The challenge: Excellence at scale becomes an operational burden

When we first connected with Dianne, she was managing six concurrent recruitment projects across Indonesia, each receiving 2,000 to 3,000 inbound applications. Her process was impressive but unsustainable.

As someone deeply detail-oriented who lived by metrics, Dianne personally screened applications to gain a better understanding of each market across a specific area of coverage (in this instance, social and influencer marketing).

She would reduce those massive application volumes to double digits before advancing candidates to the Mash interview stages. As a small-scale-up, budgets don't always stretch to implement technology at every step of the way, so Google Sheets will do for a while. Her tracking system was thorough, her understanding of client needs was deep, but the operational overhead was crushing.

"I spend roughly 18 hours per week just screening applications for 6 roles (3 hours per role) while also gaining insights about the market."

"Then another 10-12 hours calling candidates, plus 2 hours weekly managing the selected top-tier candidates as we always aim to create a positive and informative experience for everyone."

For someone of Dianne's calibre, spending 3+ hours weekly on the initial screening per role meant less time for the strategic work that truly moved the needle for the business and, ultimately, the clients.

HighValue.Team stepped in to help

When Dianne had a Programme Manager (AI) role to fill across APAC, she decided to use our platform. The role saw 303 applicants before she decided to close the role and focus on the results.

Instead of her usual process of manually reviewing filtered CVs, she used HighValue.Team to analyse each candidate against set parameters, evaluating not just keywords but the deeper signals Dianne would typically look for: project depth, career progression, and regional experience.

From 3 hours of screening to 0.5 hour of shortlisting

The transformation was immediate:

Volume processed: 303 applications
Time invested: 30 minutes total
Quality candidates identified: 43 (17 highly recommended + 26 good fits)
Breakdown of 43 numbers:

• 10 reviewed & shortlisted further

• 25 other reviewed but rejected based on subjective nuances from Dainne

• 6 marked as KIV (Keep in View). These were either too technical but have great exposure at relevant companies, too senior (20+ years of exp in MNCs, but could be relevant for project-based work)

• 2 selected for Mash interview. 2 out of the Mash interviews were profiled for the client-facing shortlist.

What made the difference:

What impressed Dianne most wasn't just the time savings but the quality of insights. As someone who understands both the strategic and operational sides of recruitment, she could immediately see the value.

"I've managed without HighValue.Team before, but ideally, now that you're solving a massive problem in the recruitment industry, I can see HVT as an invaluable strategy supporting partner," ~Dianne shared.

This wasn't just feedback, it was validation from someone who has seen every type of recruitment tool and process across multiple markets.

How it works for seasoned recruiters pressed for time

For Dianne, who tracks everything in detailed Google Sheets and values metrics-driven decisions, HighValue.Team provided exactly what she needed: transparent, explainable results that she could trust and present to clients with confidence.

The platform's ability to surface quality candidates while filtering out noise meant Dianne could focus on what she does best: understanding client needs, building strategic talent pipelines, and delivering exceptional regional expertise.

Why this matters beyond just time savings?

Dianne's experience represents something crucial about modern recruitment. Even the most skilled professionals hit operational limits when dealing with high-volume inbound. HighValue.Team doesn't replace strategic thinking, it amplifies it by handling the volume so experts like Dianne can focus on strategy.

For consultancies like Mash, where reputation is built on quality and speed, having an AI-powered screening partner isn't just about efficiency. It's about being able to deliver exceptional results consistently, regardless of application volume.

Why this matters for your team

Dianne's story illustrates that even the most organised, experienced talent acquisition experts face scalability challenges. The best talent strategists shouldn't be spending more than 10%-15% of their week on initial screening so they can focus on building relationships, understanding market dynamics, and delivering strategic value.

For high-volume recruitment like Dianne's regular workload of 2,000-3,000 applications per role, HighValue.Team can significantly reduce the operational burden. Even for smaller roles like the 303-application Programme Manager position, the time savings are substantial.

HighValue.Team enabled Mash to:

• Maintain their exacting quality standards without operational burden

• Focus strategic expertise on client relationship and market understanding

• Deliver consistent results regardless of application volume

• Present clients with vetted, interview-ready agency partner resources faster

Ready to transform your high-volume hiring like Mash did? Whether you're managing multiple roles across regions or just trying to find signal in the noise, we'd love to show you what intelligent resume ranking can do for your process.

Book a demo using my calendar below and see how HighValue.Team can turn your screening challenge into a competitive advantage.