It looks like robots might be better at hiring people than… people.
A first-of-its-kind study from PSG Global Solutions (a subsidiary of Teleperformance’s TP Specialized Services) and University of Chicago Booth School economist Dr. Brian Jabarian found that the company’s AI recruiter, Anna AI, beat human interviewers across almost every major hiring metric.
The study analyzed 70,000 candidate interviews across 48 job roles in healthcare, IT, and industrial sectors. In a head-to-head comparison of human-led interviews, Anna AI-led interviews, and candidate-choice interviews, the digital recruiter not only held its own but delivered stronger outcomes:
-
12% more job offers to candidates who interviewed with AI.
-
18% more candidates started jobs after interviewing with Anna AI.
-
17% higher retention at the one-month mark.
-
Fewer bias complaints—reports of gender discrimination were cut nearly in half compared to human-led interviews.
-
Richer interviews—Anna AI captured a median of nine relevant topics per interview, compared to five for humans.
-
Cost-effective scale—break-even was achieved after just 8,500 interviews, even in low-cost markets.
“Anna AI can match human recruiters in conducting job interviews—a complex but key task in hiring—while improving hiring efficiency and early retention,” said Dr. Jabarian. “It also captured more job-relevant information, enriching the data pipeline for smarter decisions.”
Candidates Choose AI, Too
The research also revealed growing candidate comfort with AI in the hiring process: 78% of applicants opted for Anna AI when given the choice. For candidates, the AI’s consistent format and structured conversations may help reduce uncertainty or bias, while for employers, it creates standardized, comparable data sets across thousands of applicants.
Why It Matters
High-volume hiring has always been messy—manual scheduling, inconsistent interviews, and uneven candidate experiences bog down both HR teams and applicants. AI recruiters like Anna aim to change that by offering always-on, unbiased, and scalable interviewing.
PSG CEO Dave Bethea framed it as a “pivotal shift toward data-driven decision-making across the talent acquisition value chain.” The pitch isn’t replacing human recruiters entirely, but blending AI precision with human oversight to boost efficiency and equity at scale.
The Bigger Picture
The study lands as AI recruiting tools face scrutiny over fairness, bias, and transparency. Yet PSG’s data suggests that, at least in this case, AI interviews could reduce bias rather than amplify it. Lower reports of discrimination, higher retention, and cost savings paint a compelling picture for enterprises struggling with labor shortages and hiring churn.
Anna AI is part of Teleperformance’s “Future Forward” initiative, which blends AI and human expertise across customer service and recruitment outsourcing. It supports the full hiring lifecycle—from screening and scheduling to interviewing and onboarding—positioning it as a scalable alternative for RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) and BPO providers facing rising client demand.
If these results hold across industries, Anna AI may not just be a recruiter—it could be the recruiter enterprises trust most.
Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights
