Finding future leaders fairly and brilliantly

The challenge

When CVs don’t tell the whole story

Qantas is one of Australia’s most iconic brands, known for safety, service and innovation. Their Graduate Program is a critical pipeline for future leaders across finance, engineering, IT, digital, operations and more.

In 2025, Qantas saw a record 4,500+ applications for its Graduate Program, despite opening fewer positions. This surge was driven by a renewed focus on early careers marketing and social media.

But for graduates, CVs rarely reveal meaningful differences. 

With limited work experience, traditional screening creates a risk: overlooking the talent and diversity that make graduate cohorts so valuable. 

For Qantas, the challenge was clear:

• Differentiate candidates without relying on CVs
• Handle high volumes efficiently without scaling the TA team
• Deliver an inclusive, accessible candidate experience that reflects the Qantas brand

The solution

Science-backed hiring, candidate-first

Since 2021, Qantas has partnered with Sapia.ai to run fair, science-backed assessments at the top of their hiring funnel, starting with cabin crew and customer service roles, and now embedded into their Graduate Program.

Every graduate applicant is invited to complete a Sapia.ai Chat Interview.
Instead of CVs or psychometric tests, graduates respond to five open-ended, competency-based questions, on mobile, in their own time, and in their own words.

Sapia.ai’s AI (grounded in the FAIR™ framework) analyses each response for traits and competencies aligned to success at Qantas. The scoring is:

• Structured and explainable – every score is transparent and evidence-based
• Inclusive by design – blind to gender, ethnicity, age, or disability
• Candidate-first – every applicant receives personalised feedback and insights to help them learn and grow

The Qantas Talent Acquisition team receive a ranked shortlist of the most promising candidates, who then progress to Assessment Centres.

The outcome

Brilliant results, at scale

By meeting graduates on mobile and giving every candidate a fair chance to shine, Qantas has transformed its early careers hiring.

• Record volumes managed – 4,500+ applicants screened without additional recruiter headcount
• 1,831 hours saved in recruiter screening time during the 2025 graduate intake
• 8.8/10 candidate satisfaction and 96.7% completion rate – showing the assessment is both engaging and accessible
• More diverse pipelines – Sapia.ai’s research shows up to 30% more women apply when AI is used, and Qantas has seen stronger representation across gender, ethnicity, and background in their graduate pools
• Candidate experience at scale – personalised insights and coaching shared with every applicant, creating a positive brand experience even for those not progressing

“This is one of the best personality tests I have ever taken. It perfectly captured me and I really appreciate the pointers.” – (anonymous candidate)

“I liked that this is different, unlike most other jobs these days that try to filter applicants out by their resume without even trying to get to know them, this chat assessment allowed Qantas to get to know me. It gives the candidate a chance to show their skills, this helps the candidates to talk about themselves and have their say.” – (anonymous candidate)

Graduate programs are a bet on the future for leading organisations. By focusing on potential, not past experience, Qantas is ensuring that its graduate cohorts reflect both the brilliance and the diversity of the next generation. With Sapia.ai, Qantas can hire graduates brilliantly: fairly, efficiently, and with an experience that enhances the respected consumer brand.

“Sapia has been a valuable tool for improving diversity, accessibility and efficiency in our hiring process.” – Michael Eizenberg, Head of Qantas Group Talent Acquisition & Benefits