Chipotle has introduced a new artificial intelligence hiring platform created by Paradox that the company said will make the onboarding process simpler, faster, and more automated for its more than 3,500 restaurants.
The system, called Ava Cado, comes as Chipotle ramps up its fall hiring efforts – its second largest hiring period of the year behind “Burrito Season,” which is from March to May. According to the company, Ava Cado chats with candidates, answers their questions, collects basic information, schedules interviews, and sends offers in real time, reducing the time it takes to hire an employee for an in-restaurant position by as much as 75%. The system is multilingual with the ability to converse with candidates in English, Spanish, French, and German. Its deployment comes as Chipotle strives to double its footprint in the coming years.
“As we continue to move toward our long-term goal of operating 7,000 restaurants in North America, 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,” chief human resources officer Ilene Eskenazi said in a statement. “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.”
Paradox is currently being introduced in a phased approach across Chipotle’s system, with plans for completion this month.
According to a press release from Chipotle earlier this year, more than 73% of Chipotle’s restaurant employees belong to Gen Z, a generation that is more comfortable and reliant on conversational AI than their predecessors. In August, Chipotle ranked No. 1 on the American Opportunity Index’s ranking of the top 50 employers that offer recent high-school graduates with the best pathway to a sustaining career and increased compensation. Last year, Chipotle had 24,000 internal promotions, including 90% of its restaurant management roles and 87% of field leader positions.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
