From 1,300 Applications to 150 Hires in 3 Weeks: How Fairgame Streamlined Recruitment with Kiku

About Fairgame

Fairgame is a unique London-based entertainment venue that combines fairground games with top-tier food and drink. With its central location, Fairgame attracts a steady flow of guests looking for a fun, immersive experience. To deliver that experience, the business relies on a large team of skilled front-of-house staff, bartenders, and site technicians to keep the venue running smoothly.

The Challenge: Opening a Venue at Speed

When Fairgame prepared to open a new location in central London, the team faced the challenge of hiring 150 staff members in just three weeks. These hires spanned three critical roles: front of house, bartenders, and site technicians - the backbone of the venue’s day-to-day operations.

Attracting candidates wasn’t the problem. For hospitality roles in London, applications flood in. The challenge was sorting through the sheer volume of applicants to identify quality candidates who could be trained and onboarded quickly.

Historically, Fairgame relied on a fully manual process. Six senior managers would set aside their time to review CVs, call candidates to confirm experience, and invite them to second-round interviews. While effective in smaller hiring rounds, this approach was resource-heavy and risked pulling leaders away from their operational responsibilities at a critical time.

“For our venue launch, speed was everything. We couldn’t afford to have senior managers bogged down in admin when they should be focused on operations. We needed a solution that would allow us to confidently acquire candidates while saving us time and money.”

With hundreds of hires to make on a tight timeline, Fairgame turned to Kiku to help streamline the process.

The Solution: Scaling with AI Screening

As soon as the job ads went live, Fairgame received around 1,300 applications. Instead of overwhelming managers, Kiku processed the application data and invited all candidates to an AI-powered screening. This not only cut down manual work but also delivered a consistent, fair, and engaging first impression for every applicant.

Candidates who passed the AI screening were invited to attend one of five in-person group interview sessions at Fairgame. Crucially, around 80% of candidates who passed the AI screening showed up in person, a strong indicator of intent and interest.

“Kiku helped us turn a mountain of applications into an engaged shortlist. The AI screening step was quick, consistent, and gave candidates a clear path into the process. We were amazed at how many of them showed up ready and motivated for the next stage.”

The Results: Fast Hiring, Lower Costs, Quality Staff

With Kiku, Fairgame filled all 150 open positions within just three weeks - leaving two full weeks to train and onboard staff before the venue opened. This speed not only reduced operational pressure but also set the team up for a smooth launch.

Importantly, post-launch data showed a standard level of employee churn, proving that Kiku wasn’t just helping to hire quickly but also matching the right candidates to the right roles.

The financial impact was equally impressive. By removing the need for manual screening by senior managers, Fairgame saved approximately 66% on hiring costs compared to running the process in-house.

“With Kiku, we saved weeks of time and two-thirds of our hiring costs. Just as importantly, we got the right people through the door, and they’ve stuck with us. It’s the kind of hiring solution you don’t just use once - you bring it into your playbook for every new venue.”

Core Stats

• 1,300 applications processed
  
  
• 150 roles filled in 3 weeks
  
  
• 80% show-up rate at in-person interviews
  
  
• 66% reduction in hiring costs
  
  

Looking Ahead

For Fairgame, the partnership with Kiku proved transformative. The platform enabled them to meet their hiring goals under pressure without sacrificing quality or budget. The leadership team is clear that Kiku will play a central role in future expansions.

“We would absolutely use Kiku again. It’s not just about filling roles fast - it’s about doing it with confidence, knowing you’re hiring people who will thrive in the job.”

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