Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained its own seat at the proverbial “table” in just about every business function, including talent acquisition–and for good reason. A recent poll by Forbes showed that 64% of businesses believe that artificial intelligence will help increase their overall productivity. And, with a pending recession on the horizon, efficiency is top of mind for HR leaders.

While there are many use cases for AI in recruiting, efficiency is the primary goal. For us at Emi, the creator of the first responsive AI chatbot for frontline candidates, we believe that increased efficiency should not come at the cost of human judgment.

So, let’s explore what makes a responsive AI chatbot unique and how we’ve seen high-volume hiring organizations experience dramatic benefits from it.

What is a responsive AI chatbot?

Whether it’s been a simple “leave a question, and we’ll email you back” popup on a webpage or a support chatbot that assists customers in paying bills or tracking orders, many of us have had some interaction with chatbots–and not all have been seamless, to say the least. 

However, Emi’s frontline recruiting chatbot is unique. It is the first responsive AI chatbot built specifically for the underserved candidate market of frontline workers.

So, you may be wondering what makes this chatbot any different than others. Well, simply put, Emi’s responsive AI chatbot is a powerful two-way communication channel that provides a natural, conversational interface for candidates that isn’t restricted to a desktop computer or an app.

Digging a bit deeper into the details, however, this responsive AI chatbot utilizes a deep learning model that employs natural language understanding (NLU) techniques to classify sentence structures and extract named entities, enabling it to understand and respond to user messages more effectively than the clunky chatbots many of us have experienced. The best part is that this chatbot continues to improve and grow. The model is constantly re-trained using conversations with candidates and manual feedback from Emi’s conversation experts.

How does Emi’s responsive AI chatbot work?

Emi’s chatbot enables individuals to apply directly for a job through SMS text, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger. The application process takes just a few minutes and can be completed in a single text conversation instead of having to go through the hassle of creating multiple logins or working through multiple forms. Additionally, applicants can ask the AI chatbot questions about the position and receive a response immediately regardless of what time it is. 

Emi intelligently gathers the information from the text-based conversation and inputs it into the Emi database and existing systems, like an applicant tracking system (ATS) or candidate management system (CMS). After this point, it enters the automation stage of the Emi platform.

Benefits of using a responsive AI chatbot in frontline recruiting

Recruiting for hourly positions, particularly when mass recruiting, can be an incredibly daunting task for any talent acquisition team. That’s why we built the first responsive AI chatbot in Emi. We knew that frontline recruiters needed support built for frontline candidates to streamline the recruiting process without removing all human elements from hiring decisions. So, let’s explore some of the benefits of this innovative technology.

Improved frontline candidate experience

Frontline recruitment can be a challenging task for hiring managers, especially when it comes to managing a high volume of candidate interactions. 

With a responsive AI chatbot, frontline candidates can easily access information about the company, the role they are applying for, and the recruitment process itself, all without requiring the involvement of a recruiter. This creates a streamlined, frictionless, and wait-free experience, reducing the risk of candidates losing interest due to delays in communication or frustration with the recruitment process.

AI chatbots can also personalize the candidate experience by tailoring conversations to the candidate's specific needs and preferences. This level of personalization creates a more engaging experience, increasing the likelihood of candidates accepting job offers.

In addition, AI chatbots are available 24/7, which means candidates can access them at any time. This creates a more flexible experience, accommodating candidates who may not be able to interact with recruiters during traditional business hours.

Overall, enhancing the candidate experience through the use of a responsive AI chatbot can be a significant factor in successful frontline recruiting.

Reduced candidate ghosting and application abandonment

One of the biggest challenges in recruiting is candidates vanishing from the hiring process–often called ghosting. This ghosting can happen at many points in the candidate lifecycle, but when it happens in the application phase, it’s usually referred to as application abandonment. 

Many application processes are too cumbersome and time-consuming, causing potentially qualified individuals to drop off before submitting their applications. In fact, research shows that for hourly workers, applicant abandonment usually happens in the first 3-5 minutes. So, if a job takes longer than 5 minutes to complete, the candidate drop-off rate increases to 50%-75%. And applications with over 25 questions have a drop-off rate of 25%-50%.

This is a key area where a responsive AI chatbot can change the game.

With Emi’s chatbot, the application process is user-friendly, simple, and fast. This model empowers candidates to complete the entire process on their mobile devices without the need to fill out lengthy forms or submit formal resumes. Emi can also use geolocation to connect candidates to find the job openings that are closest to them or their desired location.

The best part is that AI chatbots can keep track of every candidate interaction, which allows recruiters to use data analytics to continuously improve recruitment strategies. 

Overall, the use of responsive AI chatbots in recruiting offers a more streamlined, efficient, and user-friendly experience for candidates, which ultimately reduces the rate of application abandonment.

Ensuring ethical AI in recruiting

As AI continues to send shockwaves through every industry, professionals are fairly asking questions about how much reach the technology has. It would be unwise to simply accept this powerful technological shift without asking questions and performing due diligence. 

While other recruitment platforms may choose to utilize AI in their candidate selection stage, we firmly believe that our technology should provide recruiters with the tools they need to make informed decisions–not make those decisions for them. In fact, research reveals that 71% of Americans are against using AI in final hiring decisions, and we agree with them.

Emi utilizes AI only in our chat interactions to be responsive to candidates when they are most likely to abandon the process. Beyond this, we utilize automation, which is completing repetitive tasks in a continuous cycle. Automation does not use continuous, autonomous learning as AI does. Instead, Emi utilizes rules that are set by the hiring teams to automate the review of candidate applications. Still, any individuals who do not meet the criteria are simply put into a separate list that can be revisited if the recruiter so desires.

Again, the goal of the Emi platform is not to replace talent acquisition professionals but to empower them by removing the noise of tedious, low-value tasks. This is why we have engineered our technology in this way.

How Emi’s responsive AI chatbot can help

Emi’s responsive AI chatbot was created to serve frontline candidates by alleviating some of the most frustrating parts of frontline recruiters. 

Leading frontline employers like Walmart, Burger King, Heineken, and KFC have utilized Emi and experienced a 50% daily time savings for recruiters, an 82% reduction in time to interview, and an 83% reduction in time to fill. Not to mention that 73% of candidate interactions with Emi’s chatbot happened outside business hours–talk about responsive!

If you want to learn more about how this leading technology can help your organization, contact us for a live, custom demo.