How a leading U.S. healthcare staffing agency cut interview costs by 90% with Sarah AI

A leading U.S. healthcare staffing agency partnered with Asendia AI to reimagine both recruiting and operations using artificial intelligence. By deploying Sarah AI across two mission-critical workflows, candidate screening and 24/7 call-off management, the agency reduced costs, accelerated hiring, and improved operational reliability.

Sarah AI now handles candidate interviews, detects top talent in real time, delivers personalized closing pitches, and automates call-off reporting for clinical staff around the clock. The result: faster placements, stronger candidate engagement, reduced recruiter fatigue, and bulletproof absence management for healthcare facilities.

Key Results

• 90% reduction in interview costs
• Time-to-interview reduced from 3–5 days to under 24 hours
• 4x recruiter efficiency boost, freeing teams for high-value tasks
• 24/7 call-off system ensuring no absence is ever missed
• Instant absence alerts routed to the right facility managers
• Centralized audit trail for compliance and operational transparency

Challenges

Recruiting Challenges

• Manual screening slowed hiring and consumed recruiter bandwidth.
• Repetitive, generic questioning caused bottlenecks.
• Exceptional candidates weren't identified in real time and were often lost.
• No consistent process for delivering a persuasive pitch to top talent.
• Candidate experience lacked warmth and brand reinforcement.

Operational Challenges (Call-Off Management)

• Absences were reported via phone/text, tracked inconsistently.
• No coverage after hours — late-night or early-morning call-offs were missed.
• Alerts were sometimes delayed or misrouted.
• No centralized, auditable log of absences.
• High call volumes during flu season or holidays overwhelmed staff.

Solution: Sarah AI for Healthcare Staffing

The agency implemented Sarah AI across two major modules:

1. Intelligent AI Interview Platform

• Automated Screenings: AI conducted interviews instantly using role-specific and department-specific logic.
• Dynamic Scoring & Logic: Weighted rubrics and scenario-based questions ensured fair and structured evaluation.
• Real-Time Top Talent Detection: Exceptional candidates triggered an immediate switch from screening to a personalized closing pitch.
• Tailored Closing Scripts: Different scripts were designed for permanent, locum, and government staffing models.
• ATS Integration: Interview results, scores, recordings, summaries, and candidate_fit labels were pushed directly into the ATS.

2. 24/7 Intelligent Call-Off System

• Always-On Voice Agent: Staff could report absences any time of day, any day of the week.
• Structured Call Flow: AI collected key details consistently (who, when, why).
• Instant Alerts: Notifications were routed via a dynamic Excel sheet to the right facility contacts and ops team.
• Centralized Audit Trail: Every call-off logged with timestamp and structured data.
• Scalable Infrastructure: Built on Azure and powered by Retell AI, supporting up to 20 concurrent calls with overflow fallback.

Results in Detail

Recruiting Impact

• Faster Hiring: Candidates were screened within 24 hours instead of waiting days.
• Cost Efficiency: Screening costs fell by 90%, saving tens of thousands monthly.
• Higher Conversions: Personalized closing pitches made candidates feel chosen, boosting acceptance rates.
• Recruiter Satisfaction: Recruiters described Sarah AI as the first filter with empathy, freeing them from repetitive tasks.

Operational Impact

• No Call-Offs Missed: Every absence, including after-hours, was captured and confirmed.
• Instant Facility Alerts: Notifications reached managers in seconds instead of hours.
• Compliance & Transparency: Leadership gained a full audit trail, creating confidence in the system.
• Resilience at Scale: During peak flu season, multiple simultaneous call-offs were handled seamlessly.

Future Plans

The agency is extending Sarah AI into new areas:

• Predictive Talent Matching to pre-rank candidates before human review.
• Two-Way Call-Off Management, allowing facilities to respond to absence alerts.
• Multi-Channel Expansion for reporting absences via SMS or app alongside voice.
• Continuous Learning to refine scoring and conversational flow over time.
• Schedule a Demo with our founders today!