At MyTaskPanel Consulting, we work with all kinds of tech companies—from startups to recruitment consultancies that need to scale their operations without losing quality. This is the case of a company that approached us with a very specific challenge: to automate the initial evaluation stage of IT candidates to speed up processes and gain efficiency.
Below, we explain how we transformed an operational bottleneck into a competitive advantage using automation tools like n8n, intelligent classifiers, and custom-designed workflows.
The starting point: an urgent need for agility
Our client, a company specialized in IT outsourcing and recruitment, was managing dozens of active processes weekly for clients across Europe and Latin America.
The recruitment team was receiving over 100 CVs per week from multiple channels:
- Web forms.
- Job portals.
- Shared databases.
- Direct referrals.
The review process was completely manual. Each recruiter spent 10 to 15 minutes per CV reading it, assessing technologies, verifying experience, English level, location, and availability. Only then could they decide whether to send the profile to the client or discard it.
This process had several issues:
- Delays in responding to the end client, causing lost opportunities.
- High operational load limiting the team’s capacity to grow.
- Inconsistencies in evaluation depending on who filtered.
- Loss of valuable talent due to delayed responses.
Faced with this scenario, the company sought a solution to automate candidate pre-qualification without losing control or quality.
The challenge: automate IT candidate pre-qualification without losing context
Our team analyzed the complete workflow with the client. The goal wasn’t to replace the recruitment team, but to automate the repetitive part and give recruiters more time for strategic tasks: interviews, closing processes, and client relationship.
The solution had to meet these requirements:
- Automatically collect CVs from multiple channels.
- Extract key data (technologies, experience, languages, availability).
- Classify and tag profiles based on configurable criteria.
- Send the team a clear, structured profile for each viable candidate.
- Work seamlessly, stably, and scalably.
The solution: an automated workflow with n8n
To implement the solution, we chose to use n8n, an open-source automation platform that allows connecting multiple tools and building custom workflows without relying on complex development.
We designed an automated process including the following steps:
1. CV capture from multiple sources
We created integrations with the client’s web forms, inboxes, and shared folders. Every time a new CV (PDF or Word) was received, the system detected and processed it.
2. Content reading and analysis
We used text extraction tools to automatically read the CV’s content. Then, using automatic classifiers (based on rules and natural language processing), we identified:
- Programming languages and key technologies.
- Years of experience by stack.
- English level (if indicated).
- Availability (date or contract type).
- Candidate’s country or time zone.
3. Classification and prioritization
With the extracted data, the system classified each profile according to process criteria: suitable, partially suitable, or unsuitable. Viable profiles were assigned a priority (high, medium, or low) based on match with requirements.
4. Structured delivery to recruitment team
For each viable candidate, a summarized record was generated in Google Sheets with all the organized information. Additionally, the system sent notifications via email or Slack with links to the CV and predefined tags.
This way, recruiters no longer needed to manually open and review each file; all information was ready for quick decision-making.
Results: measurable impact from week one
1. Faster review
Average CV analysis time dropped from 10-15 minutes to under 1 minute. This enabled reviewing up to 10 times more candidates in the same time frame.
2. Improved response time
With pre-filtered profiles ready, the client could present candidates within 24 hours—even in urgent processes.
3. Operational efficiency
Each recruiter freed up over 12 hours per week, which were redirected to higher-value tasks like interviews, follow-up, and closing processes.
4. Better matching quality
With more consistent filters, client acceptance rates increased by 20%. Sent profiles better met technical and logistical requirements.
Key learnings from the project
1. Automation doesn’t mean losing control
Far from replacing the recruitment team, automation gave them more visibility and decision power. Information arrived clearer, faster, and without errors.
2. n8n’s flexibility is a differentiator
n8n’s ability to integrate with multiple sources and platforms allowed building a tailored system without relying on a specific ATS or expensive external tools.
3. Improvement is incremental
The automated flow was designed in modules. This allowed weekly improvements, rule adjustments, and system extension to other processes over time.
How to automate IT candidate pre-qualification: conclusions
This success story shows how well-thought-out automation can transform a critical process like IT candidate pre-qualification. Instead of seeing automation as a threat or a distant reality, companies can use it as a concrete tool to save time, improve quality, and scale operations.
In a market where speed and accuracy are key, having intelligent processes can make the difference between filling a vacancy or falling behind.
Does your company also manage recruitment processes and need to gain speed and efficiency? At MyTaskPanel Consulting, we design automation solutions tailored to your tools, teams, and goals.
Contact us, and we’ll show you how to free up operational time and improve your service quality from week one.
