Case Study: How Hugging Face used Workable’s AI to scale global hiring by 300%
See how Hugging Face scaled global hiring, tripled their team, and eliminated external recruiter costs using Workable’s AI-driven ATS.
Quick Results
|
Category |
Metric / Outcome |
Business Impact |
|
Hiring Growth |
Total hires increased by 300% |
Scaled global hiring capacity without adding recruiters |
|
Automation & AI |
Used Workable’s AI Screening Assistant to screen thousands of resumes automatically |
Accelerated candidate review and improved shortlist accuracy |
|
Recruiter Efficiency |
Saved 2+ hours per recruiter per week |
Reduced time-to-hire and administrative burden |
|
System Modernization |
Replaced manual spreadsheets with a unified ATS |
Centralized recruiting data, improving visibility and collaboration |
|
Cost Reduction |
Eliminated external recruiter spend |
Fully transitioned to in-house, cost-efficient hiring |
|
Scalability |
Supported hiring in 30+ countries |
Enabled consistent processes across global, remote teams |
|
Decentralized Collaboration |
Enabled non-recruiters to manage hiring |
Increased accountability and speed across teams |
|
Analytics & Reporting |
Used real-time dashboards to track hiring metrics |
Data-driven decision making for ongoing optimization |
Who is Hugging Face?
Hugging Face is a leading artificial intelligence company known for building the world’s most popular platform for sharing and collaborating on machine learning models. With nearly 2 million social followers and a loyal user base, Hugging Face is often described as “GitHub for AI,” becoming a cornerstone of the open-source AI ecosystem.
Founded in Paris and now headquartered in New York City, Hugging Face operates as a remote-first organization with over 220 employees distributed across more than 30 countries. The majority of its team, nearly 200 engineers and researchers, focuses on advancing machine learning and open-source technology.
To sustain rapid growth and continue attracting world-class talent, Hugging Face needed a recruiting solution that could support decentralized hiring across multiple time zones and disciplines, while remaining simple enough for non-recruiters to use.
What Was Hiring Like Before Workable?
Before adopting Workable, hiring at Hugging Face was primarily handled by external recruiters. There was no unified system for tracking candidates or managing communication, and hiring responsibilities were fragmented across the company.
When the founding recruiter, Flavien Coronini, joined Hugging Face, Workable was implemented as the company’s first and only ATS. With a very small recruiting team, it proved to be the perfect fit, empowering hiring managers across departments to take ownership of recruiting without needing formal recruiting experience. This decentralized approach aligned naturally with Hugging Face’s open and collaborative culture.
Why Did Hugging Face Choose Workable?
Hugging Face wanted an ATS that balanced performance, usability, and cost-efficiency. Competing systems felt unnecessarily complex and expensive for a lean, engineering-heavy organization.
Workable provided exactly what Hugging Face needed:
- A cost-effective solution without enterprise overhead.
- Simple, intuitive setup for users across 30+ countries.
- Seamless support for a remote-first, distributed hiring model.
- Automation and AI tools to reduce manual recruiter workload.
“The ratio between cost and performance is probably one of the best on the market.”
How Many People Does Hugging Face Hire?
Hiring volume at Hugging Face fluctuates with business needs, averaging around 60 hires per year across full-time, contract, and internship roles. The company has tripled in size since implementing Workable, growing from about 50 employees to over 220 in just four years.
The Head of Talent Acquisition personally manages 35–40 open roles annually, while individual teams also take ownership of their own recruiting through Workable’s shared access model.
How Does Workable Improve Efficiency?
Workable’s automation and AI-driven features help Hugging Face manage a large volume of applications without additional recruiting headcount.
- AI Screening Assistant automatically ranks top candidates from hundreds or thousands of inbound applications — a major advantage given Hugging Face’s high visibility in the AI community.
- Interview scheduling tools eliminate manual coordination, saving an estimated 2 hours per week.
- Analytics dashboards help track hiring metrics and team performance over time.
“As the only recruiter at Hugging Face, I couldn’t handle the volume of inbound applications without Workable’s AI recruiting tools. It’s a game changer.”
How Does Workable Support Hugging Face’s Growth?
Workable’s flexibility allows Hugging Face to maintain its remote-first, decentralized hiring model without compromising structure or visibility.
- Scales globally: Supports hiring across 30+ countries, time zones, and employment types.
- Decentralized access: Every team member can hire and manage candidates directly in Workable.
- Supports transparent collaboration: Hiring managers, engineers, and executives all stay aligned through shared pipelines and communication tools.
- Reduces dependency on agencies: Since implementing Workable, Hugging Face has completely eliminated external recruiters, significantly reducing spend and freeing up budget to reinvest in team growth and innovation.
“We don’t use agencies anymore. Workable gives us everything we need to manage hiring internally.”
Would Hugging Face Recommend Workable?
Yes.
“For the balance of cost, performance, and ease of use, Workable is probably one of the best ATS platforms on the market.”
By combining powerful AI tools with an intuitive, global-ready platform, Workable helps Hugging Face focus on what matters most: advancing the future of AI by hiring exceptional people everywhere.
