AI beats Human Recruiters at Hiring

For years, job interviews have been considered the gold standard of hiring. A recruiter’s ability to ask the right questions, read between the lines, and gauge potential has shaped countless careers and organizations. But what if a machine could do it better?

That’s no longer a hypothetical. Groundbreaking new research from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Erasmus University Rotterdam shows that AI-led job interviews don’t just match human recruiters, they outperform them. And at HireCade, we’re building the future of AI recruitment to make these benefits accessible to companies everywhere.

The Study That Changed the Conversation

Research Links:
1) https://www.chicagobooth.edu/research/center-for-applied-artificial-intelligence/stories/2025/ai-on-the-job
2) https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5395709

The research team conducted one of the largest experiments of its kind, partnering with a global recruitment firm to study 70,000 applicants.

Applicants were randomly assigned to three groups:

1. Interviewed by a human recruiter
2. Interviewed by an AI voice agent
3. Given a choice between the two

Human recruiters still made the final hiring decisions, based on the interview and a standardized test. This design allowed researchers to isolate the AI’s effectiveness as an interviewer while keeping the judgment human.

The results surprised even seasoned recruiters.

AI Outperforms Human Recruiters

Here’s what the data revealed:

• 12% More Job Offers : Candidates interviewed by AI were more likely to receive offers.
• 18% More Job Starts : More of those candidates actually showed up to work.
• 17% Higher Retention : AI-interviewed candidates were more likely to stay at least 30 days, a critical milestone in high-turnover industries.
• 78% Preferred AI : When given the choice, nearly 4 in 5 applicants chose the AI interview.
• 70% Positive Experience : Applicants rated AI interviews more positively than human ones, citing convenience and comfort.

Why did AI outperform? Consistency. Unlike humans, AI doesn’t get tired, forget questions, or skip steps. The AI interviewer covered more key topics, prompting candidates to talk more and provide richer information. Recruiters reviewing these transcripts had more relevant data on which to base their decisions, leading to better matches and higher retention.

Candidates Are Ready for AI

Skeptics might assume job seekers would resist speaking to a machine. Yet the opposite was true.

• Most applicants chose AI when given the option, often because they could schedule interviews at their convenience.
• Surveys showed similar satisfaction with both human and AI interviews.
• Open-ended feedback was more positive for AI-led interviews, with applicants describing the experience as comfortable and professional.

Even more striking: reports of gender-based discrimination dropped by half in AI-led interviews compared to human ones. For companies seeking to build fairer and more inclusive hiring processes, this is a breakthrough.

What It Means for Business

For employers, the implications are clear: AI interviews lead to better hires and lower turnover. That’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s a direct impact on the bottom line.

In industries like customer service and call centers, where annual turnover can reach 60%, improving retention by even a few percentage points can save millions in rehiring and retraining costs.

At scale, the benefits multiply. Large organizations with high hiring volumes and expensive recruiter labor stand to gain the most. Imagine saving hundreds of recruiter hours, cutting churn, and filling roles faster, all while improving candidate satisfaction.

Why HireCade Is Building the Future of AI Recruiting

The research validates what we at HireCade have believed all along: AI isn’t here to replace recruiters, it’s here to supercharge the hiring process.

Here’s how we’re making it happen:

• Smarter Interviews : Our AI Voice and Video interviewers ensure every candidate gets a consistent, structured conversation that surfaces the most relevant information.
• Candidate-Centric Experience : Flexibility and convenience mean candidates can engage on their terms, boosting completion rates and satisfaction.
• Better Data, Better Matches : Richer transcripts and insights give human decision-makers the clarity they need to make stronger hiring choices.
• Scalable and Efficient : Whether you’re hiring 50 people or 50,000, Hirecade scales without fatigue, bias, or missed questions.

The result? Higher-quality hires, reduced turnover, and a recruitment process that actually keeps pace with today’s business needs.

Moving From Hype to Hard Data

The AI conversation has been filled with promises, but companies are right to ask: does it really work? This study shows that when implemented thoughtfully, the answer is yes.

Hirecade is built on this evidence-based foundation. We don’t just talk about transformation, we deliver measurable outcomes that matter: more job offers, more starts, better retention, and happier candidates.

The Future Is Here

Recruitment is one of the most human-centered processes in business. And yet, the data is clear: AI interviews outperform humans in consistency, fairness, and results.

At Hirecade, we believe this isn’t about replacing the human touch, it’s about elevating it. Recruiters still make the final decisions, but now they’re equipped with better data and more time to focus on what they do best: building relationships and shaping teams.

The future of hiring isn’t human versus machine. It’s human with machine. And with Hirecade, that future is already here.