7-Eleven slashes hiring time with conversational AI
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — 7-Eleven, the convenience store giant with over 13,000 U.S. locations, has transformed its hiring process by deploying conversational AI to address longstanding recruitment challenges.
The company, which hires more than 100,000 people annually, struggled with a slow and cumbersome process that left stores understaffed and managers overwhelmed by administrative tasks.
“Previously, our store managers had to open a requisition, get it approved, post it themselves, review hundreds of applicants, pick which candidates to talk to, call them, and schedule them for interviews,” said Rachel Allen, senior director of talent acquisition at 7-Eleven.
“We needed to change something fast in order to stay competitive.”
Rita: The conversational AI assistant
To streamline recruitment, 7-Eleven introduced Rita, an AI assistant powered by Paradox, which automates candidate communication, initial screening, and interview scheduling.
Now, customers interested in jobs can scan a QR code in-store and launch an application via SMS or WhatsApp. Rita engages them in a simple text conversation, gathers essential information, checks qualifications, and connects them to available interview slots synced with store managers’ calendars.
“Rita meets our candidates where they’re at. It feels like they’re just texting a person,” Allen explained. The results have been dramatic: 85% of applicants are scheduled for interviews within an hour, and the average time to hire has dropped from over 10 days to under three.
Major time savings for store leaders
With Rita handling 95% of recruitment tasks, 7-Eleven store leaders collectively save 40,000 hours every week-time they can redirect to improving customer service and store operations.
“This was the first solution that really knew how to do high volume recruitment. It’s been a game changer for us,” Allen said. “The coolest part is the ability to give store leaders those hours back in their day”.
Convenience now extends to hiring
By leveraging conversational AI, 7-Eleven’s candidate journey now mirrors its brand promise: simple, fast, and convenient. The company’s adoption of Rita has not only sped up hiring but also enhanced the experience for both applicants and store leaders.
Meanwhile, restaurant industry giant Chipotle Mexican Grill is also optimizing its hiring process with the launch of its AI-powered recruiting platform “Ava Cado.”
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.
