When TechStart’s HR team realized they were spending more time screening candidates than actually hiring them, they knew something had to change. Here’s how they transformed their recruitment process and dramatically improved their results.

The Challenge: Drowning in Screening Calls

Like many growing tech companies, TechStart faced a familiar problem: too many applicants, not enough time.

Their recruitment team was struggling with a process that had become unsustainable. Every month, recruiters were dedicating over 40 hours just to initial candidate screening—time that could have been spent on strategic hiring decisions, candidate engagement, or team development.

The numbers told a sobering story:

• 40+ hours per month spent on repetitive phone screens
• 45 days average time-to-hire—causing them to lose top candidates to faster-moving competitors
• Recruiter burnout from conducting the same basic screening conversations day after day
• Inconsistent evaluation as different recruiters asked different questions and weighted answers differently

“Our recruiters were exhausted,” recalls Sarah M., HR Director at TechStart. “They’d joined HR to build relationships and help people find great careers, not to repeat the same ten questions hundreds of times a month.”

The Solution: AI-Powered First-Round Screening

TechStart implemented Acting Assistant to handle their first-round candidate screening. The transformation was immediate.

Instead of scheduling phone screens during business hours, candidates could now complete their initial interview whenever it suited them—early morning, late night, or weekend. The AI interviewer asked consistent, role-specific questions and generated detailed evaluation reports for each candidate.

Key implementation features:

• 24/7 availability — Candidates interview on their own schedule, eliminating back-and-forth scheduling
• Consistent evaluation — Every candidate gets the same fair, structured interview experience
• Detailed reporting — AI-generated insights replace scattered manual notes
• Seamless integration — Top candidates are automatically flagged for human follow-up

The HR team’s role shifted from conducting repetitive screens to reviewing AI-generated reports and focusing their energy on the most promising candidates.

The Results: A Complete Transformation

Within the first quarter of implementation, TechStart saw dramatic improvements across every key hiring metric.

Time-to-Hire: 65% Reduction

What previously took 45 days now takes just 16. Candidates move through the pipeline faster, and TechStart stopped losing top talent to competitors who moved quicker.

Screening Capacity: 200+ Interviews Monthly

The AI handles over 200 candidate interviews per month—volume that would have been impossible for their human team to manage without significant headcount increases.

Time Savings: 40 Hours Reclaimed

Those 40+ hours previously spent on phone screens? Now redirected to high-value activities like candidate relationship building, offer negotiations, and strategic workforce planning.

Quality of Hire: Measurably Improved

With data-driven insights replacing gut feelings, TechStart’s hiring decisions became more consistent and effective. The structured interview process surfaces candidates who might have been overlooked in traditional screens while identifying potential concerns earlier in the process.