For IntelliSource, high-volume hiring has always depended on speed, consistency, and a great candidate experience. As a staffing agency and RPO they take pride in bringing the best people together with fulfilling roles that match their skillset. Before Kiku, much of the screening process was still highly manual. Recruiters were spending their days chasing applicants and reviewing documents by hand.
"Our screening process was built around recruiter capacity, not candidate convenience. Everything happened manually - recruiters were calling, texting, and emailing to qualify candidates. We were running a high-volume process on a 9-to-5 schedule, which meant we were only ever reaching the candidates who happened to be available when we were. That created real friction for the people we were trying to reach."
With Kiku layered on top of its existing ATS, IntelliSource transformed that front-end screening process without disrupting the systems or workflows its team already relied on. Since launch, Kiku has helped IntelliSource complete around 31,000 screening interviews, with more than 300 conducted per day on average. Today, 42% of interviews happen outside office hours, candidate satisfaction with screening sits at 95%, and 75% of IntelliSource’s front end process is managed in Kiku.
Before Kiku, IntelliSource’s screening process was powered by a large team of recruiters handling front-end outreach and qualification manually. Around 80 recruiters were involved in calling, texting, emailing, and screening candidates after application. While resumé review played a role, the team often found that CVs were incomplete or out of date, especially in high-volume roles, so recruiters still needed to spend significant time making contact and gathering basic qualification information directly.
“The problem wasn't our people - our recruiting team is so strong and built with experience. It was what we were asking them to do. High-volume, repetitive outreach day after day makes it genuinely difficult to show up for every candidate the way you want to.”
That process created challenges. Firstly, screening was limited to recruiters’ working hours. They typically operated on a 9-5 schedule, which meant the process was shaped around internal capacity rather than candidate availability. This created friction for candidates and slowed progress. Secondly, the work itself was repetitive. Even with strong coaching and support, the front end of recruiting could become routine and draining. Over time, that routine could affect recruiter energy and candidate experience alike.
IntelliSource had switched ATS platforms three years earlier. Another migration wasn't something the team was willing to consider. They needed a solution that could sit on top of their existing system without disrupting workflows, historical data, or the learning curve their recruiters had already been through.
Kiku's ability to integrate directly with their existing ATS, rather than replace it, was one of the two reasons IntelliSource shortlisted Kiku.
"We were very clear that we did not want to replace our ATS. We needed a solution that could enhance what we already had, not force a complete system change."
Kiku also aligned with IntelliSource’s broader approach to talent acquisition. As a business delivering full end-to-end BPO and RPO services, IntelliSource needed technology that could support efficiency without losing the human element. The balance of automation and human decision-making was an important part of the value proposition. The tool also needed to be customisable to each client that IntelliSource serves to preserve each client’s brand integrity.
“We wanted technology that could improve efficiency without removing the human element. That balance really mattered to us. A positive brand and candidate experience are non-negotiable for us, and we felt like Kiku supported us in delivering both.”
Data security was non-negotiable in IntelliSource's vendor evaluation. As a business operating across multiple US states, navigating varying privacy regulations is a baseline requirement. With the EU AI Act deadline for high-risk hiring systems approaching in August 2026, IntelliSource also needed confidence that any AI tool in their screening workflow would hold up to regulatory scrutiny.
"Kiku's internal teams are experts in both data protection and AI regulations. Even with the complexity of operating across multiple states, we're confident that we deliver a compliant and secure solution with Kiku."
Kiku's security policies and the depth of knowledge shown during the diligence process were a meaningful part of why IntelliSource moved forward.
Implementation was phased and practical. IntelliSource started with internal roles for testing, then expanded into less complex screening workflows, and gradually rolled Kiku out across a wider portion of the portfolio as trust in the system grew. Kiku’s ability to understand both IntelliSource’s own process and the processes of its clients played a big role in making adoption smooth.
“It was one of the easiest implementations we have done. The team at Kiku understood our process quickly and adapted the setup to fit how we work. The rollout was intentionally phased. We started simple, proved it internally, and expanded as trust in the system grew.”
Kiku connected directly with IntelliSource's UKG Ready ATS and fitted into the existing recruiter workflow from day one. Recruiters initially worked primarily within the ATS, reviewing Kiku's recommendations there. As trust in the system grew, direct usage of the Kiku platform increased alongside it. Utilisation across all roles has grown from 25% to 75% since launch.
“The morning experience for our recruiters has completely changed. Instead of starting the day with a list of calls, texts and emails to make, they start with a shortlist of people recommended for follow up. That shift has a real impact on energy, focus, and ultimately, how fast we deliver for clients.”
Kiku now handles screening at scale and surfaces recommended and highly recommended candidates, allowing recruiters to spend less time on repetitive outreach and more time reviewing edge cases, validating candidates Kiku did not shortlist, and focusing on higher-value conversations. That shift slightly changed recruiter responsibilities, but in a positive way. Instead of spending their day chasing initial responses, recruiters can focus on moving the right candidates forward.
One of the most striking outcomes has been IntelliSource’s ability to meet candidates when they are actually available. Since implementing Kiku, 42% of candidate interviews have been completed outside office hours. What had previously been a clear operational barrier is now a major source of progress. In the last three months alone, around 10,000 interviews were completed out of hours.
“Kiku confirmed a challenge we were always aware of, but weren’t able to quantify or solve. Kiku gave us visibility we never had before, suddenly we could see exactly how many candidates were engaging outside of office hours, and it confirmed that we had been leaving a significant portion of talent on the table."
By addressing this hidden segment of candidates who were unable to engage during a standard 9 to 5 process, Intellisource are now able to screen all candidates fairly and be confident that they are finding the best candidate for a role.
Since launch, Kiku has completed around 31,000 screening interviews for IntelliSource, averaging more than 300 per day. That volume has given the team meaningful additional capacity without requiring a proportional increase in recruiter headcount.
“When people hear that Kiku does the work of 26 recruiters, they assume that means 26 fewer jobs. It's the opposite. It means our existing team can do more, move faster, and focus on the parts of recruiting that actually require human judgment without being buried in those repetitive tasks associated with volume hiring."
Candidate experience improved alongside efficiency. IntelliSource reports a 95% candidate satisfaction rate for the screening portion of the process, reinforcing that scale did not come at the expense of a strong candidate journey.
“A 95% satisfaction rate in the screening process shows that efficiency and experience do not have to be in tension. Great candidate experience is non-negotiable for us, so we’re glad that Kiku has a positive impact.”
Kiku has significantly accelerated early-stage hiring momentum. IntelliSource shared that what used to take a week to produce results now takes two days. That means qualified candidates are moving into interviews, in front of customers, and into onboarding much faster.
Taking on a new client programme typically requires a 30-day ramp period before results are visible. With Kiku handling front-end screening from day one, IntelliSource has reduced that ramp time by around 10 days. Faster data collection and earlier visibility into what strong candidates look like means new clients see results sooner, and IntelliSource can demonstrate ROI before the relationship has had a chance to go cold.
That capacity gain compounds. With less pressure on the front end of recruiting, experienced recruiters can be redeployed into new accounts rather than staying locked into existing volume. New clients get senior support earlier. IntelliSource doesn't need to hire and train additional recruiters to service them.
“The staffing industry is at an inflection point. AI isn't replacing recruiters, it's redefining what great recruiting looks like. With Kiku handling the front end, our team has evolved from administrators of a process into genuine talent advisors. That's a better outcome for our recruiters, our candidates, and our clients."
For IntelliSource, the screening piece is solved. The focus now is on what happens immediately after. With hundreds of candidates completing screening interviews every day, the opportunity is to capture that momentum in the moment, moving engaged candidates straight into the next step before their attention moves elsewhere.
That focus on continuous improvement is part of how IntelliSource operates. Kiku handles the front end. The team is already thinking about what to do with the opportunity it creates. Efficiency matters, but so does preserving the human touch. With Kiku, IntelliSource has been able to strengthen both.
“What Kiku has unlocked for us is just the beginning. We can grow our client base without growing our costs, move faster without losing the human touch, and redeploy our best people into the work that matters most. As AI continues to evolve, we're not wondering what it means for our business - we are already living it.”
