How to Automate High-Volume Hiring To Reduce Recruitment Costs?

When Seasonal Demand Meets Hiring Pressure

In the food delivery business, speed is everything.

For Foodpanda, operating across 260+ locations in 22 countries and partnering with over 36,000 eateries, demand surges during monsoon and winter seasons created immediate hiring pressure.

To meet rising delivery orders, the company needed to rapidly scale its delivery workforce.

But scaling hiring at that speed came with a challenge: hundreds of applications pouring in — and no automated way to screen them efficiently.

The Challenge

Foodpanda received hundreds of applications for delivery roles during peak seasons.

However:

• Recruiters manually called each applicant.
  
  
• The screening process was extremely time-consuming.
  
  
• Shortlisting suitable candidates required significant manpower.
  
  
• Recruitment costs increased due to manual outreach.
  
  
• No automated filtering mechanism existed for bulk hiring.
  
  

To scale operations effectively, Foodpanda needed a system that could automate outreach and filter candidates intelligently.

‍

Before vs After: From Manual Calling to Automated Screening

‍

The Solution: Customized Outbound IVR Automation

MyOperator implemented a customized Outbound IVR Solution tailored to Foodpanda’s hiring needs.

While IVR is typically used for inbound call routing, it was adapted here to generate automated outbound calls to applicants.

How It Worked

• Applicants received automated outbound calls.
  
  
• The IVR asked predefined screening questions.
  
  
• Candidates responded via keypad inputs.
  
  
• Responses were recorded and analyzed.
  
  
• Only suitable candidates were forwarded for further evaluation.
  
  

This eliminated the need for recruiters to manually screen every applicant.

Key Results

After deploying the outbound IVR system, Foodpanda achieved measurable recruitment acceleration:

• 500% increase in monthly outbound calls.
  
  
• 5X reduction in cost incurred per call.
  
  
• Faster shortlisting and filtering of candidates.
  
  
• Significant reduction in manual recruitment effort.
  
  
• Identification of Hyderabad as the state with the highest recruitment potential.
  
  

The automation not only reduced costs — it created data-driven hiring insights.

Key Takeaways

• Outbound IVR automates bulk candidate screening.
  
  
• Recruitment costs decrease significantly with automation.
  
  
• Hiring cycles accelerate during peak demand.
  
  
• Automated filtering reduces recruiter workload.
  
  
• High outbound call volume becomes manageable without additional manpower.
  
  
• Data insights reveal high-potential recruitment regions.
  
  
• Scalable infrastructure supports rapid workforce expansion.

Practical Examples of Recruitment Automation

Automated First-Round Screening

Thousands of applicants receive automated calls with qualifying questions, ensuring only suitable candidates move forward.

Seasonal Workforce Scaling

During high-demand months, the IVR system manages bulk outreach without increasing recruiter headcount.

Cost Optimization

Replacing manual dialing with automated calling reduces operational costs per screened candidate.

Recruitment Data Insights

Call analytics help identify cities or states with the strongest hiring response rates.

Customer Speaks

“MyOperator helped us in speeding up our hiring process. Their call automation intelligence enabled us in filtering and hiring suitable candidates fitting our criteria among thousands. The system helped us reduce our cost and more importantly helped us to save useful man hours and reduce manual efforts.”

— foodpanda

From Manual Effort to Intelligent Hiring

Scaling operations requires more than increasing applications — it requires increasing efficiency.

By transforming its hiring process through outbound IVR automation, Foodpanda moved from manual screening to intelligent filtering.

Because when recruitment becomes automated, growth becomes faster, leaner, and smarter.

‍

‍