How Sapia is Using AI to Transform Recruiting and HR

An AI-driven chatbot removes CVs and bias from job applications and turns around recommendations for companies in less than a day.

What is it?

Sapia is an AI tool for HR in which job applicants interact with Phai, a chatbot. “It’s a whole new capability: the ability to understand people through a short conversation,” says founder and CEO Barb Hyman. “Our smart chatbot asks five questions via text and from there we can figure out things about you that organisations crave to discover when they’re hiring.”

The AI algorithm crunches the answers to assess such qualities as communication skills, ability to work in or lead a team and learning agility. “The CV is redundant in decisions about people and it brings in bias. We do it with AI – it’s a scalable, bias-free solution to help companies determine the best people for roles, in under 24 hours. Our technology solves for hiring efficiency but also diversity and talent, intelligence and leadership capability.”

Where did the idea come from?

Hyman was a lawyer who switched to strategy consulting with Boston Consulting Group, taking on HR roles when her three children were small. “I could see the incredible invisible cost of hiring – and the bias,” she says. In 2018, when PredictiveHire was an early-stage startup, she came in as CEO. It rebranded as Sapia this year. Hyman says the product and messaging wasn’t right back then and, as the original founder departed, she set about hiring a new team and raising money.

“My key brilliance was hiring brilliant people, starting with Dr Buddhi Jayatilleke, our chief data scientist.” Jayatilleke was the first lead data scientist at employee-engagement platform Culture Amp. “We wanted to deliver a solution that worked for companies and was also fair for people,” says Hyman. All applicants receive a personalised profile and a coaching tip. “We’re creating dignity for the forgotten group – the semi-skilled or unskilled. CEOs get loads of feedback. Imagine if you’re a 15-year-old or a primary carer returning to work – you’ve never had coaching. These people don’t have high self-awareness about their strengths or how to articulate them.” She says candidates report that getting these data-driven insights boosts their confidence and makes them more favourably disposed to the company that advertised.

How did it get off the ground?

“We had to prove we could build something that people trusted, in a world where there are lots of myths and fears about AI.” Hyman says transparency is key. “We’re the only vendor in this space to have peer-reviewed and published science on language and personality.”

What’s next?

“Sapia has now been used for more than two million candidates in 47 countries. We’re used by a lot of Australia’s top brands, including Bunnings, Woolworths and Suncorp, and the United States is next.” She says consumer brands are Sapia’s sweet spot, particularly those whose public championing of diversity is not reflected in their workforce. “The opportunity for us to really make a difference there, very fast, is significant.”

Need to know

Founder and CEO: Barb Hyman (below), 52
First customer: Qantas, 2019
Headquarters: Melbourne, with offices in Sydney, Chicago and London
Number of employees: 60
Investors and market valuation: Not disclosed