7-Eleven slashes hiring time by 70% using AI assistant technology
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — Convenience store giant 7-Eleven has implemented artificial intelligence technology to combat slow recruitment cycles that were causing the company to lose potential candidates.
The hiring challenge in retail
The convenience retailer struggled to match the pace of competing employers, especially as many applicants were applying to multiple roles simultaneously.
“Every candidate that was applying to one of our roles had applied even the same day to 14 other places,” explained Rachel Allen, 7-Eleven’s senior director of talent acquisition.
“By the time we gave them a call, they were hired down the street.”
RITA: The AI-powered solution
The company’s game-changing solution came in the form of RITA, an AI recruitment assistant that manages applicant communications and interview scheduling. Since its implementation earlier this year, RITA has automated approximately 95% of the front recruitment process, dramatically reducing the hiring timeline from 10 days to just three days per candidate.
Operational impact and ROI
The results have been remarkable, with Allen describing it as a “life-changing experience.” The AI system has helped 7-Eleven reduce in-store labor hours, cutting approximately 40,000 hours weekly. The automation extends beyond initial recruitment, handling administrative tasks such as paperwork notifications and training schedules.
“Automate the things that are administrative, and then invest in the time where you’re going to create or cultivate that connection and steep them into their role,” Allen advised, emphasizing the importance of balancing automation with human interaction.
The success of this AI implementation demonstrates how technology can effectively address common industry challenges while maintaining hiring quality. For 7-Eleven, this technological advancement has transformed a business obstacle into a competitive advantage in the convenience store sector.
Industry-wide AI adoption trends
Restaurant industry giant Chipotle Mexican Grill is also optimizing its hiring process with the launch of its AI-powered recruiting platform “Ava Cado.”
This innovative system, developed in partnership with Paradox, is expected to reduce hiring time by up to 75% across its 3,500+ locations in North America and Europe.
The new virtual team member will streamline the hiring process by handling multiple tasks simultaneously. This multilingual AI assistant can communicate with candidates in English, Spanish, French, and German while managing everything from initial conversations to interview scheduling and offer letter distribution.
Dan Kaplan, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry’s CHRO practice, believes that AI-enabled recruiting is particularly well suited for distributed blue-collar recruiting.
“Restaurants, retail, warehouses, [and] distribution businesses are all ripe for AI enablement. We have come a long way, and yet we aren’t even in the first inning,” Kaplan said.
Meanwhile, Mahe Bayireddi, CEO and co-founder of HR technology company Phenom, still values human involvement in the recruitment process.
“Sending an offer letter too quickly, with little to no human interaction, may lead candidates to believe the offer is a scam or that the company isn’t serious,” Bayireddi explained.
