In 2023, the world embraced the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) more than ever before. With the explosion of ChatGPT into individuals’ pockets at the end of last year, we’ve seen interest and trust in AI solutions from organizations skyrocket.
The year 2023 stands as a testament to the potential of AI in creating an enriched, unbiased, and empowering hiring experience.
We’ve compiled the highlights that have made this year our most exciting so far – click the button below to immerse yourself in the year that’s been.
The Sapia.ai Difference: Our Candidate Experience
Numbers speak louder than words. And our 2023 candidate numbers resound with success. Almost 1.4 million candidates shared their stories this year in a Chat Interview, giving every one of them a fair and equal chance at success.
450,000 candidates completed a Video Interview, giving them the chance to share more about who they are, and enabling hiring teams to ‘meet’ shortlisted candidates at a time that suited them.
Of the candidates who started a Chat Interview, 91.8% completed it, showing that candidates appreciate the opportunity to open up and bring their real and best selves when applying for a job.
The impact that allowing candidates to interview, and receive personalised feedback that they can use in their lives and careers, is huge.
Not only did 96% of candidates find the feedback they received useful, but the follow-on effect to our customer’s brands is a testament to the visionary talent leaders seeing the benefits of investing in their candidate experience.
79% employer brand advocacy and 84% consumer brand advocacy show how a candidate’s experience with AI, when curated in a respectful, low-pressure way, can positively impact your consumer brand.
Reducing Bias: A Key Achievement in 2023
One of the most significant pillars of our mission that we’re proud of is our unwavering commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process. In 2023, we’ve made substantial strides in ensuring that every candidate gets a fair chance, regardless of their background, making the hiring process more equitable and just.
In March of 2023, independent research was published that underscored the transformative impact of Sapia.ai in workplaces. The study highlighted how our platform significantly reduces the gender gap in technology hiring, a traditionally male-dominated sector. This research serves as a testament to our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, and our unwavering pursuit to level the playing field in the recruitment process.
The strides we’ve made with Sapia.ai are not just about challenging the status quo; they are about shaping a future where opportunities are boundless, and talent is recognized, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, age, or any other irrelevant piece of information about a person other than their potential to perform in the role.
Customer Impact: The True Measure of Our Success
Our customer’s satisfaction is the heartbeat of Sapia.ai. And in 2023, the pulse is strong. Our customer testimonials echo our commitment to excellence in the hiring process. They tell a story of transformed hiring experiences, saved time and resources, and how Sapia.ai has been a game-changer for businesses.
You can read our testimonials in our Year in Review highlight here.
By automating the screening and assessment of candidates, we’ve made a remarkable difference in streamlining the recruitment process. This year, we’re proud to share that we’ve saved each recruiter and hiring manager who uses Sapia.ai almost 30 hours per month. This has not only led to improved efficiency but has allowed hiring teams to focus more on their people. The time saved translates to increased productivity, enhanced candidate experience, and a more personable approach to hiring.
New Customer Partnerships: Strengthening Our Reach in 2023
This year, we had the pleasure of welcoming some esteemed brands to our growing network. These organizations are not just our valued clients; they are visionary leaders who embrace Responsible AI to make the hiring process better and more equitable.
We’re proud to collaborate with Kmart and Target Australia, global entities renowned for their commitment to diversity and fairness. Starbucks Australia, another of our prestigious customers, is making strides in efficient, responsible hiring practices with our platform. We’re also excited about our global partnerships with Joe & the Juice, a dynamic and innovative brand with a presence across the UK, Europe, and the US; Edge, an American organization known for its forward-thinking leadership; and Ecentric Payments, a pioneer in the South African digital payment solutions sector.
These partnerships demonstrate our shared vision to transform the hiring landscape, making it fairer and more efficient for all.
Expanding Our Integrations in 2023
This year, we also made meaningful strides in strengthening our partnerships with other major organizations in the HR space.
We’re thrilled to announce the successful completion of our integrations this year with SAP SuccessFactors, LiveHire, iCIMS, and Avature.
These partnerships have been instrumental in expanding our reach and capabilities. Through these integrations, we can now offer a seamless, comprehensive experience encompassing every stage of the hiring process for users of these platforms.
This simplifies the recruitment workflow and ensures a smooth, hassle-free journey for both candidates and hiring teams.
Product Innovations of 2023
In April we introduced our multilingual capability, starting with French and Spanish, and rapidly expanding to Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, and Swedish. This significant expansion in our language offering for candidates facilitates easier communication for speakers of languages other than English fostering inclusivity and paving the way for a more diverse talent pool. The ability to accommodate various languages is instrumental in meeting our goal of making hiring equitable and accessible on a global scale.
In July we uplifted the review section of our Video Interviews, enabling a panel-style review process with multi-assessor capability. With new permissions sets that ensure hiring managers can only see their ratings, this feature helps to reduce the possibility of conformity bias, encouraging hiring managers to rate candidates solely based on their perspective and not be influenced by others’ opinions.
Also in July, we achieved a significant milestone with the development of our first proprietary large language model, which played a crucial role in the creation of our innovative Artificially Generated Text Detector. This language model, built with advanced machine-learning techniques, represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to innovation in AI. It can differentiate human-like text from artificially generated text, thanks to our large collection of human answers.
The detector can efficiently and effectively scan for artificial content, created with tools like ChatGPT. This innovative feature has been instrumental in ensuring the authenticity of our Chat Interview, reducing plagiarism by an astounding 78% almost overnight. By curbing plagiarism, we ensure each candidate has a fair opportunity to showcase their unique skills and competencies; and preserve the integrity of our platform in maintaining fairness in the recruitment process.
In October we launched Talent Hub, a game-changing feature that has accelerated the shortlisting process for recruiters and hiring managers. This tool provides a central hub for all Sapia.ai insights and data, reducing the clicks to review and progress a candidate by an impressive 75%. Now, the entire recruitment process is faster, smoother, and more efficient than ever before.
This month we released SMS reminders, which will help to boost our already industry-leading completion rates, enabling our customers to assess a broader talent pool.
Lastly, one of the most exciting innovations to have kicked off in 2023 was the proof of concept of Phai, our career site chatbot powered by generative AI.
Our customers have been crying out for us to bring the power of chat earlier in the candidate journey, connecting with candidates on a personalized level from the moment they land on the career site. Phai is the first step in this direction, with general availability slated for Q1, 2024; and a roadmap of functionality planned that will elevate the candidate experience even further.
To interact with Phai, simply click the chat button on the bottom left of your browser window.
Global Recognition: Our Scientific Research
In 2023, our efforts in scientific research and practical application of AI garnered global recognition, amplifying our commitment to innovation and responsible AI. We were profoundly honored to have had the opportunity to present four research papers at the 2023 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) annual conference, the leading global event for I/O psychologists.
This recognition underscores our dedication to rigorous scientific research and our quest for knowledge, driving us to continue exploring new frontiers. We are also thrilled to announce the news that 6 research papers from Sapia.ai have been accepted for presentations at the 2024 SIOP conference and a poster at the NVIDIA GTC conference, one of the leading venues for showcasing Gen AI innovations.
Moreover, our work has been acknowledged by the National AI Centre in Australia, emphasized in a recent paper on the country’s expanding AI ecosystem. This recognition serves as a testament to our impactful contributions to the Responsible AI ecosystem in Australia and beyond. It also highlights our pivotal role in shaping the future of AI and its practical applications, further reinforcing our commitment to enhancing the recruitment process using ethical AI.
Looking Forward to 2024
As we reflect on an extraordinary 2023, we’re filled with immense gratitude for our partnerships, innovations, and recognitions that have shaped the year.
Leaping into 2024, we have some incredibly exciting plans shaping up that will elevate the experience for candidates and hiring teams and move us closer to achieving our mission of using ethical AI to make hiring fairer, more efficient, and more effective.
Related
Blog
Sapia.ai Wrapped 2024
It’s been a year of Big Moves at Sapia.ai. From welcoming groundbreaking brands to achieving incredible milestones in our product innovation and scale, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in hiring.
And we’re just getting started 🚀
Take a look at the highlights of 2024
All-in-one hiring platform
This year, with the addition of Live Interview, we’re proud to say our platform now covers screening, assessing and scheduling.
It’s an all-in-one volume hiring platform that enables our customers to deliver a world-leading experience from application through to offer.
Supercharging hiring efficiency
Every 15 seconds, a candidate is interviewed with Sapia.ai.
This year, we’ve saved hiring managers and recruiters hours of precious time that can now be used for higher-value tasks.
Giving candidates the best experience
Our platform allows candidates to be their best selves, so our customers can find the people that truly belong with them. They’re proud to use a technology that’s changing hiring, for good.
Leading the way in AI for hiring
We’ve continued to push the boundaries in leveraging ethical AI for hiring, with new products on the way for Coaching, Internal Mobility & Interview Builders.
Blog
Situational Judgement Tests vs. AI Chat Interviews: A Modern Perspective on Candidate Assessment
Choosing the right tool for assessing candidates can be challenging. For years, situational judgement tests (SJTs) have been a common choice for evaluating behaviour and decision-making skills. However, they come with limitations that can make the hiring process less effective and less inclusive.
AI-enabled chat-based interviews, such as Sapia.ai, provide organisations with a modern alternative. They focus on understanding candidates as individuals and creating a hiring experience that is both fair and insightful while enabling efficient screening and selection.
This shift raises important questions: Are SJTs still a tool that should be considered for volume hiring? And what do AI assessments offer in comparison?
1. The Static Nature of SJTs
Traditional SJTs use predefined multiple-choice questions to assess behavioural tendencies and situational knowledge. While useful for screening, these static frameworks lack the flexibility to adapt based on real-world performance data or evolving role requirements.
Once created, SJTs don’t adapt to new data or evolving organisational needs. They rely on fixed scenarios and responses that may not fully reflect the dynamic realities of modern workplaces, and as a result, their relevance may diminish over time.
AI-enabled chat interviews, on the other hand, are inherently adaptive. Using machine learning, these tools can continuously refine their models based on feedback from real-world outcomes such as hiring or turnover data. This ability to evolve ensures the assessments align with organisations’ needs.
2. Richer Data Through Open-Ended Responses
One of the main critiques of SJTs is their reliance on multiple-choice responses. While structured and straightforward, these options may not capture the full scope of a candidate’s thinking, communication skills, or problem-solving ability. The approach is often limiting, reducing complex human behaviour to a few predefined choices.
AI-enabled chat interviews work more holistically and dynamically. These tools provide a more complete picture of a person by allowing candidates to answer questions in their own words. Natural language processing (NLP) analyses their responses, offering insights into personality traits, communication skills, and behavioural tendencies. This open-ended format lets candidates express themselves authentically, giving employers a deeper understanding of their potential.
3. The Candidate Experience: Stressful or Supportive?
SJTs often include time constraints and rigid formats, which can create pressure for candidates. This is especially true when candidates feel forced to choose options that don’t fully reflect how they would actually behave. The process can feel impersonal, even transactional.
In contrast, chat-based interviews are designed to be conversational and low-pressure for candidates. By removing time limits and adopting a familiar chat interface, these tools help candidates feel more at ease. They also frequently include personalised feedback, turning the assessment into a valuable experience for the candidate, not just the employer.
4. Addressing Bias and Fairness
Traditional SJTs are prone to transparency issues, as candidates can often identify and select the “best practice” answers without revealing their true tendencies. Additionally, static test designs can unintentionally embed bias; due to the nature of the timed test, SJTs have been found to disadvantage some groups.
AI chat interviews, when developed ethically within a framework like Sapia.ai’s FAIR Hiring Framework, eliminate explicit bias by relying solely on the content of a candidate’s responses. Their machine learning models are continuously validated for fairness, ensuring that hiring decisions are free from subjective judgments or irrelevant demographic factors.
5. An Assessment That Improves Over Time
Workplaces are constantly changing, and hiring tools need to keep up. SJTs’ fixed nature can make them less effective as roles evolve or organizational priorities shift. They provide a snapshot but not a dynamic view of what’s needed.
AI-enabled chat interviews are built to adapt. With feedback loops and continuous learning, they incorporate real-world hiring outcomes—like retention and performance data—into their models. This ensures that assessments stay relevant and effective over time.
Rethinking Candidate Assessment
As hiring demands grow more complex, so does the need for tools that can capture the whole person, not just their response to hypothetical scenarios. While SJTs have played an important role in hiring practices, they are increasingly being replaced by tools like AI-enabled chat interviews.
These modern approaches provide richer data, adapt to changing needs, and create a richer and more engaging experience for candidates. Perhaps most importantly, they emphasise fairness and inclusivity, aligning with the growing demand for unbiased hiring practices.
For organisations evaluating their assessment tools, the question isn’t just which method is “better.” Understanding the specific needs of your roles, teams, and candidates will help you choose tools that help you make decisions that are both informed and equitable.
Blog
Keeping Interviews Real with Next-Gen AI Detection
It’s our firm belief that AI should empower, not overshadow, human potential. While AI tools like ChatGPT are brilliant at assisting us with day-to-day tasks and improving our work efficiency, employers are increasingly concerned that they’re holding candidates back from revealing their true, authentic selves in online interviews.
As an assessment technology provider, we are responsible for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of our platform. That’s why we’re thrilled to unveil the latest upgrade to our flagship Chat Interview: the AI-Generated Content Detector 2.0. With groundbreaking accuracy and a candidate-friendly design, this innovation reinforces our mission to build ethical AI for hiring that people love.
Artificially Generated Content (AGC) is content created by an AI tool, such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Pi. We initially rolled out the first version of our AGC detector last year and have continued to improve it as our data set has grown and these AI tools have evolved.
What’s New?
Our updated AGC Detector 2.0 achieves an impressive 98% detection rate for AI-assisted responses, with a false positive rate of just 1%. This gives organisations peace of mind that they’re getting the most authentic assessment of every candidate.
This cutting-edge system builds on Sapia.ai’s proprietary dataset of over 2 billion words, derived from more than 20 million interview question-answer pairs spanning diverse roles, industries, and regions. It’s trained on real-world data collected before and after the release of tools like ChatGPT, ensuring it remains robust and reliable even as AI tools evolve.
The Challenge of AI in Chat-based Interviews
Our data shows that around 8% of candidates use tools like GPT-4 to generate responses for three or more interview questions. While these tools may offer a quick way for candidates to complete their interview, they can inadvertently hide a person’s true personality and potential – qualities our customers are most interested in understanding through our platform. In fact, research from Sapia Labs shows that these tools have their own personality traits, which may be quite different from the candidate applying for the role.
For Candidates: Enabling Authenticity
When a response is flagged as potentially AI-generated, the system doesn’t disqualify candidates. Instead, a real-time warning pops up, allowing them to revise their answers or submit them as-is. This ensures that candidates are encouraged to present themselves authentically, reflecting their unique communication styles and sharing their genuine experiences.
For Hiring Teams: Actionable Insights
Responses flagged as AI-generated are highlighted in the candidate’s Talent Insights profile, accessible via Sapia.ai’s Talent Hub or ATS integrations. These insights give hiring teams the transparency to make informed decisions, fostering trust while accelerating hiring timelines.
Built on Unmatched AI Interview Expertise
“Our detection model’s strength lies in its foundation of real-world interview data collected from diverse roles and regions,” says Dr Buddhi Jayatilleke, Sapia.ai’s Chief Data Scientist. This depth of understanding enables the AGC Detector to maintain its industry-leading accuracy – even when candidates subtly modify AI-generated answers to appear more human.
Why This Matters
The AGC Detector 2.0 embodies Sapia.ai’s commitment to ethical AI that amplifies human potential. As our CEO Barb Hyman explains:
“The hiring landscape has fundamentally changed since ChatGPT, but our commitment remains clear: AI should amplify human potential, not penalise it. This breakthrough fosters authentic hiring conversations. Our real-time warning system helps candidates make better choices and gives enterprises confidence in their selection decisions.”
Testing and Validation of the AGC Detector 2.0
The new detector has been rigorously tested on over 25,000 interview responses generated by humans and leading AI models like GPT-4, Claude-3.5, and Llama-3. The results speak for themselves, reinforcing the reliability and fairness of this game-changing technology.
Fairness & Transparency in AI-Enabled Hiring
By detecting AI-generated content while allowing candidates to correct their responses, our AGC Detector 2.0 ensures every applicant has the chance to put their best, most authentic foot forward when applying for a role powered by Sapia.ai. For enterprises, it provides confidence in the integrity of their hiring decisions and ensures they’re connecting with real candidates at scale.