Chipotle has added an AI tool Ava Cado in an attempt to speed up its hiring process, and so far, it seems to be working quite well. Chipotle Chief Human Resources Officer Ilene Eskenazi told CNBC on Monday that since implementing the technology, the number of applicants the company has received has increased “dramatically.”
The AI tool interacts with job candidates, answers questions, collects information, and schedules interviews with (human) hiring managers. It also speaks multiple languages: English, Spanish, French, and German.
Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said the tool reduced hiring times by up to 75%. Eskenazi also said that candidates are now “much more informed about what the job really is.”
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“I personally have been pleasantly surprised by how much candidates have enjoyed interacting with Ava,” she added.
However, the AI tool hasn’t helped with sales. Last week, Chipotle reported that traffic had declined for the second quarter in a row. Created by AI HR firm Paradox, Ava Cado reportedly reduces friction in the hiring process.
Earlier, Chipotle managers were tasked with scheduling all of the interviews, both from people who applied online as well as during hiring events or when people came in seeking employment which led to a lot of administrative work for managers.
Eskenazi also said that the number of applicants has increased drastically, and the company is now seeing an 85% application completion rate. Ava Cado helps candidates by populating the application with the information they provide, cutting down the average time it takes to complete an application to around eight minutes.
Ava Cado also manages the interview schedule for managers, who are able to block out certain times during the week and candidates can then be scheduled based on their availability.
Paradox has around 1,000 clients who use their AI tools at some point in the recruitment process. Some of these clients include 7-Eleven, General Motors, Nestle, Marriott International and Lowe’s.
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While this seemed to have had a positive impact on Chipotle, there remain concerns about the integration of AI into the hiring process. The security of applicant data is one area of concern — earlier this month, Paradox reported that a security vulnerability was detected by researchers, potentially exposing applicant names, email addresses and contact info. Paradox said none of the data was leaked or made public.
Eskenazi said the company has a strong interview and training process that its managers will continue to lead and make the decisions for. Ava Cado does not screen resumes, or make employment decisions.
“We’ve gotten a lot of anecdotal feedback from both general managers and candidates, and it’s been incredibly strong,” Eskenazi added. “I personally have been pleasantly surprised by how much candidates have enjoyed interacting with Ava.”