Recruitment Process Automation: Proof of Concept Proposal
Prepared for Doug Bell
Prepared by Christopher Evans, Recrootr
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Executive Summary: Reclaim Your Recruiters' Time
Your recruitment team invests significant time in manual, repetitive tasks — chasing candidates, confirming availability, and managing pre-interview administration. These activities are essential but drain capacity and limit strategic focus. The result? Talented recruiters spending hours on administrative work rather than building relationships and closing placements.
This Proof of Concept will demonstrate that intelligent automation, delivered with the right human touch, can dramatically reduce this manual workload and accelerate time-to-hire. We're not proposing a wholesale technology transformation or costly system replacement. Instead, this pilot focuses on human-centred automation using proven multichannel outreach tools.
Rather than disrupting your existing systems, we'll work alongside them. Supported by co-design workshops and guided training, your recruiters will learn how to harness automation to increase throughput, reduce administrative burden, and improve candidate engagement — without changing the tools they already know and trust.
8
Weeks
Total project duration from kick-off to results
30%
Reduction
Target decrease in manual touchpoints
Within eight weeks, we will generate live data and insights that prove automation's impact on recruiter productivity. This evidence-based approach provides the foundation for a scalable Phase 2 build focused on candidate screening and matching, should you choose to proceed. The outcome? Measurable improvements in efficiency, candidate experience, and recruiter satisfaction — with the data to prove it.
Clear Objectives: What Success Looks Like
This Proof of Concept has been designed with specific, measurable outcomes in mind. We believe in clarity and accountability, which is why every objective can be tracked, measured, and reported throughout the eight-week pilot programme.
Reduce Manual Administration
Eliminate repetitive pre-interview admin and candidate follow-ups that currently consume hours of recruiter time each week. Our target is a 30% reduction in manual touchpoints, freeing your team to focus on high-value activities like relationship building and strategic sourcing.
Accelerate Hiring Cycles
Compress the time from application to first-stage interview by improving response rates and streamlining scheduling. We're targeting a 20% reduction in time-to-interview, helping you place candidates faster and stay ahead of competitors in a talent-constrained market.
Enhance Communication Quality
Improve the consistency, professionalism, and personalisation of candidate communications through carefully crafted templates and strategic automation. Better messaging means stronger candidate relationships and improved brand perception in the market.
Quantify Return on Investment
Provide concrete data on time saved, engagement uplift, and recruiter adoption rates. You'll receive a comprehensive evaluation report with clear metrics, enabling evidence-based decision-making for future automation investments and scaling strategies.
Scope of Work: Focused and Achievable
Successful pilots require clear boundaries. We've carefully defined what's included in this eight-week programme and what's reserved for future phases, ensuring we deliver meaningful results without scope creep or unnecessary complexity.
In Scope: What We'll Deliver
  • Multichannel outreach automation across email, LinkedIn, and SMS, enabling your recruiters to reach candidates where they're most responsive
  • Co-creation of messaging templates through collaborative workshops, ensuring communications reflect your brand voice and recruitment approach
  • Implementation for 2–3 recruiter users on live campaigns, providing real-world testing with manageable scale
  • Comprehensive measurement of time saved, candidate engagement rates, and recruiter satisfaction throughout the pilot
  • Training and support including onboarding sessions, weekly coaching, and ongoing technical assistance
  • Final evaluation report with detailed results, ROI analysis, and recommendations for Phase 2 expansion
Out of Scope: (Future Opportunities)
  • HR system integration — we'll use simple data exports rather than complex API connections, keeping implementation swift and risk-free
  • Screening and matching automation — intelligent candidate assessment will be explored in Phase 2, once outreach automation is proven
  • Contract and compliance workflows — automation of legal and regulatory processes requires deeper integration better suited to subsequent phases
  • Enterprise-wide rollout — this PoC focuses on proving value with a small team before scaling across the organisation
This focused approach ensures we can deliver tangible results quickly whilst building the evidence base for broader automation initiatives.
Our Delivery Approach: Technology Meets Human Adoption
Recrootr blends technology enablement with behavioural adoption science, ensuring automation is embraced rather than resisted. We've learned that the best tools fail without proper change management, which is why our approach places equal emphasis on technology and people.
Phase 1: Discovery & Design
Weeks 1–2
We begin by thoroughly mapping your current recruiter workflows, identifying specific pain points and bottlenecks. Through collaborative workshops, we'll co-create outreach templates that reflect your brand voice and recruitment style. Together, we'll define success metrics and establish baseline data for measuring improvement. This phase ensures the automation we build truly serves your team's needs.
Phase 2: Setup & Training
Weeks 2–3
With designs approved, we configure your chosen platform, import candidate data, and deliver interactive onboarding sessions tailored to different learning styles. Before going live, we run comprehensive test sequences to validate the process and ensure recruiters feel confident. This phase transforms plans into working systems whilst building user competence and confidence.
Phase 3: Live Pilot & Evaluation
Weeks 3–8
Now the real work begins. Your recruiters run live campaigns to actual candidates for 4–6 weeks, with weekly coaching sessions to refine approaches and capture quick wins. We monitor performance closely, providing ongoing support and optimisation. The phase concludes with a comprehensive final report detailing outcomes, ROI calculations, and strategic recommendations for Phase 2 expansion.
Choosing the Right Platform
We've evaluated leading multichannel automation platforms to identify the best fit for this Proof of Concept. Our recommendation balances functionality, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness whilst providing room to scale should the pilot prove successful.
Our Recommendation: Lemlist
After extensive evaluation, we recommend Lemlist as the optimal platform for this Proof of Concept. It strikes the ideal balance between capability, usability, and scalability.
Lemlist provides comprehensive multichannel outreach across email, LinkedIn, and SMS — all the touchpoints modern candidates expect. Its analytics dashboard offers clear visibility into campaign performance, helping recruiters understand what's working and rapidly iterate their approach. The platform is intuitive enough for quick adoption but sophisticated enough to support Phase 2 expansion.
Whilst there's a slight learning curve compared to simpler tools, this investment pays dividends through richer functionality and scalability. Our guided training programme ensures recruiters become proficient quickly, typically within the first week of hands-on use.
Human-Centred Enablement
Technology alone doesn't transform businesses — people do. Automation succeeds only when users feel supported, confident, and genuinely empowered. That's why Recrootr's methodology places human enablement at the centre of every implementation.
Co-Creation Workshops
Rather than imposing templates from above, we facilitate collaborative sessions where recruiters design their own messaging sequences.
This ensures communications feel authentic, align with your brand voice, and reflect real recruitment scenarios. When people create the tools they'll use, adoption becomes natural rather than forced.
Guided Onboarding
Our live walkthroughs combine demonstration with hands-on practice, accommodating different learning styles and experience levels.
We don't just show how buttons work — we explain the strategic thinking behind campaign design, helping recruiters understand the 'why' behind the 'how'. This builds genuine competence and confidence.
Weekly Coaching Sessions
Throughout the live pilot, we provide regular one-to-one optimisation sessions. These aren't just technical support — they're strategic conversations about what's working, what could improve, and how to extract maximum value from the platform. This ongoing relationship drives rapid adoption and continuous improvement.
Continuous Support
During the pilot period, recruiters have direct access to our team for questions, troubleshooting, and advice.
Whether it's a technical issue or a strategic question about campaign design, help is readily available. This safety net maintains momentum and prevents small obstacles from becoming adoption barriers.
"The best technology feels invisible — it simply makes the work easier. Our enablement approach ensures automation becomes a productivity ally, not another administrative layer to manage."
Measuring What Matters
This Proof of Concept is designed to generate concrete, measurable evidence of automation's impact. We'll track four key performance indicators throughout the pilot, establishing baseline measurements at the start and comparing results at the end of the eight-week programme.
30%
Manual Touchpoints Reduction
Target decrease in repetitive recruiter tasks, translating directly to hours saved per week and increased capacity for strategic activities
20%
Time-to-Interview Improvement
Faster progression from application to first interview, helping you place candidates before competitors and reduce time-to-fill metrics
25%
Response Rate Increase
Higher candidate reply and confirmation rates through better-timed, more personalised communications across multiple channels
Recruiter Satisfaction
We'll survey participating recruiters at project start and completion, measuring satisfaction on a 10-point scale. Our target is a score of 8 or higher, indicating genuine enthusiasm for the automation approach. This qualitative feedback helps us understand not just whether the technology works, but whether it's actually improving the recruiter experience.
We'll also conduct brief interviews to capture stories and insights that numbers alone can't convey — the specific ways automation has changed daily workflows, unexpected benefits discovered during the pilot, and recommendations for future enhancements.
Business Impact Translation
Raw metrics are valuable, but business leaders need to understand tangible impact. Our final report will translate these measurements into business outcomes:
  • Hours saved per recruiter per week
  • Cost savings based on recruiter time value
  • Revenue impact from faster placements
  • Candidate experience improvements
  • Competitive advantage in talent acquisition
This ensures leadership can make informed decisions about scaling automation across the organisation.
Timeline, Investment, and Next Steps
1
Weeks 1–2
Discovery & Design
Workflows mapped, pain points identified, templates co-created and approved, success metrics defined
2
Weeks 2–3
Setup & Training
Platform configured, data imported, recruiters onboarded through interactive sessions, test sequences validated
3
Weeks 3–8
Live Pilot & Evaluation
Real campaigns running, weekly coaching sessions, performance monitoring, final comprehensive report delivered
Investment Structure:
This Proof of Concept is offered as a fixed-price engagement of £10,000 (ex VAT), plus a small variable cost for SaaS products - providing complete cost transparency. The fee includes discovery workshops, platform setup, comprehensive training, live support throughout the pilot, and detailed evaluation reporting. There are no hidden costs or surprise invoices.
Payment Milestones
Tooling Budget
Estimated £1,000 covers platform licences for 2–3 recruiter users over two months. This includes full multichannel capabilities (email, LinkedIn, SMS), comprehensive tracking and analytics, and all necessary features for the pilot programme.
The tooling budget allows flexibility to add additional seats if needed or conduct A/B testing of alternative platforms should specific requirements emerge during discovery.
Phase 2 Indication
Should this PoC prove successful, Phase 2 would expand automation to include intelligent screening and candidate matching, with optional HR system integration. Indicative investment:
The Value Proposition
This Proof of Concept delivers immediate, measurable value. Within eight weeks you'll know precisely how automation can transform recruiter efficiency without disrupting your existing systems or requiring major technology investments. If successful, your team will save hours per week per recruiter, shorten time-to-interview by up to 20%, increase direct fulfilment, improve candidate experience and communication consistency, and build the evidence base for scaling automation safely and strategically across the organisation.
It's a low-risk, high-return experiment that demonstrates tangible progress, proves measurable impact, and provides the data to inform future investment decisions with confidence.
About Recrootr - Your Automation Partner
Recrootr helps recruitment teams and staffing businesses bridge the gap between people and intelligent automation, transforming operational efficiency and talent acquisition strategies. Founded by Christopher Evans, a seasoned recruitment and digital transformation specialist with nearly two decades of hands-on experience in talent acquisition, operational excellence, and technology integration, Recrootr brings unparalleled insight to the industry. We have successfully designed and delivered complex automation, AI, and workflow programmes across diverse markets in the UK and Australia for leading brands such as Talent International, San Digital, SwipeJobs, and Digital Gurus. These initiatives have ranged from streamlining candidate sourcing and engagement to implementing intelligent screening and onboarding solutions, resulting in significant time savings, improved candidate experience, and enhanced recruitment outcomes.
We bring a unique combination of capabilities that few consultancies can match, offering a holistic approach to recruitment automation:
Deep Recruitment Knowledge
Our understanding of recruitment goes beyond theory. We've been in the trenches, experiencing the daily pressures and evolving demands of the sector. This allows us to craft automation solutions that precisely target genuine recruiter pain points and workflow inefficiencies, ensuring our strategies deliver practical, impactful results for professionals in fast-paced, target-driven environments.
Proven Automation Experience
With a robust track record spanning various sectors and geographies, we've consistently delivered measurable improvements through AI-driven systems. Our expertise covers the full spectrum, from optimizing routine administrative tasks to implementing sophisticated machine learning models for predictive analytics and intelligent candidate matching, always focused on enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and overall user satisfaction.
Human-First Delivery
We firmly believe that technology's true value is unlocked when it's embraced by people. Our distinctive methodology prioritizes genuine adoption over mere compliance, integrating comprehensive change management with practical, engaging training. This approach empowers recruitment teams, building their confidence and competence to leverage automation effectively, and ensuring sustainable transformation.
Our mission is elegantly simple: help recruiters spend more time recruiting and less time on administration. We believe automation should amplify human expertise rather than replace it, enabling recruitment professionals to focus on the relationship-building and strategic thinking that truly differentiates exceptional recruiters.
Ready to Transform Your Recruitment Process?
Taking the next step is straightforward. Simply approve this Proof of Concept proposal, confirm your tooling preference, and we'll schedule the kick-off workshop to begin Phase 1 Discovery. Recrootr will handle all setup, support, and measurement activities — leaving your team free to focus on what they do best: hiring exceptional people.
Christopher Evans
Director | Recrootr
Email: hello@recrootr.co