The cost of an AI recruiter (and the roi you should expect)

Summary An AI recruiter lowers cost per hire by compressing time-to-fill, reducing manual screening, and replacing high variable fees. Use this calculator to estimate ROI and decide where to start.

Why costs drop

• Faster cycle reduces vacancy days and accelerates productivity or revenue.
• Automation cuts manual sourcing and screening hours.
• Predictable pricing avoids large retainers and inconsistent percentage fees.
• Better matches from structured AI interviews reduce failed offers and early attrition.

ROI calculator Add three components:

1. Vacancy savings = vacancy cost per day × days saved.
2. Fee delta = agency fee avoided − AI recruiter fee.
3. Quality uplift = value from higher acceptance, faster ramp, and lower early attrition. Estimated ROI per hire = (1) + (2) + (3).

Inputs to gather

• Current time-to-shortlist and time-to-offer.
• Vacancy cost per day (revenue impact or manager time lost).
• Historical agency fee percentage or retainer cost.
• Expected AI recruiter fee structure.
• Acceptance rate, 90-day retention, and average ramp time.

Worked example Assume a product engineer role:

• Vacancy cost per day: 800 dollars.
• Days saved: 10.
• Agency fee historically: 14,000 dollars.
• AI recruiter fee: 8,000 dollars.
• Offer acceptance improves from 60% to 80%; earlier start trims ramp by one week valued at 2,000 dollars. Calculations: vacancy savings = 8,000; fee delta = 6,000; quality uplift ≈ 2,000; estimated ROI per hire ≈ 16,000 dollars.

Benchmarks to track

• Time-to-shortlist and time-to-first interview.
• Offer acceptance rate and on-time start rate.
• 90-day retention and manager satisfaction.
• Percentage of candidates completing the AI interview.

How to realize ROI

• Target roles with clear, repeatable competencies and rubrics.
• Keep the AI interview short, structured, and mobile-friendly.
• Set pass thresholds and escalation paths for human review.
• Sync to your ATS so notes, scores, and stages stay aligned.
• Review weekly for drop-offs, days saved, and effective cost per hire.

Common pitfalls

• Unclear must-haves producing noisy sourcing.
• Long interviews that depress completion.
• No audit trail of scoring or decisions.
• Manual exports instead of automatic ATS write-back.

How Scouto fits Scouto combines autonomous sourcing with a concise AI interview and human verification. It delivers ranked shortlists fast, helps reduce vacancy days, and provides auditable scorecards so finance can model savings with confidence. Keywords: scouto, ai recruiter, ai interview.