AI in hiring: bulk and mass recruitment — faster, smarter, more human

Before diving into AI in hiring, let's first clarify a common confusion: the difference between bulk recruiting and mass recruiting. These terms are often used interchangeably, and from a purely technical standpoint, the recruitment process can indeed look very similar — posting vacancies, screening candidates, and onboarding at scale. However, there are meaningful distinctions.

Bulk recruiting typically refers to hiring a large number of people for similar or identical roles — for example, onboarding dozens of sales assistants, warehouse workers, or call centre operators simultaneously. The process is highly standardised, focusing on speed and efficiency.

Mass recruiting, on the other hand, is broader in scope. It involves filling many different roles across departments — from entry-level staff to specialists and managers — often in response to rapid company growth or seasonal demand. This approach requires more complex coordination and a more diverse candidate pool.

For this article, however, we will use the term' high-volume recruiting' to encompass both scenarios. Whether a company needs hundreds of people for similar positions or diverse talent across multiple functions, the underlying challenges — speed, cost, and candidate experience — remain largely the same. And it is precisely here that AI recruitment tools make the most significant impact.

Why Traditional HR Fails in High-Volume Recruiting

High-volume recruiting has long been one of the most complex challenges that businesses face. For retail giants like Walmart (2.1 million employees worldwide) or Auchan (around 160,000 employees), constant hiring is an ongoing process comparable in scale to full-scale production.

Similar challenges face farms, which need to hire hundreds or even thousands of workers within just a few weeks during the season, as well as hotels and travel companies during peak periods, when their workforce must grow significantly.

At the same time, many companies already have their employee databases — for example, seasonal workers who were employed on a farm or in a warehouse in previous years. Having a database does not necessarily mean those individuals can return to work. Each employee has their circumstances: some have moved away, others have found permanent jobs, and some are unavailable this season. That's why such databases must be processed again every year — to check contact details, confirm availability, and update conditions — a massive amount of work, especially when it involves thousands of contacts.

Traditional HR processes — such as posting job ads, manually reviewing applications, making phone calls, and scheduling interviews — can't keep up under these conditions. Response times are too long, HR teams become overloaded, and as a result, some candidates leave for competitors, the hiring cycle stretches out for weeks, and recruitment costs continue to rise.

AI HR agents are a beacon of efficiency in this context — intelligent voice assistants that take on routine tasks, transforming high-volume recruiting into a fast and manageable process. They can work with massive databases, check candidate availability, and update information automatically, freeing recruiters from tedious and repetitive tasks. This efficiency can reassure HR professionals that their tasks are being handled effectively.

The real challenges of high-volume hiring without AI

High-volume recruiting presents a range of challenges that large retailers, as well as companies with seasonal peaks, consistently face. One of the primary issues is the delay in responding to candidates. If an employer doesn't get back within a day or two, candidates quickly move on to competitors — especially in oversaturated job markets.

The financial side remains just as pressing. According to various estimates, the traditional hiring of a single employee can cost companies hundreds or even thousands of dollars. We know that for job positions, expenses per worker include job advertising, interviews, and onboarding, with an average range of $1,000 to $3,000. On a larger scale, the numbers are enormous: a SHRM study estimates the average cost of hiring in the U.S. at $4,700 per employee, while in specific industries (such as retail and hospitality) it's around $2,700, even with high-volume hiring, where economies of scale lower costs (for example, $480 per person when hiring 25 workers at once), the total seasonal recruitment budget still runs into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Needless to say, we still don't have AI recruiting software to reduce hiring costs with AI…

Since there is no AI-driven HR automation, recruiting struggles to keep up and often fails to respond in a timely manner. Recruiters spend up to 62% of their time on routine tasks, such as processing applications, screening resumes, making phone calls, and rescheduling interviews. During peak hiring periods, HR teams often feel overwhelmed; instead of focusing on strategic tasks, they become bogged down in the repetitive, manual processing of applications. As a result, the hiring cycle drags on: filling even an entry-level position can take up to 30 days. For businesses, that means unstaffed shifts and declining service quality, and for candidates, it means an endless pause between applying and receiving an invitation. 

AI recruitment tools can also significantly enhance the candidate experience. Many applicants describe the recruitment process as a 'black hole': they submit a resume but receive no confirmation, no clear information about the position, and no feedback if rejected. AI tools can effectively address these issues. Automated responses can confirm receipt of applications. AI HR agents can provide information about the position and the company. Additionally, AI can be used to provide personalized feedback to rejected candidates. This not only improves the candidate experience but also helps to build a positive employer brand, even in high-volume hiring situations.

Where the problem is most critical

High-volume hiring is especially challenging in industries with high turnover or pronounced seasonal peaks. A prime example is retail. Giants such as Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco, or Kroger manage workforces in the hundreds of thousands—retail experiences traditionally have high turnover, which requires constant filling of vacancies. Applications arrive 24/7, including nights and weekends, when HR departments struggle to respond quickly.

Agriculture faces just as much pressure. In the U.S. alone, California employed about 82,100 seasonal workers in 2022–2023, while the total number of unique workers in the sector reached 414,000 annually, peaking at nearly 500,000 during the summer. Individual farms hire up to 15,000 temporary workers in a single season. The scale is no smaller in Europe: in Andalusia, Spain — particularly in the Huelva region, where strawberries and berries are grown — up to 100,000 seasonal workers are employed every year. French vineyards in Bordeaux and Burgundy employ thousands of harvesters, while in Italy, regions such as Apulia and Lombardy face the same challenge annually with their tomato and grape harvests. In Australia, farmers in Queensland and Victoria utilize government programs to employ hundreds or even thousands of temporary workers for fruit picking. Even when farms have databases of seasonal workers from previous years, these still need to be updated: not everyone is ready to return, circumstances change, and verifying each profile becomes an exhausting process.

The third sector is tourism and hospitality. Summer peaks and holiday seasons force companies to increase staff by 100–150% in a short time. Hotels, restaurants, resorts, and travel agencies experience a direct impact on service quality based on the speed at which they can fill positions.

Importantly, this overload is not unique to seasonal hiring or the retail sector; it is a broader issue affecting various industries. HR directors from other industries — consulting, technology, real estate — admit they face the same challenge: 

Employers now receive an overwhelming number of applications... recruitment departments face cutbacks, resulting in fewer people handling more applications and a less personalised process. Jane Curran, HR Director at JLL, Financial Times.

HR leaders are overwhelmed by applicants and are trying to "add more friction" to the hiring process. Daniel Chait, CEO of Greenhouse, Fortune.

We received an overwhelming volume of applications for engineering roles — a staggering 500–1000 per week for just ten positions. Pat Cullen, HR professional, TalentLlama.

It's a confluence of events that are occurring simultaneously… the likes of which … I never have observed in my more than 30 years of being a human-capital leader. Jim Link, CHRO at the Society for Human Resource Management, Business Insider.

All of these industries share a commonality: the scale of recruiting extends far beyond the limits of traditional HR processes. Even strong brands often find they can't cope without new technologies at this precise point.

What candidates want?

Today's candidates are far more demanding about the hiring process than they were just a few years ago. They expect not only quick decisions but also respectful treatment. According to iHire, most applicants expect a response within 24 hours after submitting their application — and if there's no reply, the chances of retaining them drop sharply.

A study by eRecruiter shows that 46% of candidates consider speed the most important factor, while 71% value clear and timely information about the job and the company. Meanwhile, 44% of respondents particularly appreciate receiving feedback, even in the case of rejection. In other words, for almost every second candidate, a "polite no" is better than silence.

However, in the context of high-volume hiring, HR departments often fail to meet these expectations. Delays in responses, a lack of confirmation that a resume was received, uncertainty, and silence when rejected all contribute to making the hiring process a stressful experience. Such a situation harms the company's reputation as an employer and negatively impacts its business; a dissatisfied candidate is unlikely to return or recommend the company to others.

That's why the candidate experience has become a key factor: companies can compete for talent not only with salaries but also with how transparent, fast, and respectful their recruitment process is.

How does AI in hiring help?

Employers and candidates can directly solve their challenges through AI in hiring. AI recruitment agents take on the first and most resource-intensive stages of recruitment — processing applications, screening resumes, and communicating with candidates. This approach frees up HR teams for strategic work, while candidates enjoy a fast and straightforward experience.

First, AI recruitment agents can handle massive amounts of data. Where an HR team might spend days processing a database of thousands of resumes, an algorithm can complete the task in minutes: verifying contact details, filtering out unsuitable profiles, and segmenting candidates by skills and experience. It is essential for companies with seasonal databases — for example, farms or retailers that maintain archives of last year's workers but still need to confirm who is ready to return each season.

Second, automation solves the problem of response time. An AI agent replies to candidates instantly, 24/7, and across any communication channel — from messaging apps to phone calls. High-volume hiring often experiences delays in communication, allowing competitors to recruit the best candidates more efficiently.

Third, intelligent assistants improve the candidate experience. They automatically confirm receipt of applications, provide candidates with information about the position and its conditions, and offer clear and respectful feedback in the event of rejection. For businesses, this reduces the risk of negative experiences and increases the likelihood that candidates will return in the future.

Finally, AI agents integrate easily into corporate systems: from ATS and HRM to ERP and internal communication platforms. Recruitment can synchronize with shift planning, budgeting, and day-to-day operations. For large companies with hundreds of thousands of employees, like Walmart or Auchan, this is critical: automation not only accelerates hiring but also ensures manageability at the organizational level.

In this way, AI agents transform high-volume hiring from a chaotic and costly process into a streamlined flow where both employers and candidates win.

How to Set Up AI Recruitment Tools with Apifonica?

For an AI agent to become a real part of HR processes, it's not enough to connect it to calls and chats — it also needs to be integrated into the corporate ecosystem. With Apifonica's solution, this happens seamlessly: the agent works with any data source. It could be a full-fledged ATS or HRM system, a corporate ERP, or even a simple Excel spreadsheet with candidate contacts. For AI, the format of the database doesn't matter — it can connect to any structure and work with it just as effectively.

The AI software automatically records interview results and candidate statuses, categorizing them from "ready to work" to "no response." This way, recruiters instantly see the whole picture without manual updates or rewriting.

The agent can also connect with ERP systems to synchronize with shift planning and budgeting. For example, if a retail chain is opening a new store, the AI agent can proactively start building a pool of candidates in advance.

Moreover, the agent can act as a "live assistant." First, it calls the candidate, conducts the initial interview, and if the candidate is suitable, it asks them to hold the line while it dials the HR representative. The recruitment team connects the candidate with a recruiter only after completing the preliminary screening. This process allows the machine to handle all the "invisible work" of filtering, questioning, and preparing. As a result, HR only interacts with a "ready" candidate who can move on to the final interview.

Built-in integration with corporate messengers, calendars, and email allows the system to schedule interviews and send invitations automatically. As a result, the HR department stops being a bottleneck and instead becomes a strategic partner to the business.

For major retail chains like Tesco (~345,000 employees), Carrefour (~320,000 employees), or Lidl (~376,000 employees), where we're talking about workforces in the hundreds of thousands, such flexibility is especially valuable: automation reduces the risk of unstaffed shifts and ensures manageability across the entire network.

Here’s an example of how the AI HR agent works:

And now, let’s take a look at how this setup works:

What about competitors? Can they really be compared with Apifonica?

If you’ve made it this far (and survived!), here’s the point: Apifonica cannot be compared with other services — because there are no true equivalents.

AI HR agents are often discussed solely in the context of hiring. However, their value for HR goes far beyond recruitment. The platform works as an AI-powered HR communication system, helping to eliminate repetitive tasks in daily HR operations with existing employees by simply uploading new scenarios. That’s exactly why Apifonica is offered in packages of several thousand minutes — designed to cover the entire spectrum of HR communication with employees, not just recruitment:

• Onboarding and adaptation. Automating the first steps: answering frequently asked questions from new hires, sending reminders about documents and training, and helping them understand corporate rules.
• Pulse surveys and engagement. An AI agent can regularly collect feedback, measure employee satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and generate actionable analytics.
• Shift management. Automatic calls or messages to check availability, arrange quick replacements, and update schedules directly in the HRM system.
• Compliance reminders include mandatory medical checkups, safety training, and document renewals. An AI assistant can send timely reminders to ensure you stay on track with these essential tasks.
• Offboarding and exit interviews. Automating routine steps during termination: from collecting feedback to ensuring a respectful conclusion to communication.
• Assessment. AI HR agents can conduct preliminary competency checks by asking structured questions, recording answers, and analyzing voice and behavioral cues, which reduces the workload on HR and allows specialists to focus on the final expert evaluation.

This is also why it makes no sense to compare Apifonica with services like Manatal, Zoho Recruit, Sapia.ai, or Fetcher: they perform narrow, specialized functions (for example, only hiring or candidate screening), while Apifonica, as you can see, is a different story.

The cost of Apifonica: packages for full HR communication

Unlike niche AI recruiting services or expensive custom-built solutions, Apifonica is offered as a comprehensive HR communication platform. The system is not priced “per interview” or “per recruiter license.” Instead, it comes in packages of several thousand minutes that can be flexibly allocated across all HR communications. This model reflects reality: HR communication with employees does not end after hiring, and Apifonica’s pricing structure mirrors that fact.

• Packages of minutes. Companies purchase bundles that include thousands of minutes and distribute them across any HR scenario — mass candidate calls, onboarding reminders, compliance checks, engagement surveys, or exit interviews.
• One platform for all HR communication. Instead of paying separately for recruiting tools, survey systems, or notification services, Apifonica unifies these functions in a single subscription.
• Scalable model. Because packages are based on actual communication minutes, businesses can scale usage up or down depending on seasonal peaks in hiring or ongoing employee engagement needs.
• Lower total cost of ownership. Even large-scale deployments cost several times less than custom AI development, while covering far more functions than narrow recruiting tools.

In this way, Apifonica is not just “another recruiting tool,” but a multifunctional HR communication platform that automates the entire employee lifecycle. The package-based model makes costs predictable and ensures that automation goes far beyond hiring, covering the full spectrum of HR–employee communication.

Check Pricing (.pdf)

Conclusion: Without AI, survival in today's world is impossible.

That's why implementing AI recruitment agents through Apifonica is the more intelligent choice: it's not a niche tool or an expensive, custom-built project, but a ready-made, flexible, multilingual platform that adapts to the specific needs of a business.

High-volume hiring without AI support is becoming increasingly ineffective: HR departments are overwhelmed, candidates drop out due to delays, and the cost per hire continues to rise.

AI agents enable the combination of scale with a human touch, processing hundreds of thousands of candidates, maintaining live conversations, and delivering a personalized experience for each applicant.

Companies that continue to cling to so-called "well-established" traditional hiring processes ultimately lose out to competitors. Despite recognizing the inefficiencies of manual work, many organizations hesitate to reform and change their recruitment approach. Meanwhile, those adopting AI agents are already winning — by hiring faster, improving quality, and reducing costs.

More Apifonica's case studies:

• Decathlon reduced its hiring cycle from weeks to just a few days.
• BGK automated surveys and significantly relieved its HR department.
• Wakacje.pl, a travel operator, staffed up during peak season without losing customers.
• Wegree, a recruitment agency, tripled its efficiency without expanding its team.

The future of high-volume recruiting lies in automating routine processes while simultaneously improving the candidate experience — allowing HR departments to focus on what matters: developing people and creating strategic value for the business.

FAQ:

How does Apifonica integrate AI recruitment tools into existing HR systems?

Apifonica's AI HR agents connect seamlessly with ATS, HRM, and ERP systems. Whether a company uses a full-scale applicant tracking system or a simple Excel sheet with candidate contacts, Apifonica's AI recruiting software integrates smoothly, processes data, and records results back into the system.

Can Apifonica AI HR agents handle interview scheduling and communication?

Yes. Apifonica offers an AI HR automation function that integrates directly with corporate calendars, messengers, and email. This integration enables teams to schedule interviews automatically, send invitations, and deliver reminders without requiring HR teams to handle manual work.

How does Apifonica ensure scalability for mass hiring?

For large employers such as retail chains or seasonal industries, Apifonica AI recruitment agents can manage thousands of candidates simultaneously. By integrating AI into the hiring process and workforce management functions, the platform helps prevent unstaffed shifts and ensures smooth recruitment during peak periods.

Can Apifonica AI HR agents support candidate screening and onboarding?

Apifonica AI HR agents serve as AI candidate screening assistants, conducting initial interviews via phone or messaging, verifying availability, and filtering out unsuitable profiles. They also support onboarding automation by sending reminders, training links, and compliance notifications to new hires.

Does an AI recruitment agent hire candidates?

No. An AI recruitment agent is an assistant, not a decision-maker. It helps with routine tasks: candidate screening, phone interviews, scheduling, and data updates. But the final hiring decision — who gets the job — is always made by a human recruiter or a hiring manager.