Artificial intelligence in hiring usually sparks fears of bias, cold automation, and résumé-driven rejections. But according to a new large-scale study from Sapia.ai, the opposite might be true. The company’s Humanising Hiring Report, based on more than one million candidate experiences and 11 million words of written feedback, suggests that AI-powered chat interviews can make hiring more human.
The Case for “Humanised AI”
Traditional hiring often leaves candidates ghosted, devalued, or treated like data points. In fact, JobScore estimates that 65% of candidates never hear back consistently during recruitment. Sapia.ai’s chat-based AI interviews aim to flip that script: every applicant gets structured, untimed, text-based questions they can answer at their own pace.
The results:
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6.7M+ chat interviews completed across 30+ countries
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81.8% feedback rate, with 853,000 candidates voluntarily leaving comments
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30% more women applied when told AI would assess them, closing the gender gap by 36%
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98% hiring equity for people with disabilities thanks to blind, mobile-first design
On average, candidates scored their experience 9.05 out of 10, and 8 in 10 left written feedback without being prompted. That’s not just unusual in recruiting—it’s practically unheard of.
From Ghosting to Engagement
For candidates, the appeal seems to be dignity and voice. Instead of sending résumés into a black hole, they can tell their story in their own words, knowing every applicant is given the same structured interview.
Barb Hyman, CEO of Sapia.ai, framed it this way: “At our core, humans crave to be heard. We’ve built AI that gives candidates space to tell their story… Responsible AI doesn’t take away dignity; it restores it.”
That sentiment resonated with early adopters. Michael Eizenberg, Group Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Qantas, said the tool has been “truly transformational” for candidates, recruiters, and the airline’s employer brand.
Business Results That Matter
Beyond candidate satisfaction, companies are seeing hard numbers shift. UK retailer Holland & Barrett cut turnover by 89% in two years after adopting Sapia.ai’s chat interviews. In a climate where 34% of large employers report turnover costs north of $100,000 annually (Express Employment Professionals, 2025), that kind of drop is more than a “nice-to-have.”
Context: AI, Ethics, and the Future of Hiring
The study arrives at a critical moment for HR tech. Rival systems like HireVue and Pymetrics have faced backlash for opaque algorithms and “robotic” experiences. Sapia.ai’s counterpoint: design AI around fairness and psychology, not just efficiency.
The platform is built on decades of industrial-organisational research. Its structured, untimed, and bias-monitored framework—dubbed FAIR™ (Fairness, Accountability, Inclusivity, and Explainability)—is designed to keep hiring equitable at scale.
Analyst Kathi Enderes of The Josh Bersin Company called the study “one of the most comprehensive examinations of candidate experience to date,” adding that it shows AI can improve not only speed, but also fairness, connection, and job fit.
Bottom Line
Hiring is often where brand promises break down. Sapia.ai’s report argues that AI doesn’t have to dehumanize recruitment—it may be the tool that finally restores trust and fairness. Whether competitors and skeptics agree remains to be seen, but with millions of candidates willingly engaging with its chat interviews, Sapia.ai has numbers on its side.
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