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Every year, Malmö City's Health, Care, and Welfare Administration (HVOF) manages thousands of applications for summer healthcare jobs, the most resource-intensive recruitment effort in the organization. The old recruitment process was slow and administratively heavy, taking up to six weeks from application to interview. This timeframe often did not match the fast pace of the job market, where top candidates frequently received other offers in the meantime.
In the spring of 2024, the situation was particularly pressing. The organization faced its usual flood of applications, and with union warnings looming, there was no room for delays if vacations for existing staff were to be secured.
"We had to act quickly," says Samira Waychester, HR strategist at Malmö City's Health, Care, and Welfare Administration. "Our old recruitment process was resource-intensive, heavily administrative, and unsustainable—we needed a new approach."
To tackle the challenge, HVOF, led by Samira Waychester, decided to pilot Hubert, an AI-driven solution for the early stages of recruitment process. The goal was to reduce the administrative burden, shorten lead times, and ensure the right candidates reached hiring managers as quickly as possible. What the administration did not expect was the praise the solution was to receive from both candidates and employees.
The previous recruitment model relied heavily on manual steps. Recruiters reviewed CVs, scheduled and conducted phone interviews, and assigned candidates to managers—a workflow that was both time-consuming and inefficient.
"It was a huge frustration for candidates, recruiters, and managers," says Samira Waychester. "Many of our candidates, who often worked or studied during the day, were tough to reach for phone interviews during working hours. They called back after we had gone home, and we kept missing each other for weeks. We lost the best talents to other employers who could act faster."
"Ensuring a fair and inclusive recruitment process has always been a priority for Malmö City’s Health, Care, and Welfare Administration. We strive to systematize our methods to minimize the risk of both arbitrariness and unconscious bias—a challenge many employers face. To further strengthen our work as an inclusive employer, we needed a solution that could combine speed, fairness, and user-friendliness—for both candidates and hiring managers."
With Hubert, HVOF could automate the most time-consuming steps in the recruitment process. The solution is based on structured and skills-based interview techniques that are fully automated with AI.
The impact was immediate. The recruitment timeline, which previously took several weeks, was reduced to just a few days.
"It's an incredible change," says Samira Waychester. "Previously, it took us up to six weeks before a candidate got to the interview stage—now we can get candidates to managers in just a couple of days."
Beyond the significant time savings, Hubert noticeably improved the candidate experience. Many candidates appreciate that Hubert allows them to describe their previous experiences and abilities in their own words and conduct the initial screening interview at their convenience. Moreover, Hubert's process means that everyone applying for the job gets to do an interview. In traditional recruitment processes, usually only a few candidates get this opportunity, as it is time-consuming and most are screened out during the CV review.
"With digital interviews, all applicants get the same chance to show their potential, irrespective of how polished their CV is."
"Candidates have full control. They can do the interview whenever they want, which reduces stress and creates a modern and smooth experience. Offering such a flexible and fast process strengthens the Health, Care, and Welfare Administration's reputation as an attractive employer," says Samira Waychester.
As a public sector organization, HVOF also sets high standards for security and personal data handling. A crucial factor for daring to test the solution was the comprehensive documentation and guidance that Hubert provided. By offering the support the IT department needed, the organization felt confident that the solution was both legally and ethically sustainable, especially in the light of the upcoming EU AI Act.
"It's important to remember that Hubert only provides richer data for decision-making and acts as support in the selection process—never as the decision-maker," adds Samira Waychester.
The pilot project with Hubert has been a success for Malmö City's Health, Care, and Welfare Administration and resulted in:
Samira Waychester has clear advice for other municipalities and public organizations facing similar challenges:
"Please, Sweden's municipalities, don't wait for perfect conditions—start small and dare to test! With a pilot, you will quickly see the value for both candidates and organization. Recruitment is undergoing a digital revolution, and the public sector risks falling behind if we don't dare to adopt new, forward-thinking strategies. If viewed from the candidate's perspective, there is absolutely no reason to hesitate. The future of recruitment requires courage, and it starts with a first step."
Building on this success, Malmö Municipality looks forward to continuing the collaboration with Hubert and expanding the solution to more parts of the organization. Several Swedish municipalities have already begun using Hubert or are about to try it out.