More Employers Making Use of AI in Hiring

Chipotle Mexican Grill (Newport Beach, Calif.) announced earlier this month it has teamed with a tech firm to use an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to help in its hiring process. The system, by Paradox, is driven by a virtual team member that Chipotle named “Ava Cado.”

“Ava” provides a frictionless hiring experience by chatting with candidates, answering their questions about Chipotle, collecting basic information, scheduling interviews for hiring managers and sending offers to candidates who are selected by managers. “Ava” is multilingual, and can converse with candidates in English, Spanish, French, and German.

“Paradox’s conversational hiring system will enable the general managers in Chipotle’s restaurants to spend less time on administrative tasks, including collecting basic information from candidates and scheduling interviews, and allow them to focus on their day-to-day operations and providing excellent hospitality for guests,” the restaurant operator said in a news release. “The technology, underpinned by Conversational AI, is expected to reduce the amount of time it takes to hire an employee for an in-restaurant position by as much as 75%.”

Overall, Chipotle is one of a growing number of employers using AI in the hiring process. According to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), about one in four companies are making use of such technology, with recruiting being the biggest specific use (64%), followed by learning/development (43%) and performance management (25%).  And when it comes to recruiters, the number is much higher, research by tech firm Tidio finds: 65% of such hiring professionals use AI to do their jobs.

The Tidio study also identified the top three concerns about using AI in hiring: Overlooking atypical qualities and experiences; algorithmic biases; and candidates manipulating the process to get hired.

Chipotle, for its part, is confident Paradox’s system will help it as it makes hires across its 3500-plus existing locations – and the 3500 more it plans to add in North America in coming years.

“As we continue to move toward that long-term goal, we are empowering our teams to recruit and hire talent that are excited by our vision to ‘Cultivate a Better World’ and want to grow with us,” said Ilene Eskenazi, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Paradox operates as if we’ve hired additional administrative support for all our restaurants, freeing up more time for managers to support team members and provide an exceptional guest experience. We’re excited about the early improvements we’re seeing.”