How ALDI SUISSE Increased Application Quality While Reducing Screening Effort for Blue-Collar Roles by Over 60%

The Starting Point

ALDI SUISSE receives a very high volume of applications — particularly for sales positions. Many criteria (flexibility, availability, mobility) had to be checked manually or could only be clarified in a personal interview. This led to high administrative effort in screening and delayed identification of truly suitable candidates. Time-to-offer for qualified applicants was longer, and there was a risk that strong profiles would drop out of the process.

Structure Instead of Manual Review

For each sales role, ALDI SUISSE defines clear conditions that apply equally to all applicants:

• The advertised workload/hours
• Willingness to work Saturdays
• Realistic commute to the workplace
• Alignment with the expected salary range and working hours

These criteria are not open to interpretation — they are directly tied to the job requirements.

Dynamic Pre-Qualification During the Application

Standardizing requirements was the key lever: what is clearly defined can also be automated. Applicants' desired workload is now automatically compared with the defined workload. If the desired hours deviate by more than 20% from the advertised position, the applicant is transparently informed that the conditions don't match and is directed to the careers page to explore other options.

Additionally, the system checks how applicants commute, how long the journey takes, and whether the role- and workload-specific salary range fits the individual. The salary comparison is done dynamically based on the advertised hours and role.

All questions are role-specific, identical for all applicants, and consistently administered by the AI.

Efficient Screening with JobFit

For qualified applications, ALDI SUISSE additionally uses PastaHR's AI-assisted screening tool, JobFit. Based on the job description, the AI automatically creates a specific requirements profile with relevant evaluation factors.

Each factor is individually analyzed against all application information and classified as Match, No Match, or Unknown. The reasoning and sources behind every AI evaluation are stored, making all results fully traceable. Recruiters can flexibly adjust the selection factors in consultation with the relevant manager — since requirements vary by location type (urban vs. rural) and canton.

JobFit is fully integrated into SuccessFactors. Recruiters can immediately see which candidates are the best fit, helping prioritize interviews. The final hiring decision always rests with the recruiting team and the line manager.

Compliance and AI Governance

AI is used under clear governance guidelines: no customer data is used for training, and no automatic hiring decisions are made. All AI results are transparent, explainable, and traceable. Data processing takes place exclusively in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, and is fully compliant with the Swiss revised Data Protection Act (revDSG), GDPR, and the EU AI Act. PastaHR is ISO 27001 certified.

In Summary

Starting Point

• ALDI SUISSE receives a very high volume of applications.
• Many criteria such as flexibility, availability, and mobility were previously checked manually during CV screening or discussed in subsequent personal interviews.
• This led to high administrative effort in screening and delayed the identification of truly suitable candidates.
• ALDI SUISSE wanted to structure the process more efficiently, clarify key conditions earlier, and deploy recruiting resources more strategically.

Solution

• A combination of AI-supported pre-qualification during the application process and AI-assisted screening, integrated into the existing ATS (SuccessFactors).
• Already during the application, role- and location-specific conditions are automatically checked.
• Applicants are asked targeted questions about flexibility and mobility directly within the application process. The goal is to check the fit between the position's requirements and the individual's expectations early on, and to support recruiters in making the pre-selection efficiently and accurately.
• AI actively assists recruiters in screening pre-qualified applications directly within the ATS (SuccessFactors). The AI evaluation is traceable with clear sources and reasoning, and is EU AI Act compliant.