Case Study Snapshot

Client: Populate EMR (US, Digital Health)

Hiring goal: Fast hiring aligned with a DEI mandate, without compromising bar

Shortlist speed: 48 hours

Shortlist size: 4 candidates

Outcome: 2 hires from 4 interviews

About Populate EMR

Populate EMR is a US-based digital health company building modern software that helps healthcare providers run smoother operations while staying compliant. As the product matured, they needed to add key team members quickly — and meet a DEI hiring mandate while doing it.

The Challenge

Populate EMR had two problems at the same time:

1. They needed to hire quickly for specific roles.
2. They couldn’t afford a low-signal pipeline. Past cycles had burned time on candidates who looked fine on paper but didn’t match the bar in execution, communication, or fit.

On top of that:

• Their existing networks didn’t consistently surface diverse, qualified candidates.
• Traditional recruiters introduced cost and risk (retainers, long timelines, and too much resume volume).

They needed a pipeline that delivered relevance, not volume — and did it fast.

The Solution

Airwork ran a focused headhunting sprint designed for speed and quality control.

Within 48 hours of the intake call, Populate EMR received a curated shortlist of 4 candidates — all vetted for skills and alignment. Populate interviewed all four and hired two.

What was different