Accenture uses AI agents to cut hiring time by 28 percent

Accenture is using AI agents to sift through resumes and schedule interviews as part of its recruiting process. Kate Clifford, global chief leadership and HR at Accenture, described the system as an 'agentic recruiting solution' called 'frictionless recruiting'. The AI agents screen resumes and conduct assessments to understand candidate skills. Accenture states that a human always makes the final hiring decision despite using AI agents for screening.

Accenture claims its agentic recruiting process reduced the time taken to hire for roles by 28 percent. The company also claims the process improved candidate quality by 30 percent. Accenture claims AI agents reduced the time for an entry-level hire to become productive from six months to six weeks. Kate Clifford stated that AI agents help recruitment staff save time on scheduling interviews and data entry.

Accenture serves around 9,000 clients with tech advice and services. A memo sent to senior staff in February informed them that promotions to top roles would necessitate 'regular adoption' of AI tooling. Accenture is tracking the usage of AI tooling among its internal staff. A study published in 2022 found the idea that AI-powered recruitment software creates a fairer process was unfounded. A paper published in the journal Philosophy and Technology demonstrated that recruitment software is little more than 'automated pseudoscience'.