Chipotle Introduces a New AI Recruiter Named ‘Ava Cado’ to Dramatically Reduce Hiring Time

Chipotle is testing out the technology at more than 3,500 restaurants.

By Sherin Shibu Oct 23, 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Chipotle’s new AI recruiter is called Ava Cado.
  • The company announced the new AI on Tuesday and said that it would be completed by the end of the month.
  • Chipotle plans to roll it out in phases at 3,500 locations.

Chipotle has a new addition to its staff: Ava Cado, an AI recruiter that slices the time it takes to hire a new restaurant employee by 75%.

Chipotle announced the AI system on Tuesday, stating that Ava will talk to prospective hires, get the necessary information, schedule interviews, and even send out offer letters. Managers at 3,500 Chipotle restaurants across the world will use the AI technology, which will be rolled out in phases by the end of the month.

Chipotle Chief Human Resources Officer Ilene Eskenazi said in a press release that the big-picture goal is to have 7,000 restaurants in North America using the tech.

Related: Wells Fargo Analysts Tested 75 Bowls at Chipotle — and the Portion Sizes Were Wildly Inconsistent

The AI “operates as if we’ve hired additional administrative support for all our restaurants,” Eskenazi said.

Chipotle is tapping into AI technology already in use at some of the biggest restaurants in the world, including McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Giants in other industries, such as Pfizer, FedEx, and Disney, are also using the same AI recruiting platform. Pfizer, for example, said it brought down the time it takes to schedule an interview with a candidate from seven days to less than five minutes.

AI recruiting carries its own set of challenges, though, such as the possibility of automating bias. If the AI system was trained on a biased data set, it could inadvertently amplify that bias.

AI also runs the risk of alienating candidates who could be penalized if they use AI themselves to prepare materials. Human candidates may respond better to human recruiters who give clear social prompts, say on an initial recruiting call.

Related: AI Is Changing How Businesses Recruit for Open Roles — and How Candidates Are Gaming the System

For Chipotle, Ava Cado has the clear benefit of letting managers spend more time supporting human team members and less on hiring.

“We’re excited about the early improvements we’re seeing,” Eskenazi stated.

Key Takeaways

  • Chipotle’s new AI recruiter is called Ava Cado.
  • The company announced the new AI on Tuesday and said that it would be completed by the end of the month.
  • Chipotle plans to roll it out in phases at 3,500 locations.

Chipotle has a new addition to its staff: Ava Cado, an AI recruiter that slices the time it takes to hire a new restaurant employee by 75%.

Chipotle announced the AI system on Tuesday, stating that Ava will talk to prospective hires, get the necessary information, schedule interviews, and even send out offer letters. Managers at 3,500 Chipotle restaurants across the world will use the AI technology, which will be rolled out in phases by the end of the month.

The rest of this article is locked.

Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

Subscribe Now

Already have an account? Sign In

Sherin Shibu

News Reporter at Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur Staff
Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Related Content