Chipotle Mexican Grill is deploying a new AI-powered hiring platform across its more than 3,500 restaurants in North America and Europe, aiming to streamline recruitment and reduce hiring times by up to 75%.
The company announced today that it has partnered with Paradox, an AI recruitment firm, to implement a conversational hiring system that automates administrative tasks such as collecting candidate information and scheduling interviews. The platform, driven by a virtual assistant named “Ava Cado,” is expected to allow restaurant managers to focus more on operations and customer service.
“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,” said Ilene Eskenazi, Chief Human Resources Officer at Chipotle. “We’re excited about the early improvements we’re seeing.”
The AI assistant Ava Cado interacts with candidates in English, Spanish, French and German, providing a multilingual hiring experience. The system is being introduced in phases, with plans for completion this month. Chipotle aims to decrease time to hire, reduce job advertising costs, increase hiring for hard-to-fill roles and improve candidate experience through the new platform.
As Chipotle moves toward its long-term goal of operating 7,000 restaurants in North America, the company is focusing on efficient recruitment to support its growth. The rollout of the AI hiring platform coincides with Chipotle’s fall hiring efforts, its second-largest hiring period of the year.
In August, Chipotle was ranked first on the American Opportunity Index’s ranking of the top 50 employers offering recent high-school graduates the best pathway to a sustaining career and increased compensation. The company offers eligible employees benefits such as debt-free degrees, tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per year, access to mental health care, financial planning tools and the opportunity for quarterly bonuses, including for hourly crew members.
Chipotle provides a transparent career progression plan, allowing crew members to advance to the highest general manager position, Restaurateur, in as little as three and a half years, with a potential total compensation package of approximately $100,000. Last year, the company reported 24,000 internal promotions, including 90 per cent of its restaurant management roles and 87 per cent of field leader positions.
Chipotle’s adoption of AI in its hiring process reflects a broader trend among employers seeking to leverage technology to improve recruitment efficiency and candidate experience.
