‍About BAL

BAL (Berry Appleman & Leiden) is one of the world’s leading immigration law firms. Their teams support people through some of the most important moments of their lives, which means every hire needs both technical strength and the right mindset to succeed in a high-integrity, high-empathy environment.

It’s not unusual for BAL to see hundreds of applicants for a single role. Immigration Assistants, Paralegals, and Attorneys all attract large, diverse pools, and historically, recruiters spent a significant amount of time sorting through them before they could even begin the meaningful parts of an interview.

The Problem

BAL’s team had the expertise, the candidate volume, and the commitment to quality - but not the time. Across many roles, the early interview stages were filled with repetitive tactical checks:

• Case experience?
• H-1B?
• PERM?
• Volume and complexity?

As Tom Lott, BAL’s Head of Talent Acquisition, put it:

“Recruiters only had this tiny sliver of time to talk about culture and fit because they were spending most of their time on the tactical things.”

Applicant volume amplified the pressure. Some roles saw hundreds upon hundreds of candidates, all of whom needed to be fairly considered. Recruiters were screening as many as they could, but the workload made it difficult to explore the deeper questions that actually determine success at BAL.

Catherine Anderson, BAL's Strategic Growth Advisor, shared:

“We can teach people almost anything if they have the foundational skills. But if they’re not a fit for the firm, they’re not going to be successful here.”

The team needed breathing room, and a way to make the first round more fair, more thorough, and more sustainable.

The Solution

BAL introduced Talent Llama to handle their early-stage interviews. The objective was not to diminish the human element; rather, it was to safeguard it.

A first interview that runs itself (so recruiters don’t have to)

Candidates now complete their Talent Llama interview on their own time: after hours, on weekends, whenever it fits them. Talent Llama handles the technical questions, assesses foundational competencies, and provides transcripts, scoring, and suggested follow-up questions.

For BAL, that shift unlocked hours they simply couldn’t get back any other way.

Tom recalls:

“It gave our recruiters a much bigger window to talk to candidates and build real relationships.”

Catherine saw the impact immediately:

“At one point we calculated it saved recruiters about a day a week. I’d be curious what it is now.”

A follow-up conversation with the team confirmed the number is actually higher now: 10 hours saved per week per recruiter, or just over 40 hours every month. That’s essentially an extra workweek Talent Llama gives back to each recruiter, every month.

Hiring managers get the full picture, not just the resume

Before Talent Llama, managers received a résumé and a brief interview guide. Now they see:

• Transcripts
• Rankings
• Competency scoring
• Bias-free comparison to other candidates
• Signals that help them assess authenticity
  
  

This shifted how decisions were made.

Catherine explained:

“Sometimes we zoom out and show hiring managers the whole funnel. It gives them a much better spectrum to view when considering candidates.”

And it changed the nature of hiring manager pushback. They still negotiate on compensation or hybrid expectations, but they no longer question candidate quality.

Candidates prefer this kind of first step

Most candidates share positive feedback about their Talent Llama experience. Many appreciate the flexibility and the ability to complete the interview without waiting for a scheduled screen.

Catherine hears a consistent theme:

“They like being able to do it after hours or stop and start. It helps them a lot for the first round.”

BALs Candidate Experience score holds strong at 4.7/5 across their Talent Llama AI Screenings. 

The Results

Time-to-fill: 77 days → 34 days

A 55% improvement, holding steady even as req volume increased (from 5 → 7 campaigns per month).

40+ recruiter hours reclaimed every month

Recruiters now spend their time building relationships, exploring motivations, and evaluating values, not repeating the same technical screen across dozens of candidates.

Higher confidence from hiring managers

More data, more clarity, and a deeper view into each candidate’s interview boosted internal trust in Talent Acquisition.

A stronger experience for candidates

More access. Less waiting. A fair first-round interview available 24/7 for all applicants, with a candidate experience score of 4.7/5 across all reqs handled through Talent Llama.

Trickle-Down Effects Across the Recruitment Journey

For Recruiters, the shift was immediate and unmistakable. The hours once consumed by repetitive technical screens and manual triage disappeared. Instead of grinding through the same checklist with dozens of candidates, recruiters now step into conversations with energy and focus. They spend their time on what actually predicts success at BAL, motivations, values, and culture fit. As Tom put it, Talent Llama “gave our recruiters a much bigger window to talk to candidates and build real relationships.”

For Candidates, the experience feels more flexible and respectful. The first-round interview isn’t a scheduling bottleneck anymore; it’s on-demand, at their pace, and available after hours. BAL hears the same feedback again and again: completing the interview when it works for them changes the tone of the entire process.

For Hiring Managers, the impact is structural. Instead of a resume and a brief interview summary, they now see transcripts, rankings, and the full context of the candidate pool. Decisions move faster because confidence is higher, managers no longer wonder whether a recruiter “really vetted” a candidate. They can see it.

For the Firm, reducing time-to-fill from 77 days to the mid-30s reshaped expectations. Roles move faster. Workloads balance sooner. And with more consistent screening and stronger shortlists, the quality bar stays high even as volume increases.

BAL didn’t speed up by cutting corners. They sped up by giving recruiters their job back, and that shift now carries through every stage of hiring.

‍In Their Words

Tom Lott, Head of Talent Acquisition

“Talent Llama has given our recruiters a much broader time slot to talk to candidates and build a relationship. Before, they had this tiny sliver of time because they were spending most of the interview on the technical aspects. Now, that technical piece (and even some of the cultural piece) is taken care of, so they can focus on soft skills and culture fit. If I were talking to another company, I’d cite the fact that our time to fill dropped from 77 to 34 days. When you think about how long a vacancy stays open, that reduction is real dollars saved.”

Catherine Anderson, Senior Recruiter

“It really helped us take control of the rhythm of our recruiting once we were able to build up those pools. I’d say it’s definitely worth trying. I can see this working in places of all sizes if they have enough requisitions open. It’s tough to find a tool that teams of different sizes can all use. I think it’s a great tool for that.”

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