now had a proven model for expanding AI use in other areas (e.g., interview scheduling, candidate nurturing) without risking compliance or overspending. The agency moved from curiosity about AI to measurable commercial results, fast.
