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A good candidate experience doesn’t cut it in the current recruitment climate. It’s the most basic thing that hiring managers need to fulfil, but if that’s all you are delivering you are going to miss out on talent.
You need to hire fast (interview-to-offer in 24 hours) with an AI-enhanced process that needs to be frictionless – i.e., you can’t be asking candidates to jump through hoops to prove themselves to you. No games, no CVs, no third interviews, no asking them to make time for an AI interview when you are free.
Those days are over. The global talent shortage is being felt across every industry and recruitment needs to be re-imagined.
And, there’s only one solution: automation.
Also Read: woolworths success factors
Woolworths hiring process 2024: Automation is the key
Yes, it can be hard to cut through a lot of hype around automation, but it is possible that leaders can develop a clear-eyed way to think about how these technologies will improve their organizations.
This is not about replacing jobs of HR managers, but giving them the tools to help them grapple with the challenges in the current hiring environment. It’s about empowering HR teams to be able to do the seemingly impossible – and be good at it. Or to put it another way, help them create a human-centric organization with super-human intelligence.
Woolworths video interview
This was the challenge that Woolworths Group brought to us. Even before the pandemic, the Group was realising that they needed to invest in more efficient processes to keep up with the recruitment demands of the company. But remaining fair about who they hired and treating candidates with respect was not up for compromise.
They had just recovered from surge hiring needs brought on by COVID and wanted to make sure they never had to go through that as a team again. The task had been slow and manual, took too long to hire and the tech they had used was not reliable.
They were looking to redefine their whole approach and realised they could not deliver a positive experience to candidates without the help of technology.
Sapia’s current chat-based candidate assessment was chosen as a front-runner after an extensive search for tools, given the fact that it meant that bias was removed from reviewing candidates and because it also meant they could give every candidate constructive feedback – even if they didn’t get the job.
However, there was still an opportunity to solve for the sheer volume of video interviews that had to occur in the next step.
This made Woolworths an ideal candidate to implement Sapia’s Video Interview Software, a product that delivers video interviews via conversational chat, allowing candidates to complete them in their own time without requiring any scheduling input from hiring managers.
Woolworths Interview Process: 24-hour time to decision
This means anyone can now run a fully automated hiring process that is both fair, candidate-friendly and insanely fast. Woolworths was the first customer to go live with Video Interview and as the largest private employer in Australia it was a true test of the effectiveness of the product.
Within one week of going live Smart Interviewer, our text chatbot, had interviewed more than 10k candidates, all without bias. The introduction of an end-to-end fully automated chat based assessment process where every candidate is interviewed and every candidate receives personalised feedback transformed their recruitment for candidates.
But, what was transformational for hiring managers was that the top candidates were then able to do Video Interviews through the platform by video recording answers to a set of questions on their phone. No-one had to schedule an interview and hiring managers could quickly assess the best candidates for the role by simply watching a video – also, in their own time.
Time-to-decision is as little as 24 hours in some cases with the Group achieving an NPS score of 8.8.
Automation the answer for the current climate
The issues that Woolworths faced are felt by most large companies hiring at scale.
With the introduction of Video Interview, Sapia can now create and deliver a solution that streamlines the Woolworths recruitment process and improves the efficiency of large-scale recruitment for other companies as well.
- Giving everyone a fair go at getting the job
- Giving every candidate feedback
- Keeping it frictionless for candidates
- Removing the need to schedule any follow up interviews asynchronously
- Empowering hiring managers with objective intelligence about every candidate
- Enabling hiring managers to have the final say by watching a simple video in just a few minutes.
If you’d like to know more about Video Interview and how we have integrated video into our product suite without compromising fairness, please get in touch.
You can also download our Woolworths case study.
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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.
Blog
ICO Recommendations for AI Tools in Recruitment
At Sapia.ai, we’re dedicated to creating a hiring experience that is transparent, inclusive, and respectful of every candidate’s privacy. This month, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)—the UK’s independent authority on upholding information rights and promoting data privacy— released new recommendations for AI developers and providers of recruitment tools, focused on protecting jobseekers’ rights and privacy. We’re proud to have contributed to the ICO’s audit and review of industry practices and to have implemented all recommendations specific to our platform.
The ICO conducted consensual audits with several organisations across various AI use cases. Throughout the process, the ICO was keen to understand how Sapia.ai and other providers process personal data, aiming to provide practical guidance for improving data protection and addressing information rights challenges in recruitment AI.
In total, these audits led to nearly 300 recommendations aimed at improving compliance across the industry. The recommendations included a range of practices to ensure fairness and transparency in processing candidates’ data. Key areas of focus included processing personal information fairly, minimising data collection, clearly explaining data processing activities, avoiding unlawful data repurposing, and conducting thorough risk assessments to evaluate privacy impacts — principles that align closely with our core values.
Since these recommendations spanned various AI applications, Sapia.ai received a small subset relevant specifically to our platform, and we’re proud to have fully integrated the ICO’s feedback into our approach.
Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement
As part of our engagement with the ICO, we reviewed and refined our practices. For instance, in late 2023, we ended the practice of inferring special category data from candidate names when this information wasn’t directly provided. This adjustment underscores our dedication to handling personal data transparently and responsibly.
The ICO’s audit also highlighted several existing practices at Sapia.ai that support our commitment to transparency, fairness, and data security. Our FAIR™ Framework received special recognition for promoting fairness in AI recruitment by offering clear guidance on reducing bias and fostering trust in AI-driven hiring. This framework is central to our efforts to create an equitable and transparent hiring experience—one where every candidate feels valued and seen.
Upholding Robust Security Standards
Beyond privacy, security is fundamental to our operations. The ICO acknowledged our strong commitment to information security, highlighting our programme of annual external assessments for compliance with ISO27001, ISO27017/18, and SOC2 Type 2 certifications. These certifications reflect our rigorous standards for data security, ensuring that our systems and processes protect personal data effectively. By undergoing these assessments, we assure our clients that our security practices are not only robust but also regularly reviewed to meet evolving standards in data protection.
Supporting Clients with Training and Resources
We believe that compliance and fairness extend beyond our technology to include the way clients understand and use our platform. That’s why, as part of our onboarding process, we provide comprehensive system training for new clients. This includes guidance on interpreting assessments and navigating the management information dashboard, helping clients use our system as it was designed. We also support clients in completing their own Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), empowering them to evaluate and address privacy risks in line with best practices.
Further, we provide accessible reference guides, or product ‘explainers’. These resources clarify the mechanics of our system and the security measures we have in place to protect personal data, enhancing client confidence and trust in our technology.
Building a Fairer Hiring Experience
We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the ICO and are inspired by their recognition of AI’s potential to make a positive impact on society. At Sapia.ai, we’ll continue to prioritise fairness, security, and privacy, working to create a hiring experience where every candidate feels valued and understood.
Our commitment to continuous improvement means we actively monitor changes in the privacy landscape and adapt to new developments. As AI legislation evolves and privacy standards are refined, we strive to proactively implement any required changes—ensuring our technology not meets and anticipates future standards.
Blog
The 5 Interview Questions Candidates Love Most – And Why You Should Be Asking Them
When interviewing, asking the right questions can open the door to genuine insights and a better interview experience. So, which questions truly resonate with candidates? Our latest research, led by the Data Scientists at Sapia Labs, reveals the top five questions that candidates appreciate the most from our Chat Interview experience, that over 5 million candidates from 47 countries have completed.
Why is asking the right questions important?
The Live Interview is crucial to volume hiring. Having the opportunity to meet for the first time, to extend the connection already created online – it’s almost like the first date of the volume hiring experience. Showing up unprepared or asking questions that candidates can’t engage with is a waste of everyone’s time.
Asking questions candidates actually enjoy
Interviews can go sideways – either candidates feel like they’ve been part of a scripted exercise, where standard questions that don’t engender creativity or imagination are rolled out one by one; or, if the interviewer is underprepared, questions can appear out of the blue and feel largely irrelevant to the role.
But certain questions break the mould—they encourage authenticity, spark reflection, and sometimes even pride. Rather than prompting canned responses, these questions invite candidates to share real experiences that shaped them. After analysing feedback from thousands of candidates, here are the five most-loved interview questions and why they matter.
- Making a Difference
“Tell us about a time you went out of your way to make a difference for someone and improved their day.”
Why candidates love it: It’s a chance to talk about something positive they’ve done. People enjoy reflecting on moments that mattered, whether big or small, and this question lets them share proud memories. For the hiring team, it reveals a candidate’s potential to bring kindness, positivity, and empathy to your team and customers.
- Handling Difficult People
“Have you ever dealt with someone difficult? How did you handle the situation? Feel free to share examples from work, school, or any group activity.”
Why candidates love it: We’ve all had tough encounters, and this question lets candidates share how they navigated those situations. Their response can reveal resilience, tact, or empathy. Plus, every workplace has its challenges—this question lets them show their approach to handling them.
- Driving Change
“Tell us how you have been proactive in driving change that had a lasting impact.”
Why candidates love it: Everyone has had moments when they took initiative, big or small. This question gives candidates a chance to reflect on those times when they went beyond the status quo and made a real difference. It also reveals whether they see themselves as someone who can step up to make things better.
- Missing Deadlines
“Describe a time when you missed a deadline or personal commitment. How did that make you feel?”
Why candidates love it: This question is refreshingly human. We’ve all missed deadlines, and this question creates space for honesty, vulnerability, and growth – without the awkwardness of the classic “what are your weaknesses?” angle. It’s less about the setback itself and more about how a candidate understands, reflects and moves forward from it.
- Team Support
“Tell us about a time when you rolled up your sleeves to help out your team or someone else.”
Why candidates love it: This question highlights the power of teamwork. Candidates get to share the moments they stepped up and supported others. It shows both teamwork and leadership potential, indicating if this candidate is someone who’ll contribute something bigger than their individual tasks.
Why these questions are impactful
These interview questions tap into values that are universally meaningful. Candidates don’t just want to list their skills; they want to share stories that matter to them. When you ask questions like these, you’re inviting candidates to reflect on personal moments of challenge, motivation, and connection. They get to walk away feeling heard and appreciated – before they’ve even received a job offer.
Interviews, whether face to face or via chat, should be a positive experience for candidates. They’re a chance to connect with the person behind the application. That’s why we built our online assessment Chat Interview on a foundation of questions like these. So the first experience a candidate has with your brand is one of genuine connection.
Why you should consider questions like these in your interviews
Incorporating these questions shows candidates that you value their unique experiences. By making small adjustments to the questions you ask, you create a space where candidats can open up and share more meaningful responses. And that’s the first step in finding candidates who genuinely fit with your team and culture. Shifting to questions that candidates love can elevate your interview process, leaving candidates feeling inspired and excited about the prospect of working with you.
Transforming Interviews, One Question at a Time
This research underscores a core belief we hold: Interviews are an experience, not just an assessment. A good interview reveals job-related skills while also building trust and creating advocates for your brand.
At Sapia.ai, we know interviewing. Whether that’s giving your candidates an engaging interview over chat as their first experience with your brand; or enabling your team to conduct better live interviews, our platform enhances the end to end volume hiring process.
We’re proud to champion a new way of interviewing that prioritises candidate experience and genuine connection. After all, when candidates feel good about the questions you ask, they’re more likely to bring their best selves – helping you find the people that belong with your brand..
Curious to learn more? Get in touch to see how we’re reshaping hiring into a more human, meaningful experience – one great question at a time.