How Xano helped Soraia modernize their client's legacy recruiting system and save €360k every year

Solutions

Within just six months, Soraia rebuilt Stars Be Original's recruiting system with a Xano backend and WeWeb frontend. A small team — one developer, one UX designer, and one product manager — handled the entire build, with a project manager from Stars Be Original as the point of contact.

"By ditching manual tasks, automating workflows, and improving UX, we gave Stars Be Original a system that finally works for them, instead of against them," Daniel said.

The new platform automated admin tasks, hiring workflows, and data reporting, while providing a clean and modern user experience on the frontend for recruiters and applicants.

Automated hiring pipeline

Recruiters no longer waste time on repetitive tasks. Thanks to database triggers and background tasks, the system automates onboarding, document collection, payments, and interview scheduling. 70+ automated emails trigger based on candidate status, reducing manual follow-ups. Payments are now fully integrated, allowing candidates to complete transactions without leaving the platform.

Automated reporting and real-time dashboard

Recruitment data from Fillout for forms, Stripe for payments, and Brevo for marketing are all aggregated into Xano. That data gets processed into new insights for recruitment KPIs and candidate progress tracking.

Instead of error-prone spreadsheets, recruiters now have dashboards with real-time visibility over hiring progress. According to Daniel, Xano's SQL editor played a crucial role in automating data retrieval and reporting.

Why Xano?

Instead of patching an outdated system, Soraia recommended a complete rebuild with Xano — creating a scalable, future-proof solution. "Instead of building on fragile foundations, we migrated their entire system to a scalable backend that could grow with them," Daniel explained.

They intentionally built everything from the ground up, eliminating all dependencies on the PHP infrastructure. Aside from a frontend UX overhaul, key migration challenges included data structuring, API redesign, and email automation — but the benefits far outweighed the effort.

"A clean rebuild eliminates technical debt, reduces costs, and accelerates future iterations. Long-term efficiency beats short-term fixes."

1. Full customization over software development drives better adoption

   • A fully-tailored system reduced workflow inefficiencies for Stars Be Original, driving higher adoption among recruiters and eliminating the risk of shadow IT. The ability to rapidly iterate meant the platform could easily evolve with business needs — and ensured even more adoption.

2. Xano has a visual, API-first approach — allowing for faster development without sacrificing flexibility

   • "We didn't have months to spend writing backend code from scratch. Xano let us build powerful APIs quickly, without sacrificing customization," Daniel explained. The team could also easily unify and clean legacy data for better organization, with Xano's flexible database structure.

3. Xano auto-scales for high-traffic seasons

   • Recruitment spikes seasonally, requiring reliable auto-scaling. Xano dynamically adjusts CPU and memory to meet demand — no DevOps required. Soraia doesn't need to worry about provisioning servers or unexpected downtime. "Xano handles high traffic without breaking a sweat," Daniel said.

4. Xano provides enterprise-grade security and compliance, built into the platform

   • Handling sensitive recruitment data meant security was a top priority. Xano's GDPR and ISO 27001 compliance, encrypted storage, and role-based access controls eliminated the need for additional security infrastructure setup or maintenance.

   • Soraia could also select their server region to be in the EU, and easily implement custom API authentication rules.

When choosing the right backend, we needed something powerful, scalable, and fast to implement. That's where Xano came in.

Daniel Levis

Co-founder and CEO of Soraia

Results

Stars Be Original increased recruiter productivity by 30% and saved an additional €360k every year

By eliminating manual work, recruiters gained efficiency equivalent to six additional team members — without increasing headcount. "Automating manual tasks doesn't just save time. It transforms how a business operates," Daniel said.

Candidates move through the hiring process 2x faster

A streamlined hiring process meant faster placements, improved candidate experience, and higher-quality applicants. Better UX also resulted in higher recruiter satisfaction.

Stars Be Original finally has scalable, AI and automation-ready infrastructure

By rebuilding with Xano, Stars Be Original now has a scalable foundation that will support growth for years to come. "Xano helped us turn a frustrating, outdated system into a smooth, high-performance recruitment engine," Daniel explained.

Soraia plans to enhance candidate engagement in the platform even more — integrating WhatsApp messaging for real-time communication and faster response times.