Chipotle Cuts Hiring Time with AI Assistant Ava Cado
Chipotle, the fast-growing Mexican restaurant chain, has boosted its hiring process using an AI-powered assistant named Ava Cado. The chatbot manages candidate conversations, shares detailed job and company info, and schedules interviews—all in English, Spanish, French, and German. This move helps Chipotle handle the massive hiring demand created by plans to open roughly 300 new locations every year, each needing about 30 staff members. That means adding between 9,000 and 10,000 new hires annually, aside from filling roles in existing restaurants.
Application Process Streamlined to Eight Minutes
Ava Cado auto-fills applications based on the information candidates provide during chats, simplifying the experience. This has driven Chipotle’s application completion rate up to around 85%. According to Ilene Eskenazi, Chief Human Resources Officer, this increase means managers have a larger pool of candidates to evaluate.
Before Ava Cado, hiring managers handled every interview scheduling task. Now, the assistant automates scheduling, allowing managers to set their preferred interview slots while matching candidate availability. Ava Cado also ensures candidates are well-informed about the job before interviews, making conversations with hiring managers more productive and focused.
AI Cuts Hiring Cycle by 75%
The impact on hiring speed is significant. Chipotle has slashed its hiring timeline from 12 days to an average of just 3.5 days. CEO Scott Boatwright credits the AI assistant for improving staffing efficiency since its implementation about six months ago.
Looking ahead, Chipotle may add features to Ava Cado such as video introductions to the company and personalized location recommendations. The platform might also support future learning and development efforts. It’s important to note that while Ava Cado facilitates applications, it doesn’t screen resumes or make hiring decisions—managers keep full control over final selections.
Broad Adoption and Positive Feedback
Besides Chipotle, companies like 7-Eleven, Nestlé, Marriott, Lowe’s, and General Motors use this AI system. Feedback from general managers and candidates has been very positive. Eskenazi shared that many candidates enjoy interacting with Ava, which helps improve their experience from the very start of the hiring journey.
For HR professionals looking to explore AI tools that streamline recruitment and improve candidate engagement, learning more about AI applications in hiring can be valuable. Resources such as Complete AI Training's latest AI courses offer practical insights into automation and AI-driven recruitment technologies.
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