AI ROI benchmark · HR and recruiting

HR and recruiting AI ROI benchmark

Estimate time saved on interview notes, job-description drafts, and policy retrieval while keeping employment decisions human.

This is a planning scenario, not a market average. Replace every input before making a purchase decision.

Gross monthly capacity value$592
Net monthly value after software$242
Annualized net value$2,904
Break-even time saved / month7.4 hours
Default assumptions used in this scenario
Current labor on the workflow360 hours/month
Loaded labor cost$47/hour
Share suitable for AI assistance35%
Productivity lift on that share20%
Savings realized in practice50%
Software and usage cost$350/month

Monthly gross value = current hours × loaded cost × addressable share × productivity lift × realization rate. Net value subtracts software cost. Capacity has value only if the business can redeploy it, avoid new cost, or produce more useful work.

Run your own numbers

Good pilot candidates

  • Convert interview notes into consistent summaries
  • Draft job descriptions from approved requirements
  • Answer policy questions with links to source documents

Keep a human decision

  • Rank or reject candidates without validated oversight
  • Infer protected traits or employee sentiment

The evidence applies to writing and knowledge work, not hiring outcomes. The estimate excludes any claimed improvement in quality of hire.

  1. Experimental Evidence on the Productivity Effects of Generative Artificial IntelligenceScience · Published 2023-07-13

    In preregistered writing tasks with 453 college-educated professionals, ChatGPT reduced completion time by 40% and raised rated output quality by 18%.

  2. Generative AI in Real-World WorkplacesMicrosoft Research · Published 2024-07-31

    A set of randomized field experiments across more than 6,000 workers found AI access increased document editing but did not establish a universal company-level ROI.

Read the full methodology, compare the other function benchmarks, or test a 30-day pilot against your own baseline.