Faster Shortlists for a Recruitment Agency

Introduction

A specialist recruiter wanted to respond to clients faster and reduce the time spent manually reviewing CVs.

The Challenge

Recruiters spent hours reading CVs, extracting key skills, and writing summaries for hiring managers. The bottleneck slowed time-to-submission and reduced placement potential.

Solution & Implementation

We implemented an AI-assisted workflow that standardised candidate profiles and produced consistent summaries in the agency’s preferred format. Recruiters uploaded a CV and job brief, then received a draft “candidate fit” summary, key skills list, and questions to validate during screening calls. We integrated this workflow into the agency’s existing process so it didn’t feel like “another tool”. A simple quality loop allowed recruiters to approve, edit, and improve the templates over time, keeping tone and standards consistent.

Impact

• Time‑to‑shortlist reduced by ~55% for common roles

• Recruiter admin time reduced by ~8–10 hours/week across the team

• Candidate-to-client submission speed improved, contributing to ~10% more placements

• Client satisfaction improved (fewer revisions to candidate notes)

• ~3–5 months, driven by higher throughput and faster placements