Making Recruitment Easier with Automation: A Cleverbit Software Case Study

July 24, 2023

Case Study

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In this article:

In the fast-paced world of business, automation is becoming increasingly important, helping reduce the load of manual work and allowing companies to focus on important strategic tasks. At Cleverbit Software, we’re always looking to increase our own efficiency along with our clients’ using software to automate routine tasks. By regularly reviewing our processes and keeping an eye on industry trends, we spot opportunities to make our workflow smoother.

This case study shows how we moved from a time-consuming, manual recruitment process to a faster, automated system, eliminating 10s of hours per week of admin work in the process. In the past, our recruitment process involved careful collection and sorting of CVs, organising interviews and tasks, and handling follow-ups. Now, we’ve swapped these processes with a set of business tools that work well together, helping us save precious time that we can use more productively elsewhere.

OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Our company has developed a robust recruitment process designed to identify top talent for our organisation. This process consists of several stages that enable us to assess candidates thoroughly and make informed hiring decisions. By understanding and mapping out our internal recruitment process, we laid the foundation for transforming that process into a valuable service offering for our clients.

Cleverbit recruitment process

THE CHALLENGE

Our existing recruitment process, while functional, poses numerous challenges. The manual handling of a large number of CVs, the coordination of various calls, task allocation, and the tracking of each job vacancy and candidate progress adds complexity and increases the probability of human error.

THE SOLUTION

To overcome these hurdles, we decided to integrate different business applications to automate our process. This allowed for effortless data transfer between software, along with smoother workflows. We opted for an off-the-shelf ATS as a central hub and talent management platform to monitor candidates and manage CVs. We also used Calendly for automating calls and interview scheduling, removing the need for manual coordination.

A crucial part of our solution was the development of a custom application that automated the assignment of tasks to candidates. This integration of business tools helped us create a streamlined system where meetings, candidate statuses, and even email operations were automated. However, we made sure to keep the evaluation and decision-making process firmly within human control. Striking a balance between automation and human input was essential. While the software boosted efficiency and lessened administrative tasks, we recognised the irreplaceable role of human judgment in assessing candidates and making final recruitment decisions. So, our automation approach was specifically designed to free up recruiters’ time, allowing them to focus on the people-oriented aspects of the recruitment process.

GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT

Shifting from manual tasks to an automated system wasn’t an overnight success. It is a progressive journey. We first tackled the most pressing issues and then gradually tweaked the system by tailoring our business software to match our specific needs. We continue to identify more bottlenecks and pain points and iteratively focus on improving those over time.

Cleverbit automation process

THE BENEFITS

Our strategic shift towards automating our recruitment processes has brought substantial rewards. The most significant being a huge time-saving: initially, our internal recruiter was spending approximately 60% of their time on administrative tasks and 20% on tasks that required more involved activity. With the automated system, admin time was cut down to just about 20%, allowing them to spend more time having valuable conversations with potential candidates. This translates into 3 full days of admin work eliminated each week. Furthermore, we now have instant access to the whole recruitment process, giving us important insights and better control over operations.

SIMPLICITY IN IMPLEMENTATION AND SYSTEM CONTINUITY

Even though implementing a new system may seem overwhelming, our approach ensured a smooth and simple transition. We addressed each part step-by-step over several weeks, ensuring a thorough and seamless shift. Importantly, our recruitment process remained fully functional throughout this transformation, guaranteeing ongoing business operations and continued productivity.

IMPLEMENTATION EFFORT BREAK-DOWN

The following is a breakdown of the implementation process followed in this case. This is similar to the hours breakdown we include in our proposals. These items are then added to our ticketing system, with real-time visibility of what is being worked on.

Solution Features Estimate
1. Data Management
Candidate Management: Store candidate information, including CVs, contact details, skills, experience, and any additional relevant data. 8
Recruiter Management: Manage recruiter details, including their profiles, contact information, and assigned tasks. 4
Interview Management: Store interview details, including interview dates, times, locations, and interviewers involved. 4
Task Management: Manage tasks assigned to candidates and recruiters, including task descriptions, deadlines, and status tracking. 4
Document Management: Provide a central repository to store and organize candidate documents, such as CVs, cover letters, and task submissions. 4
2. Process Health
Interview Status Views: Display interviews categorized by their status (e.g., scheduled, completed, pending, feedback pending). 12
Candidate List: Show a list of candidates, including their current stage in the recruitment process and relevant information. 4
Recruiter List: Provide a comprehensive view of recruiters involved in the process, including their availability and workload. 4
Pending Tasks Overview: Highlight pending tasks for each candidate or stage, enabling quick action and follow-up. 8
3. Process Automation and Logic
Workflow Automation: Automate the movement of applications through the different stages of the recruitment process based on predefined rules and conditions. 20
Outcome-based Actions: Define logic to determine the next step based on the outcome of each stage, such as advancing to the next round, rejecting candidates, or moving to the follow-up task. 12
Task Assignment: Assign tasks to recruiters, candidates, or interviewers at each stage, ensuring clear responsibilities and accountability. 8
4. Integrations
Notification Integration: Integrate with an email platform or notification mechanism to send automated notifications to candidates, interviewers, and recruiters at various stages of the process. Including email templates for proper branding and structure. 8
Booking System Integration: Integrate with a booking system to facilitate scheduling interviews, enabling candidates to find available time slots for recruiters and interviewers. 12
Code Repository Integration: Integrate with a code repository platform to provide secure access to code for technical interviews, ensuring proper access controls and versioning. 20
5. Reporting and Analytics
KPI Tracking: Implement reporting capabilities to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as total applicants, process duration, dropout rates, and conversion rates between stages. 20
Customized Reporting: Enable filtering and segmentation options based on various dimensions like recruiter, candidate location, age, source, or any other relevant factors. 8
Visualization: Present the reports in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format, such as charts or graphs, for better data interpretation. 8
Solution Features Man Hours
Data management 24
Process health 28
Process automation 40
Integrations 40
Reporting and analytics 36
Total 168

CONCLUSION

With the multitude of benefits such as significant time savings, increased accuracy, and heightened efficiency, the costs involved in implementing business automation and enhancing existing processes is a clearly worthwhile investment. At Cleverbit Software, we’re dedicated to helping companies boost their operational efficiency.

Through the integration of existing systems, automation of labour-intensive tasks, and simplification of workflows, we deliver custom solutions that can transform the way your business works.

The first step is usually to have a call to discuss the pain points, we tackle those first, with no long-term contracts or commitments. If you would like to discuss such processes with us, you can contact us here.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Malta, Cleverbit Software is a prominent custom software development company, employing over 70 skilled professionals across Europe. Specialising in custom software for business efficiency, we cater to a diverse international clientele, including sectors in Malta, Luxembourg, Denmark, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Our commitment to delivering tailored, industry-specific software solutions makes us a trusted partner in driving business innovation and efficiency.

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