Most hiring teams measure cost-per-hire. Few calculate what manual screening actually costs in recruiter time, manager hours, and delayed fills. Here's how to run the numbers.
Cost-per-hire is usually calculated as job board fees plus agency fees. That's the visible spend. The invisible spend is far larger.
For a role that receives 80 applications: 3 minutes per CV = 4 hours of reading. Add 20 phone screens at 20 minutes each = 7 more hours. Total: ~11 hours of recruiter time, just for the first round. At SGD 4,000/month (SGD 25/hour), that's SGD 275 in salary cost — before a single decision is made.
The recruiter then briefs the hiring manager, adjusts the shortlist, and coordinates second rounds. Add 3–4 hours of manager time per role. At SGD 8,000/month (SGD 50/hour), that's another SGD 150–200.
Every week a role is open, someone else is absorbing the workload — or it isn't getting done. For a productive individual contributor generating SGD 10,000 of output per month, a 3-week vacancy costs SGD 7,500 in missed productivity.
| Item | Manual Screening | HireCredible |
|---|---|---|
| CV review (80 applications) | 4 hrs × SGD 25 = SGD 100 | Skipped — score first |
| Phone screens (20 candidates) | 7 hrs × SGD 25 = SGD 175 | SGD 0 — AI conducts |
| Hiring manager briefing | 2 hrs × SGD 50 = SGD 100 | 30 min — ranked list ready |
| Platform / tool cost | SGD 0–50 (ATS) | SGD 199/month (20 roles) |
| Time to shortlist | 10–14 days | 2–3 days |
| Total per role (5 roles/month) | ~SGD 375 × 5 = SGD 1,875 | SGD 199 flat |
The numbers above use conservative estimates. Teams running higher volumes or with senior recruiters will see larger savings. The point isn't the exact figure — it's the structure of the saving: AI replaces labour-intensive work with a flat monthly cost.
Run your first role on HireCredible — free trial, no commitment.
Try Free →ROI (%) = [(Value gained − Cost) ÷ Cost] × 100
For a team running 5 roles per month:
That's before factoring in vacancy cost reduction. If faster screening cuts your time-to-hire by 7 days on each role, and each role generates SGD 300/day of productivity, you've recovered an additional SGD 1,500 per month across 5 roles.
Combined: SGD 3,176 gained, SGD 199 spent. That's the real ROI of structured AI screening.
Bad hires are the most expensive hiring outcome — and the hardest to quantify. A common rule of thumb puts the cost of a bad hire at 30–50% of annual salary. For a role paying SGD 48,000/year, a bad hire costs SGD 14,000–24,000 in recruitment, onboarding, and replacement costs.
Structured, consistent scoring reduces bad hire rates by removing the variability that produces them. When every candidate is evaluated on the same criteria by the same evaluator, the shortlist reflects actual competency — not interviewer mood, recency bias, or CV design.
Even one fewer bad hire per year more than justifies the full annual cost of HireCredible.
Free plan covers 30 minutes — enough for one full trial. Pro at SGD 199/month covers ~20 interviews (600 minutes). Team at SGD 449/month covers ~67 interviews (2,000 minutes). Top-ups: SGD 59 per 200 minutes. No contracts. Cancel any time.
For most Singapore SMEs running 3–10 hires per month, Pro is the right fit. Recruitment agencies and larger teams with 20+ concurrent roles should look at Team.
What is a good hiring ROI benchmark?
A useful benchmark is cost-per-hire versus productivity gain from faster fills. If a role generates SGD 8,000–15,000 of value per month, every week the seat is empty costs real money. Cutting time-to-shortlist by 10 days recovers 2–3 weeks of that value.
How do I calculate the cost of manual screening?
Multiply your recruiter's hourly rate by the hours spent on CV review and phone screens per role. Add in the opportunity cost of hiring manager time. For most Singapore SMEs, manual first-round screening costs SGD 400–800 per role in recruiter time alone.
How much does HireCredible cost?
Free plan: 30 minutes (1 trial). Pro: SGD 199/month for 600 minutes (~20 interviews). Team: SGD 449/month for 2,000 minutes (~67 interviews). Top-up: SGD 59 per 200 minutes.
What is the ROI of AI screening vs manual screening?
If you're running 5 roles per month with manual screening costing SGD 500 each, that's SGD 2,500/month in recruiter time. HireCredible Pro at SGD 199/month handles all 5 roles. The difference is SGD 2,300/month — before accounting for faster fills and reduced bad hires.
Does HireCredible reduce bad hires?
Structured, consistent scoring reduces the variance that leads to bad hires. Every candidate is evaluated on the same criteria. The result is a shortlist built on demonstrated competency, not on CV presentation or interview chemistry.
Try HireCredible free — run one role, see your actual time savings, then decide.
Start Free →