Independent Recruiters is a full-service recruitment agency with a unique edge: every recruiter specializes in the industry they recruit for. Serving clients across sectors, from startups to global corporations like Action and Danone, they focus on connecting the right people to the right opportunities—no matter the challenge.

For over 20 years, Independent Recruiters has consistently embraced innovation to stay competitive and improve their service. For founder Olfertjan Niemeijer, technology isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about delivering higher quality and a better experience for both clients and candidates. 

Thus, when the team saw the potential of AI, they recognized an opportunity to solve real-world problems and further elevate their service without losing the personal touch. This mindset led them to Carv.

The challenge  

Recruiters at Independent Recruiters pride themselves on deeply understanding each client’s unique challenges and finding candidates who can meet them. But as the business grew, the increasing administrative workload started to pull their focus away from their core work - building meaningful connections and delivering tailored solutions.

“Admin is never a recruiter’s priority. It’s not what we’re here for—it doesn’t help us solve client problems. It’s just something that has to get done,” Olfertjan explains. “But if it’s not done, and your system isn’t filled with the right data, it slows everything down and impacts service quality.”

Logging data into the ATS, summarizing candidate notes, and handling multilingual documentation were manual processes that demanded significant time. In addition to taking up to 1.5 hours on admin per candidate, these tasks were prone to human error and inconsistencies, with details occasionally overlooked and records sometimes left incomplete.

The team needed a way to reduce this admin burden while keeping their personal, hands-on approach intact. They weren’t looking to replace recruiters with AI—they wanted to enhance their ability to connect with candidates and customers.

The solution‍

With tools like Otys for ATS and smart sourcing solutions already in place, Independent Recruiters had a solid foundation for efficient recruitment. However, as the business expanded, the growing administrative workload highlighted the need for a smarter setup to keep up with demand.

After evaluating several options, Carv stood out as the ideal fit. Unlike generic AI tools, Carv was built specifically for recruitment, aligning perfectly with Independent Recruiters’ existing systems.

“We saw right away that Carv wasn’t just another tool. It was designed for recruiters, by people who understand what we do,” said founder Olfertjan Niemeijer.

What truly impressed the team was how seamlessly Carv integrated into their workflow without disrupting their existing processes. Once connected to their ATS and meeting tools, Carv took over repetitive tasks like capturing detailed interview notes, updating ATS fields with data extracted from calls, and generating multi-lingual candidate profiles ready for review.

With Carv handling these time-consuming tasks automatically—and around the clock—the team suddenly had hours back in their day to focus on the more rewarding aspects of their work. This newfound efficiency energized the team, sparking excitement as everyone looked forward to working more closely with their AI workmate. 

“We’ve tried many IT products over the years,” Olfertjan noted. “Carv was by far the easiest to implement and adopt.”

Carv didn’t just automate tasks; it transformed the way the team worked. By taking on the bulk of administrative tasks, it allowed recruiters to focus on what mattered most: building meaningful connections with their stakeholders.

The impact was immediately felt across the organization. 

The results

With Carv in place, the team no longer had to worry about manually logging data into the ATS or writing interview summaries. Carv made sure everything was captured and automatically generated, removing the risk of missed details and making everything easily accessible.

Most importantly, Carv saved recruiters significant time. Where they once spent up to 1.5 hours on admin tasks per candidate, Carv cut this by 45 minutes—saving the team over 250 hours every week. This gave recruiters more time to focus on what they do best: working with clients and finding the right candidates.

Next to these, Carv surfaced areas to improve, such as adopting more structured interview processes. This has been key in onboarding new recruiters and improving collaboration with AI.

And with Carv’s multilingual capabilities, the team found a new level of consistency. Recruiters working in different languages could now rely on Carv’s polished summaries to ensure that every piece of communication was professional and clear - a big help in maintaining quality.

For Independent Recruiters, Carv has exceeded expectations in every way. “We expected Carv to handle admin tasks at 80-85% accuracy, but it delivers at 98%,” Olfertjan shares.

The ease of use ensured quick adoption across the team, further strengthening Independent Recruiters’ commitment to innovation and leveraging the best tools in the market.

“Every day, we look for ways to add value,” Olfertjan shares. “With Carv, we’re not just staying relevant; we’re setting a new standard for recruitment excellence.”