AI Recruiting ROI Calculator: Sourcing and Interview Cost
Calculate how much your team saves by switching from manual interviews to AI. Input your open roles, interview volume, engineer hourly rate, and interview duration to see monthly savings, annual ROI, and engineering hours recovered.
What AI interview plans cost per month
Starter $99/month, Growth $299/month, Scale $499/month, Pro $999/month, with custom pricing above the top tier. Each plan carries its own monthly interview allowance, listed per tier on the pricing page.
How to calculate the cost of a manual interview · Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the ROI for AI interviews calculated?
The ROI is calculated by comparing the total cost of your current manual screening - recruiter hours, engineering time, scheduling overhead - against The Cognitive's plan pricing. The calculator models monthly savings and annual ROI using your actual inputs, making it one of the most direct ways to build a business case for ai powered recruitment software.
What costs does The Cognitive replace?
The Cognitive replaces the engineering and recruiter time spent conducting first-round screening interviews - typically the largest recurring labour cost in early-stage hiring. Teams evaluating the best ai recruiting tools consistently find this to be the line item with the highest return when automated.
Can I try AI interviews before committing to a plan?
Yes. Every account starts with 2 free interviews - the most practical way to learn how to use ai in hiring before making any financial commitment. Run real interviews with actual candidates and validate the ROI with your own data before selecting a plan.
What inputs do I need to use the calculator accurately?
You will need your average number of open roles, monthly interview volume per role, the hourly rate of the people currently conducting interviews, and your typical interview duration. The calculator uses these to model your current manual spend and compare it directly against The Cognitive's ai recruiting software costs.
How many engineering hours can The Cognitive recover each month?
Teams running 100+ first-round interviews per month typically recover 40 to 80 engineering hours monthly by switching to automation in recruitment. The calculator produces a precise figure based on your actual volume and interview duration inputs.
Which plan delivers the best ROI for my team?
The right plan depends on your volume and team size. Teams comparing the best ai recruiting tools will find the Starter plan ($99/month) suits lower-volume hiring, while Scale and Pro are built for organisations interviewing at scale. The calculator indicates which tier aligns with your projected volume and produces the strongest return.
How quickly will we see a return after switching?
Most teams see a positive ROI within the first month. Because The Cognitive's ai powered recruitment software replaces a recurring labour cost, savings compound with every hire cycle. The annual ROI figure reflects the cumulative impact over a full year at your current hiring pace.
Does the calculator account for time-to-hire improvements?
The primary outputs are cost savings and engineering hours recovered. The time-to-hire improvement - from an industry average of 60 days to approximately 10 - is an additional benefit not fully captured in dollar terms. For teams learning how to use ai in hiring strategically, speed-to-offer often matters as much as cost reduction.