How One HR Leader Used AI to Reduce Time-to-Fill in a High-Turnover Industry

High-turnover industries like retail and hospitality face one major hiring obstacle—filling roles fast enough to avoid operational slowdowns. To see how companies are solving this, we spoke with Sarah, HR Director at a national quick-service restaurant brand. In this interview, Sarah explains how her team tackled long hiring cycles using CloudApper’s AI Recruiter and saw dramatic improvements in their time to fill in high-turnover industries.

Interview: Reducing Time to Fill in High-Turnover Industries with AI

Interviewer: What made your company rethink the way you approached hiring?

Sarah: We operate in a very high-churn environment, so our biggest challenge was the time it took to fill roles. Our managers were constantly short-staffed, which made everything harder—from customer service to team morale. We realized that relying on manual processes was holding us back, especially when dealing with hundreds of applications each month. That’s when we started exploring AI for talent acquisition.

Interviewer: How did you land on CloudApper’s AI recruiting tool as your solution?

Sarah: Honestly, it came down to ease and automation. We needed something simple that could screen candidates quickly and help us engage with them automatically. CloudApper’s AI recruiting solution was perfect—it scanned resumes, shortlisted candidates based on experience, and even scheduled interviews without us lifting a finger. It fits perfectly with our goal to reduce time to fill in high-turnover industries.

Interviewer: Can you walk us through the impact it had on your hiring process?

Sarah: Before CloudApper, it took us an average of 12-15 days to fill a frontline position. Now we’re down to five. That’s a huge drop in our time to fill, and it’s made a noticeable difference in our operations. Our store managers aren’t buried in resumes anymore—they only interview the best-fit candidates because the AI already did the filtering.

Interviewer: What about the candidate experience? Did using AI affect it?

Sarah: Surprisingly, it improved the candidate experience. We use the AI Recruiter to keep candidates informed with updates and reminders throughout the hiring process. That constant communication reduced candidate drop-offs and no-shows. Plus, they can schedule interviews on their own time, which they really appreciate. We’re filling positions faster without sacrificing candidate experience—that’s a big win.

Interviewer: Any unexpected benefits you didn’t anticipate?

Sarah: Yes—reduced turnover. Since the AI filters for experience and fit, we’re hiring people who are more likely to stay. That’s helped us avoid rehiring for the same roles over and over again. Fewer open positions mean less pressure on our team and better service for our customers. It’s had a ripple effect across the business.

Conclusion

Sarah’s experience shows how AI can dramatically reduce time to fill in high-turnover industries while also improving quality of hire and candidate engagement. With CloudApper’s AI Recruiter, businesses no longer have to choose between speed and efficiency—they can have both. If you’re struggling to fill positions fast enough, it might be time to rethink your hiring approach and put AI to work where it matters most.

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