Chipotle’s use of AI has cut hiring time, doubled applicant flow, and reshaped how managers spend their time, CHRO says
Chipotle has slashed its average hiring time from 12 days to just four, marking a dramatic shift in how the company brings new employees on board.
The change follows the October 2024 launch of its AI-powered hiring platform ‘Avo Cado,’ which has rapidly accelerated the path from application to start date, says Ilene Eskenazi, Chief Human Resources Officer at Chipotle.
For the company, this is a major operational shift, aimed squarely at efficiency and candidate experience, and the impact has been immediate and measurable. It has nearly doubled the company’s applicant flow, “increasing Chipotle's candidate application completion rate to over 85% from approximately 50%,” Eskenazi says.
Much of the friction in traditional hiring comes from delays between candidate interest and recruiter response. According to a study from BarRaiser, 23% of job seekers lose interest in a role if they don’t hear back from an employer within a week. The lack of timely communication doesn’t just cost employers potential hires—it can signal disorganization and damage the company’s reputation in the eyes of applicants.
‘Ava Cado’ doesn’t leave candidates hanging; it engages candidates the moment they apply. That kind of responsiveness has changed how Chipotle’s teams work.
“’Ava Cado’ answers candidates’ questions about Chipotle, collects basic information and schedules interviews for hiring managers,” Eskenazi explains. “The manager’s interview with the candidate is our opportunity to explore if the individual is compatible with our values and prepared to demonstrate the skills required for our daily operations and guest experiences.”
By reducing time-consuming tasks, Chipotle’s general managers now have fewer administrative burdens and more time to focus on what actually matters in a restaurant setting.
“Our General Managers in our restaurants can [now] increase their focus on their day-to-day operations and provide excellent hospitality for our guests,” she says.
The results? A streamlined hiring process that has helped the company “capitalize on top talent faster and remain competitive in high volume hiring”, Eskenazi says.
This shift isn’t just about hiring volume—it’s about quality and alignment. Ava Cado accelerates the early steps, but it doesn’t make the final call. That still falls to the humans.
“AI-powered resources like “Avo Cado” are complementary tools for restaurant leadership,” she says. “We are leveraging the technology to streamline administrative tasks, but General Managers will continue to interview candidates and make final hiring decisions.”
As more businesses introduce AI into recruitment processes, new rules are also being introduced to ensure applicants know when automated tools are being used in hiring.
From January 1, 2026, Ontario employers that use AI to screen, assess or select job applicants will need to dosclose this as part of changes to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, introduced under the Working for Workers Four Act and Ontario Regulation 476/24, Rules and Exemptions Re Job Postings.
Under the new regulations, any publicly advertised job posting must include a clear statement if artificial intelligence is used at any stage of the hiring process—from application reviews to candidate evaluations.
