Get rid of copy-paste: cut repetitive HR work from your week

The real problem

Structure makers have processes and spreadsheets. Yet you lose hours of manual work every week. You copy CVs into a folder, send separate emails to pin appointments, paste notes into three systems and search for the latest version of the offer. Nobody asks, it just grew that way. The result is slowness at busy times and frustration with candidates who have to “wait a while for an update”. Read below on how to reduce repetitive HR work.

An example

Today you handle 20 applications. Five times someone asks about status. Four candidates want to move their slot. Two managers want the same overview in a different format. They are all little things. Together they consume your afternoon. Tomorrow this will repeat itself.

The 80/20 of repetitive work

Ninety per cent of the handiwork comes back in four streams each time:

1. Intake and triage: CVs in, basic info enrichment, labelling.

2. Scheduling: emailing back and forth, reconciling calendars, confirming.

3. Status and follow-up: “we have seen you”, “we are planning X”, “here is your assignment”.

4. Documents and approval: find, modify, circulate standard texts.

Whoever lightly automates those four streams wins every week.

Speed occurs when work flows and actions disappear.

The lightweight set-up

Intake with one form
Land each candidate via a single form with the 5 fields you always need. Upload CV, basic questions, region and availability. New submissions get an automatic thank you and appear in one overview. No more copy-paste.

Smart labelling at source
Let the form simultaneously assign labels: role, seniority, language, region, channel. This makes later filtering and reporting effortless.

Direct booking within fixed windows
Publish two recurring interview blocks per week. Candidates choose their own slot within those windows. After choice, automatic confirmation, video link and reminder leave. This eliminates back-and-forth mailing.

Preset messages
Write seven short templates for standard moments: receipt, invitation, assignment, reminder, rejection with feedback, offer in preparation, offer sent. Fill in variables (name, role, date) and send in one click.

Notes as a decision log
Replace separate e-mails with one fixed notepad per candidate: proof of skills, risks, open questions, proposal. That way everyone can help judge without extra meetings.

Documents as kit, not search
Save contract, offer letter and “first 90 days” as templates with variable fields. Choose once, fill automatically, ready for e-sign.

Why this works

• Fewer context switches: you do work in batches instead of single interrupts.

• Better candidate experience: every step is visible and predictable.

• Faster decisions: managers look at evidence, not threads in their inbox.

• Scalable rhythm: extra volume hardly requires extra coordination.

What you do measure

• Time from application to first response. Target: within 24 hours.

• No-show percentage at interviews. Target: < 10 per cent with recalls.

• Time from “go” to offer sent. Target: within 48 hours with templates.

• Number of manual operations per candidate. Target: halve in 30 days.

Starting calendar in four weeks

Week 1
Map the four streams. Count the actions. Write the seven message templates. Choose one form and one central list.

Week 2
Set two fixed interview windows per week. Activate direct booking. Publish the internal “this is how we do it”.

Week 3
Build the document kit: offer, contract, “first 90 days”. Test e-sign with an internal dry-run.

Week 4
Start and measure. Compare number of manual steps and turnaround times with the baseline measurement. Delete two more unnecessary actions.

Universally applicable

Replace service technician with your role, replace your tools where necessary. The principle remains: make the actions disappear so that work can flow. The gain is not in a new tool stack, but in a small, consistent rhythm.

Book a meeting with Tarquin, founder of MediaGuru, to solve your challenges.